CHICAGO—A venture owned by Debra Tucker, a Chicago attorney, has purchased 540 N. LaSalle in the River North neighborhood, and she plans to relocate her law firm, The Tucker Firm LLC, into the property and lease much of the remaining space to other retail and office tenants. But getting the building wasn't easy.

The 65,000-square-foot building was the subject of a bankruptcy proceeding in which another entity had already secured a contract from the debtor to purchase the property subject to court approval. To become the purchaser, Tucker first had to persuade the bankruptcy judge to hold an auction for the sale of the property instead of approving the existing contract. Then, to win the auction, Tucker had to present evidence that Tucker could close on the purchase within five days after the auction, which was the closing date specified in her competitor's contract.

But after approaching Aries Capital, Tucker was able to quickly secure a $3.5 million senior loan, completed by Joshua Krueger, an assistant vice president in the firm's Chicago office.

“I worked with Aries Capital because of their extensive expertise and expansive contacts in mortgage financing,” says Tucker. “Aries put together an effective capital solution that enabled me to win the auction and complete the purchase, all within five days.”

“Our ability to wrap our arms around the deal quickly was due in large part to our knowledge of the Chicago market and our industry relationships,” says Krueger. “We were able to bring the right capital source to the table, successfully demonstrate the quality of the borrower and the asset, and deliver the necessary funding commitment within the required deadline.”