Chair, Nutter
BOSTON- Paul J. Ayoub, chair of the Boston law firm Nutter, and a partner in its Real Estate Department, received Boston Real Estate Times’ Lifetime Achievement Award for 2021 at its annual Excellence Awards ceremony on Oct. 29, 2021.
“Mr. Ayoub has not only built a strong and a successful national real estate practice at Nutter, but has also dedicated his life and profession to numerous charitable causes, civic activities and non-profit organizations,” said Upendra Mishra, publisher of Boston Real Estate Times. “His commitment to community service, charities and diversity is truly unparalleled. On behalf of our readers, Boston Real Estate Times is very proud to bestow this honorable Lifetime Achievement Award to Mr. Ayoub.”
“This honor is a recognition of Nutter and not just an individual. Our firm was co-founded by Louis Brandeis prior to his service as a U.S. Supreme Court justice. His legacy of deep commitment to clients, to pro bono service and making a difference in our community serves as a common thread for all of us at Nutter,” Mr. Ayoub told the Boston Real Estate Times. “My efforts, like those of my colleagues, reflect the values of Nutter and are only possible because of the culture and support of the firm.”
Ayoub chairs Nutter, a top-tier, full-service law firm with 150 attorneys headquartered in Boston where it has deep roots and a long-standing reputation for business savvy and pragmatism. Nutter’s real estate group of 40 lawyers has a substantial national practice, representing clients on transactions involving properties located in almost every state. Locally, Nutter has represented 7 of the 10 largest developers in Massachusetts.
In addition to serving as a partner in the firm’s Real Estate Department, Mr. Ayoub is a member of the Nonprofit and Social Impact practice group. He also served as co-Chair of Nutter’s COVID-19 Task Force. He represents clients in the financing and development of commercial real estate projects in Greater Boston, New England and throughout the country. He also advises for-profit and non-profit organizations in corporate governance.
In 2020 alone, Nutter negotiated and closed 120 commercial property acquisitions and dispositions involving approximately 15 million square feet; represented clients in over $6 billion in real estate financings; represented institutional landlords and national tenants in the leasing of more than 10 million square feet of laboratory, office, industrial and retail space; and permitted 75 real estate developments, totaling over 11 million square feet, which include mixed-use, office, life science, retail, industrial, multi-family, affordable housing, senior living, academic and health care projects including many of the most high-profile transactions in the region.
Reflecting the depth and breadth of Nutter’s Real Estate Department, Ayoub represents major North American banks and local lending institutions in construction, permanent, and mezzanine loans. He also represents developers and private equity investors in the acquisition, sale, permitting, and leasing of all property types. He advises clients on financing structure alternatives, including preferred equity, joint venture, and partnership arrangements.
Additionally, Mr. Ayoub has extensive experience representing clients in complex debt reorganizations. He is a prior co-chair of the Real Estate Finance and Workout/Foreclosure Section of the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Real Estate Section. Moreover, Mr. Ayoub is involved in several civic, professional, and charitable organizations. He is Chair Emeritus and a member of the Executive Committee of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. During his term as Board Chair, the Chamber adopted and actively pursued its stated purpose “to make Greater Boston the best place for all businesses and all people to thrive” and developed a strategic plan focused on key issues for the region, including transportation, housing, health care, economic opportunity, education and climate readiness. He also is a member and past president of the Board of Directors of the Real Estate Finance Association.
As a leader of the both the Chamber and REFA boards, he was an advocate in increasing their programming and policy advocacy with respect to issues impacting women and people of color, and both boards became meaningfully more diverse.
Ayoub currently serves on the Board of Incorporators of the Boston Local Development Corporation and served on the Mayor’s Reopening Advisory Board for the City of Boston during the peak of COVID-19. He was among the initial Steering Committee members that helped launch the Boston-based Small Business Strong. SBS has served nearly 1,700 small businesses in Massachusetts by connecting them, without cost, to advisors and resources to help navigate the repercussions of COVID-19.
In addition to his regional civic involvement, Ayoub serves as Chair of the national Board of Governors of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, as well as a member of the Board of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude. He previously served as chair of the ALSAC Board. Ayoub’s father, Joseph S. Ayoub, Sr., who was among the original group who helped Danny Thomas establish ALSAC and St. Jude, also served on both the ALSAC and St. Jude Boards.
Ayoub also serves as a co-chair of the International WELL Building Institute’s 2021 IWBI Health Equity Advisory. With a select group of leading global real estate industry professionals, he works to identify, codify, and scale strategies to address health inequities in buildings, businesses, and communities around the world.
During law school, Ayoub was editor-in-chief of the Boston College International and Comparative Law Review. Prior to his career as an attorney, he worked in Massachusetts state government in various capacities, including as assistant press secretary to the Governor.
Ayoub and his daughter have published Inspire Me! A father-daughter book of quotations to motivate, teach and inspire, an Amazon best seller, the proceeds from which are donated entirely to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
For the past several years, Ayoub has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America and Chambers USA as a leading U.S. real estate attorney. He also was selected as one of the Boston Business Journal’s “2020 Power 50 – Extraordinary Year Extraordinary People.”
Ayoub received the Lifetime Achievement Award of 2021 at the Boston Real Estate Times Excellence Awards on October 29 in a virtual ceremony via Zoom. To see a recording of the ceremony, click here to watch.
