Colleen R.
MacRae

OVERVIEW

Colleen MacRae practices with the firm's Business, Finance & Real Estate team. Colleen represents real estate developers, purchasers, and sellers in a variety of commercial real estate transactions and works on commercial loan transactions, representing companies that lend money secured by commercial properties.

Colleen assists clients in real estate acquisitions and sales and development projects. She assists landlords and tenants in lease transactions for office, retail, and industrial leasing. Colleen also provides counseling to clients on issues relating to zoning, permitting, land use, economic development incentives, and environmental regulatory compliance, including review of environmental site assessments and compliance with state and federal environmental laws.

In lending, Colleen works primarily with life insurance companies handling due diligence and negotiating, documenting, and closing loan transactions. She has experience representing financial institutions in transactional matters and bank regulatory issues.

In her corporate business practice, Colleen works on mergers and acquisitions, contract matters, data and cybersecurity and corporate governance. She works with a broad range of industries including banking, construction, manufacturing, municipal utilities, wind and other renewable energy, finance, software, and health care. From initial startup through growth and acquisition to succession planning and exit strategy Colleen regularly assists clients in every aspect of business. 

Colleen was one of five real estate attorneys in the United States selected to serve a two-year fellowship with the American Bar Association’s Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section. She is very active in professional, civic, and nonprofit organizations and currently serves on a number of boards and committees in the community.

RECOGNITION

American Bar Association, Real Property, Trust, and Estate Law Section
1 of 5 real estate attorneys in the U.S. selected to be a 2018–2020 Fellow

The Best Lawyers in America®
Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), 2021–2025
Real Estate Law, 2021–2025

Great Plains Super Lawyers 
Rising Stars, 2020–2024

Des Moines Business Record Forty Under 40
Honoree, 2021

American Bar Foundation
Fellow

PROFESSIONAL & COMMUNITY AFFILIATIONS

American Bar Association

• Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section
• Mortgage Lending Committee, member
• Leasing Committee, member 
• Emerging Issues & Specialty Leasing Committee, chair

Iowa State Bar Association

• Young Lawyer’s Executive Council, 2013–2017
• Bench-Bar Conference Committee Member, 2013–2015

Polk County Bar Association

Boys and Girls Club of Central Iowa

• Executive Committee, 2021–present
• Board Member, 2018–present
• Facilities/Capital Projects Committee, 2018–present

Capital Crossroads Capital Core 
Tri-Chair, 2016–2021

City of Des Moines Urban Design

• Review Board, 2013–2020
• Vice Chair, 2015–2017

City of Des Moines Comprehensive Plan DSM and Zoning Ordinance Steering Committee
Appointed Member, 2015–2017

East Village Neighborhood Association

• President, 2014–2015
• Treasurer, 2013, 2014
• Board, 2011–2017

Nominated Civilian Attendee, National Security Seminar, Army War College
2016

Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute, Community Leadership Program
Class of 2015

SPEECHES & PUBLICATIONS

"The Ins and Outs of Reviewing Title and Land Surveys for Real Estate Transactions"
American Bar Association: Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section eCLE, 2024 (moderator)

"Leasing Bootcamp Series: Leasing Basics"
American Bar Association Real Property, Trust & Estate Section, August 2022 (author)

"The Not-So Standard, Not-So Retail Shopping Center"
American Bar Association Real Property, Trust & Estate Section Law Annual Conference, 2022 (speaker)

"Practical Pointers: The (Disappearing) Right of First Refusal and Other Potential Trouble"
Probate and Property Magazine, September/October 2020 (author)

"Advising Tenants in Co-Working Space 'Leases'"
American Bar Association: Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section Annual Conference, 2020 (moderator)