Rachel S. Brown, P.C.

She's brilliant, incredibly practical, super-efficient and respected by the banks. - Chambers USA 2022

Rachel Brown is a partner in the Real Estate Group in the Chicago office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Her practice focuses on finance, venture formation, acquisitions and dispositions, and development. She advises borrowers and lenders in all types of real estate based financing transactions including first mortgage loans, construction loans, mezzanine financings, credit facilities, subscription facilities and other structured financings. Rachel also represents clients on workouts, loan sales, mortgage and mezzanine foreclosures, and participations. She advises real estate developers in acquisitions and dispositions of real estate assets as well as equity and operating partners in real estate joint venture transactions.

Rachel was recognized in the 2011–2025 editions of Chambers USA, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, and in the 2025 edition, Rachel is one of six lawyers ranked in Band 1 for Real Estate in Illinois. The Chambers guides mentioned that “clients look to her for her leadership and commercial mindset,” and described her as “incredibly sophisticated, fully aware of the market and efficient,” as well as “a thought leader and an expert in borrower-side financing transactions.” Recent editions of Chambers USA included that Rachel “has tremendous market knowledge, and is an excellent lawyer,” “is excellent on the financing side, super responsive, provides creative solutions and minimizes the need for big negotiations,” and is “extremely practical and extremely smart.” Prior editions of Chambers USA clients were impressed with her “great knowledge, responsiveness and commercial understanding” as well as her “extraordinary” management skills and her “practicality, timeliness and professionalism.” She was also recognized by The Legal 500 United States for Real Estate law in 2013, 2015 and 2018–2024, which cited that she is “scrupulously thorough,” and was listed in The Best Lawyers in America in 2018–2025. Rachel has been named as one of “500 Leading Global Real Estate Lawyers” in Lawdragon’s 2024 list.