Craig Cartwright is the Managing Shareholder of Buchalter’s Scottsdale office and Co-Chair of the Firm’s REIT Transactions and Compliance Industry Group. Craig represents lenders, developers, real estate investment trusts, investors, and national corporations real estate transaction matters including sales and acquisitions, secured lending, property development, commercial leasing, and construction-related matters. Mr. Cartwright has significant experience drafting and negotiating purchase and sale documents, easements, leases, and deeds for his clients. In addition, he has experience managing the formation of corporate entities including bankruptcy-remote entities and commercial and corporate law matters.

Mr. Cartwright was recognized in the Best Lawyers in America, Real Estate Law in 2023-2025.

Presentations

  • Presenter, “Commercial Real Estate Acquisitions: Process and Approach from LOI to Closing”, Phoenix, AZ, March 14, 2018
  • Presenter, “Commercial Real Estate Acquisitions: Process and Approach from A to Z”, Phoenix, AZ, June 16, 2017
  • Presenter, “Real Property Acquisitions: Advanced Due Diligence Issues”, Phoenix, AZ, November 13, 2015
  • Presenter, “Multi-State Single Tenant Acquisition Strategies”, International Council of Shopping Centers – 2015 US Shopping Center Law Conference, October 30, 2015
  • Presenter and Moderator, “Triple Net Due Diligence”, Institutional Real Estate Inc. – Triple Net Investor Strategies Conference, June 16, 2015

Publications

  • Connecting Real Estate in the West, Legal Q&A, Western Real Estate Business Journal, November 2012
  • Counsel to real estate investment trusts and other investors with respect to acquisitions and divestitures of nearly one thousand properties located throughout the United States, which representation includes drafting and negotiating purchase agreements, sale-leaseback agreements and related conveyance documentation, review of title and survey, leases and other due diligence activities, and the creation and negotiation of curative instruments and agreements
  • Counsel to lenders in numerous traditional and non-traditional mortgage and equipment financing transactions, sale-leaseback transactions, bankruptcy workouts and condemnation proceedings; services include document drafting and negotiating, due diligence activities and closing activities in nearly every state in the country; personally closed or assisted in closing hundreds of mortgage and equipment financing and sale-leaseback transactions collectively valued at over US$1 billion
  • Counsel to major national quick-service restaurant chain in the acquisition and development of dozens of properties in multiple states, including negotiating leases and purchase agreements, review of title and survey and other pertinent due diligence information, drafting and refining form documents and creating and negotiating a broad range of instruments and agreements, including easement agreements, license agreements, amendments and declarations/CC&Rs
  • Counsel to real estate developers in numerous states, among them Arizona, Nevada, California and Colorado, in the acquisition, development and divestiture of properties, including drafting and negotiating purchase agreements and related documentation, leases, license agreements and declarations/CC&Rs, and review of title and survey and other due diligence activities and closing activities

Mr. Cartwright earned his J.D. from the University Of Kansas School Of Law in 1996 and his B.S. from the University of Kansas in 1993.

  • Arizona Supreme Court
  • Kansas Supreme Court
  • United States District Court for the District of Arizona