Robert I. MacLaren, II

A South Florida Real Estate Attorney of Osborne & Osborne, P.A.
Robert I. MacLaren, II, known as “RIM” to all, is a third-generation South Palm Beach County Floridian who devotes his practice to real property and land use related issues.

Honors & Awards
For his extensive service to the Boca Raton Historical Society, Inc., in the acquisition of both Town Hall and the Railroad Depot, Mr. MacLaren has been recognized by The Palm Beach County Bar Association with its Pro Bono Award.

Memberships
Mr. MacLaren is a member of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section and the Environmental and Land Use Law Section of The Florida Bar, the Real Property, Trust and Estate Section of the American Bar Association, and the Palm Beach County Bar Association. He has served as Chairman of the Grievance Committee and as a member of the Real Estate Committee of the Palm Beach County Bar Association, lecturing frequently at the Annual Real Estate Committee Seminar.

Education & Experience
In 1969, he received a Bachelor of Arts in Latin American Affairs and in 1972, a Juris Doctorate from the University of Florida. He is board certified by The Florida Bar in real estate.

Mr. MacLaren has substantial experience as a South Florida real estate attorney, having worked through every phase of the real estate asset cycle. This foundation permits guidance, advice and representation to be provided in a wide range of matters and particularly those of a unique nature. As an example, Mr. MacLaren has represented the two broadband cable entities that brought submerged cables ashore in and to Boca Raton and, early in his career, successfully argued a “homestead” case before the Florida Supreme Court that established one of the guiding principles governing homestead descent and distribution in Florida.

Through his desire to help clients achieve their project goals, Mr. MacLaren has developed an expertise in representing clients involved in the development and operation of university affiliated research and development parks. He was the South Florida real estate attorney who represented the Master Developer of the Florida Atlantic Research and Development Park, which has become one of the most successful research and development parks of this type in the world and serving as the General Counsel to the Treasure Coast Research, Education and Development Authority in the establishment of the Treasure Coast Research Park on the campus of the University of Florida in Fort Pierce, Florida.

The more traditional elements of his responsibilities as a South Florida real estate attorney involve the conveyance and mortgage financing of real property at all levels. As part of his desire to remain involved with the people of this community, in addition to significant commercial and institutional clients, he makes certain that a substantial proportion of his practice as a South Florida real estate attorney is dedicated to residential conveyances and mortgage transactions. Mr. MacLaren regularly represents borrowers and lenders in real estate based commercial financing transactions, including:

• Conventional mortgage loans;
• Mezzanine and equity financing;
• Construction mortgage loan structuring;
• Refinancing; and
• Commercial mortgage-backed securities.

In the development area, he brings an extensive background in:

• Entity structuring;
• Land acquisition;
• The establishment of condominium and townhome regimes and community associations;
• Hotel development;
• “Due diligence” investigation;
• Zoning confirmation;
• Office and ground leasing and
• Contractual agreements with architects, general contractors, unit purchasers, and other related parties.

In this area, the threshold issue facing every proposed project is the required regulatory and land use approvals. His long-standing presence as a South Florida real estate attorney has created a strong working relationship with governmental officials, which fosters innovative and creative solutions to development issues. The recent recession has again called upon those skills honed by Mr. MacLaren during several previous downturns in the South Florida housing market to provide extensive representation in loan restructuring and workouts, distressed property, and the purchase and sale of assets and debt.

Community Involvement
In addition to being committed to his work as a South Florida real estate attorney, Mr. MacLaren is also a very committed member of the South Florida community. He has been a member of the Palm Beach County Land Use Advisory Board, the Board of Directors of the YMCA of the South Palm Beaches, serving as Chairman in 1981, the Historical Society of Boca Raton, serving as its Chairman in 1982, Hospice By the Sea, Inc., South Florida Squash Racquets Association, Inc., and is the Florida Parent Coordinator for The Hill School.

He is an active member of the Florida Alpha Alumni Chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon. He has been an involved and remains parishioner of St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church, serving on and as the Clerk of the Vestry, teaching Sunday School, Vice President of The Brothers of St. Gregory’s, a member of the Youth Minister Search Committee, the Long Range Planning Committee, and the Sixtieth Anniversary Committee.

To read an interview with Mr. MacLauren click here.

Family Life
With the birth of his fourth child in 1987, Mr. MacLaren and his family became members of the special needs community of South Florida. Since that time, their efforts have largely been centered on bettering the experience of all members of this group. Mr. MacLaren is one of the founders of TOPSoccer, The Outreach Program, in Boca Raton. This program now serves more than 150 special needs players and has become the largest TOPSoccer program in the country.

In nurturing the TOPSoccer program, Mr. MacLaren has been recognized as Coach of the Year, and, in 2008, along with his wife, Linda, was the recipient of the Volunteer of the Year Award for the State of Florida presented by the Florida Youth Soccer Association. He currently is the Southeastern Area TOPSoccer Representative for the Florida Youth Soccer Association.

When he’s not busy with the responsibilities of being a South Florida real estate attorney, a dad, a church-goer, or an active community member, Mr. MacLaren is an avid squash player, an intense supporter of the University of Florida athletic teams, and a surfing enthusiast.