Melissa Copley is a Vice Chairman in Newmark’s Chicago office. Since 1988, Copley has specialized in tenant representation with expertise in managing corporate and law firm client relationships, portfolio strategic planning, and negotiating large, complex transactions. She has completed a wide range of real estate transactions including leases, sale/leasebacks, lease dispositions, subleases, assignments, building dispositions, build-to-suits, land acquisitions and dispositions, and incentives agreements. Copley provides account leadership, portfolio strategic planning, workplace strategies, and metrics to align real estate with the client’s core business objectives. These strategic activities, coupled with her rigorous and well documented transaction processes and negotiations, yield consensus building, tremendous cost savings, and other benefits for her clients, including attractive rental rates, significant concessions packages, various space and lease term flexibility, minimal capital risk and cost containment provisions, interruption of services protection, maximized tenant visibility and building signage, and non-disturbance in the event of landlord default. Her detailed terms letters and lease comments, which she provides through transaction completion, ensure the heavily negotiated terms are reflected in the final transaction documents.
Copley has completed $4B in real estate transactions. She has led assignments in over 40 cities worldwide, including the U.S., the United Kingdom, Europe, and Asia. As a result of decades of client portfolio work, she is known in real estate markets across the country, where she has demonstrated strong leadership skills and beneficial transactions for her clients throughout her career.
Copley began her career in 1983 at Citibank N.A. in pension funds in New York City. In 1985, she relocated to Chicago and was an analyst for RBK Management, a venture capital investment company, while she studied for her MBA in Northwestern University’s Evening Program. In 1988, she was recruited by LaSalle Partners, now JLL, where she became an equity partner and international director. She was a top producer and leader of JLL’s largest tenant representation team, which closed assignments totaling over 20 million square feet, and she founded and chaired JLL’s law firm practice. In 2005, she founded Copley Advisors, which she led for five years. In 2010, she merged her company with Mohr Partners, where she was a managing partner of the downtown Chicago office and led the firm’s law firm practice. In 2014, Copley was recruited to join Newmark as a Vice Chairman in the company’s Chicago office.
Partial Client Assignment List
Law Firms:
- Seyfarth Shaw*: Account Oversight Executive, Led Annual Portfolio Strategic Planning, and Lead Negotiator: 300,000 SF Office Lease Relocation, 190,000 SF Office Lease Relocation, 13,000 SF Expansion, 13,000 SF Space Disposition (2005, 2014, 2017, and 2024, Chicago, IL); 18,000 SF Office Lease Assignment and Relocation (2022, Charlotte, NC); 56,000 SF Office Lease (2021, Century City, Los Angeles, CA); 64,000 SF Office Lease Relocation (2020, Boston, MA); 62,000 SF Office Lease Restack (2019, Washington, DC); 10,000 SF Office Lease Contraction and Extension (2019, Sacramento, CA); 5,000 SF New Office Lease (2019, Charlotte, NC); 58,000 SF Office Lease Relocation (2018, Los Angeles, CA); 50,000 SF Office Lease (2017, San Francisco, CA)
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McDermott Will & Emery*: Portfolio Oversight Executive, Led Annual Portfolio Strategic Planning, and Lead Negotiator:
U.S.: 15,000 SF Turnkey Office Lease (2022, Houston, TX); 41,000 SF Sublease, 25,000 SF Sublease, 24,000 SF Sublease, and 10,000 SF Office Lease (2017, 2020, and 2021, Menlo Park, CA); 58,000 SF Office Lease (2018, Boston, MA); 57,000 SF Office Lease (2018, Century City, Los Angeles, CA); 45,000 SF Office Lease Disposition and 10,000 SF Office Lease (2017, Irvine, CA); 21,000 SF Office Lease (2017, San Francisco, CA)
International: Coworking Space Leases (2020, London and 2021 and 2022, Singapore); 28,000 SF Office Lease (2021, London, England); 11,000 SF Office Expansion and 50,000 SF Office Lease (2017 and 2020, Paris, France); 25,000 SF Office Lease (2019, Frankfurt, Germany); 37,000 SF Office Lease (2018, Munich, Germany); 5,000 SF Office Lease and Office Closing (2016 and 2018, Seoul, South Korea); 10,000 SF Office Lease (2017, Brussels, Belgium) - Fox Rothschild: Lead Negotiator: 11,000 SF Office Lease (2015, Chicago, IL)
- Squire Patton Boggs: Lead Negotiator: 20,000 SF Office Lease (2013, Cleveland, OH)
- Jones Day: Lead Negotiator: 140,000 SF Office Lease (2006, Chicago, IL)
- Foley & Lardner*: Account Oversight Executive; Led Annual Portfolio Strategic Planning; Transaction Leader, Oversight, and Negotiator: 245,000 SF Main Office Lease (2003, Milwaukee, WI); 200,000 SF Office Lease (2004, Washington, DC); 40,000 SF Office Lease (2005, Detroit, MI); 40,000 SF Office Lease (2004, Jacksonville, FL)
- Katten Muchin Rosenman: Account Leader and Lead Negotiator: 18,000 SF Sublease (2003, Washington, DC); 15,000 SF Office Lease (2003, Charlotte, NC); 240,000 SF Office Lease (2002, Chicago, IL)
- Baker & Hostetler: Lead Negotiator: 80,000 SF Office Lease (2002 and 1997, Columbus, OH)
Corporations and Other Tenants:
