John Rafkin represents individual lenders, bank groups, administrative agents, and borrowers in single and multi-asset financings of commercial real estate, including construction and acquisition financing; term, revolver, and letter of credit financing; CMBS financing; Shari'ah-compliant financing; loan-on-loan financing; and mezzanine, A/B, and preferred equity forms of subordinated financing. He is experienced with all types of real estate, including office, retail, student housing, senior housing, multifamily, industrial, and especially hospitality properties.

John's practice also focuses on the workout of troubled real estate loans, including complex, multi-tiered loan restructurings, discounted payoffs, debt for equity swaps, bankruptcy, deficiency notes, and other settlement structures. He handles single-asset restructurings, distressed note sales, foreclosures, transfers in lieu of foreclosure, and bankruptcy-related matters. John has extensive experience in the syndication, assignment, and participation of all forms of financing and has represented purchasers and sellers of performing and nonperforming loans and loan pools. In addition, he represents developers and other property owners in the acquisition, development, construction, and sale of real estate, and landlords, lenders, and tenants in retail and industrial leasing. He has significant experience in negotiating office leases throughout the United States, Europe, Australia, and Asia.

John is chairman of the board of directors of the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust, the organization that restores and operates as museums the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, Robie House, Unity Temple, and other Chicago area sites. He is also vice president of SELVN, a Chicago neighborhood political advocacy organization, where his interests and energies are directed toward historic and architectural preservation.