Leading Data Center Lawyer at Forefront of Digital Infrastructure Industry Joins Latham & Watkins in Chicago

Michael Rechtin brings three decades of experience at the intersection of real estate and technology.

CHICAGO, Aug. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Latham & Watkins LLP¹ is pleased to announce that Michael Rechtin has joined the firm's Chicago office as a partner in the Real Estate Practice and member of the firm's interdisciplinary Data Center Team. Rechtin is nationally recognized for his deep experience and technical understanding of data center and digital infrastructure projects, and has over 30 years of experience advising on complex real estate transactions across asset classes.

Rechtin represents developers, private equity firms, and other private capital providers for data center and digital infrastructure projects. He is particularly focused on all types of leasing and end user agreements to complement his general experience in joint ventures, acquisitions and dispositions, development, and financing of data centers ranging from co-location facilities to the largest megawatt facilities currently under development.

"Mike's experience advising on complex real estate transactions, particularly in the data center and digital infrastructure asset classes, coupled with his technical skills and collaborative approach to client service makes him a perfect addition to our comprehensive client offerings in Chicago and across the firm," said Mary Rose Alexander, Office Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins in Chicago.

"Mike is one of a handful of elite leasing lawyers at the top of the data center legal marketplace, and has been a go-to lawyer for data center insiders for over a decade," said Hilary Strong, co-lead of Latham's interdisciplinary Data Center Team. "Mike was the missing piece to Latham's market-leading interdisciplinary data center team serving our client base of private capital providers, developers, and financing sources in this rapidly growing asset class. His experience in leasing matters augments our capital solutions and finance, development, and energy and power capabilities, and further enables us to provide data center clients with a truly unique offering in the marketplace – one that covers all of their needs and looks around corners from an asset, finance, and corporate perspective."

"Mike embodies the current industry trend of looking at real estate and infrastructure as a singular whole. He has a deep understanding of how real estate, infrastructure, and technological advancement intersect, and his skillset will bring immediate benefit to our broad client base operating in this space. We are very excited to deliver a full lifecycle data center service offering across industry players," said Michelle Kelban, Global Chair of Latham & Watkins' Real Estate Practice. "Mike's arrival underscores Latham's status as the premier firm for real assets transactions and as a destination for the most complex and evolving technology touching this industry." 

Rechtin said, "I have long admired Latham's top-tier real estate and infrastructure practices and unmatched integrated global platform, which are essential to serving clients in the rapidly evolving digital infrastructure space. The firm's extensive resources and interdisciplinary teams, as well as its emphasis on innovation, collaboration, and growth, create an ideal environment to continue growing my practice."

Rechtin joins Latham from DLA Piper. He received his JD, cum laude, from the University of Notre Dame and his BS from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

About Latham & Watkins (lw.com)

Latham & Watkins is a leading global law firm that brings together exceptional legal talent in financial centers around the world to advise on complex transactions, litigation, and regulatory matters. The firm's deep market and product knowledge, industry experience, vast scale, and commitment to innovation and excellence help clients navigate their most critical challenges and achieve their goals.

Notes to Editors

¹ Latham & Watkins operates worldwide as a limited liability partnership organized under the laws of the State of Delaware (USA) with affiliated limited liability partnerships conducting the practice in France, Hong Kong, Italy, Singapore, and the United Kingdom and as an affiliated partnership conducting the practice in Japan. Latham & Watkins operates in Israel through a limited liability company, in South Korea as a Foreign Legal Consultant Office, and in Saudi Arabia through a limited liability company.

Contacts
Mary Rose Alexander, Chicago Office Managing Partner, +1.312.876.7672
Hilary Strong, Co-Chair, Interdisciplinary Data Center Team, +1.714.755.8122
Michelle Kelban, Global Chair, Real Estate Practice, +1.212.906.1607

SOURCE Latham & Watkins LLP