- GATX Corporation*: Account Leader and Lead Negotiator: 8,000 SF Industrial Lease (2024, Houston, TX); 25,000 SF Industrial Building Sale (2023, Plantersville, TX); 170,000 SF Headquarters Lease, 125,000 SF Headquarters Lease; 90,000 SF Headquarters Lease (1992, 2005, and 2017, Chicago, IL); 16-acre Industrial Land/Building Sale (2011, Quebec, Canada); Development Consulting Assignment (2010, Warsaw, Poland); Building Valuation Consulting Assignment for M&A Transaction (2009, Rhode Island); 44,000 SF Sublease (2008, San Francisco, CA); 60,000 SF Office Building Sale (2007, Eden Prairie, MN)
- Ryan LLC: Lead Negotiator: 26,000 SF Office Lease (2023, Chicago, IL)
- American Steamship: Account Leader and Lead Negotiator: 15,000 SF Headquarters Lease (2023 and 2013, Williamsville, NY), Industrial Lease (2014, Duluth, MN)
- SMCO, Inc.: Lead Negotiator: 10,000 SF Office Lease (2014 and 2023, Chicago, IL)
- Kinship Trust Company: Lead Negotiator: 14,000 SF Headquarters Lease (2009, Chicago, IL) and 312,000 SF Building Acquisition Consulting (2009, Chicago, IL)
- Integrys: Led Strategic Planning and Lead Negotiator: 225,000 SF Office Lease Consulting Assignment (2008, Chicago, IL); 43,000 SF Office Space Disposition (2008 Chicago, IL)
- Sprint*: Portfolio Strategic Alliance Oversight Executive (2004-2005)
- Unilever: Account Leader, Led Strategic Planning, Co-Lead on Building Sale and Lead Negotiator on Lease: 168,000 SF Headquarters Building Sale (2003, Chicago, IL); 80,000 SF Office Lease (2003, Chicago, IL); Portfolio Master Plan (2003)
- UnitedHealth Group*: Account Oversight Executive (1999-2003), Led Portfolio Strategic Planning, Provided Transactions Oversight, and Lead Negotiator for: 160,000 SF Call Center Build-to-Suit Lease and City Incentives (2000, Duluth, MN)
- The Prudential Insurance Company of America: Account Leader, Led Portfolio Strategic Planning, and Lead Negotiator: 500,000 SF Sale/Leaseback, 130,000 SF Call Center Lease, 80,000 SF Office Lease (all in 1998, Jacksonville, FL); 300,000 SF Call Center Lease (1999, Los Angeles, CA); Portfolio Area Master Plan and Land Acquisition (1999, Atlanta, GA)
- PageNet*: Led Portfolio Strategic Planning and Lead Negotiator: 100,000 SF HQ Lease (1999, Addison, TX); 40,000 SF Data Center Lease (1998, Plano, TX)
- The City of Chicago: Lead Negotiator: 240,000 SF Office Lease (1995, Chicago, IL)
- Coopers & Lybrand (now PWC): Lead Negotiator: 30,000 SF Office Lease (1993, Columbus, OH)
- BlueCross BlueShield of Missouri: Lead Negotiator: 40,000 SF Call Center Build-to-Suit Lease (1992, Cape Giradeau, MO)
- LyphoMed: Lead Negotiator: 200,000 SF Headquarters Sale/Leaseback (1989, Rosemont, IL); 150,000 SF Headquarters Lease (1989, Deerfield, IL)
*Strategic alliance, portfolio client
Professional Achievements and Affiliations
- Member of Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Economic Roundtable
- Chairman’s Circle and Top Producer, Newmark
- Most Influential Commercial Real Estate Brokers in Chicago, Crain’s Chicago Business
- Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame Award, Midwest Real Estate News
- 50 Most Powerful Women in Commercial Real Estate, Bisnow
- Elite Women of Influence, Tenant Representation, Globe Street
- CoStar Power Broker
- Hottest Brokers, Commercial Property News
- Founding Member, Executive Women in Corporate Real Estate (EWCRE)
- Member, CoreNet Global
- Member, Lambda Alpha International
- Past Chairman and Board Member, International Association of Attorneys and Executives in Corporate Real Estate (AECRE)
- Member and Past President, The Realty Club of Chicago
- Supporter and Past Corporate Board Member, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago
Education
Copley earned a Master of Business Administration degree with a major in finance and marketing from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from the University of Michigan.
Licenses
She is a state licensed real estate broker in Illinois, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, New York, Georgia, North Carolina and Wisconsin.
Speaking Engagements, Teaching and Writing
Copley has been an industry speaker at numerous conferences, including as a panelist at the Real Estate Conference (Re-Con) at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, Crain’s Chicago Business, CoreNet Global, Law Seminars International, Executive Women in Corporate Real Estate (EWCRE), Bisnow, the International Association of Attorneys and Executives in Corporate Real Estate (AECRE), and The Realty Club of Chicago. She led the downtown Chicago office panel discussion at the Illinois Real Estate Journal’s Chicago Commercial Real Estate Forecast Conference for five years.
Copley has lectured in real estate economics at Northeastern Illinois University and has taught courses, including “Real Estate Finance” at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management from 1990 to 1992 and “Negotiations” at CoreNet Global.
Copley has written about and participated in articles on the commercial real estate market for various publications, including Crain’s Chicago Business, American Lawyer Magazine, Law Firm, Inc., and CoStar Insight. She authored and published her company’s quarterly newsletter, The Copley Advisor, for five years. Since the pandemic, Copley has written two whitepapers, which can be found on LinkedIn:
- November 2023: “How Much Office Space Should Tenants Lease in a Hybrid Model”
- November 2020: “How Covid and the Remote Working Explosion Will Impact the Legal Industry”