Juan Reyes
Board Member
Juan D. Reyes is a member of Ice Miller’s Real Estate Group and part of a highly skilled, multi-disciplinary group of private equity lawyers in the firm’s New York office, who know how to seal the deal. He works closely with his clients to guide them through all stages of the investment cycle, combining his knowledge and innovative ideas to leverage and execute tailored strategies for success. Juan’s transactional experience traverses many industries, including real estate development, construction, transportation development, and all types of financing for these projects.
Juan brings to bear decades of experience in public and private development to support clients navigating land use, development, finance, and permitting opportunities and challenges. With a unique background spanning federal leadership positions and through large-scale urban and rural municipal development, historic preservation, and the private sector, Juan leverages his extensive knowledge of federal, state, and municipal regulations to advance client goals regarding zoning, planning, landmark and building code matters, and governmental funding and approvals. He also advises clients on a wide array of federal, state, and local government incentives.
Juan served as acting head and chief counsel of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and senior advisor and counsel to the Build America Bureau of the U.S. Department of Transportation from 2017–2019. During this time, he oversaw the FRA’s 950-member staff and the agency’s $3 billion budget and served as the principal legal advisor to the FRA on all U.S. passenger and freight rail matters, including safety regulations, legislation, and research and development.
In his role as chief counsel of the FRA, Juan supported multi-billion-dollar U.S. rail upgrades, including the $24 billion Northeast Corridor improvement project, the Hudson Tunnel Environmental Impact Statements, development of federally funded Amtrak stations in major cities throughout the country, Chicago’s billion-dollar Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) project, and the development of a successful strategic plan to mandate the implementation of Positive Train Control (PTC) on 41 railroads. Juan developed regulations for Elon Musk’s proposed “Hyperloop” and “Electric Skate” technologies, along with high-speed rail projects in Texas, Florida, California, and the Northeast. His role with the FRA kept Juan active on Capitol Hill, where he participated in multiple Congressional hearings and testified before Congress’ Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
During his time with the Department of Transportation, Juan served on the internal committee for autonomous and electric vehicles and emerging technology rulemaking, the White House Committee on 5G technology, the Northeast Corridor Commission, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Streamlining Committee, the Regulatory Reform Task Force, and the Board of Union Station, and was instrumental in forming the Non-Traditional Technology (NETT) Council.
His work as senior advisor and counsel to the Build America Bureau saw Juan advising on Private Activity Bonds (PABs), Railroad Rehabilitation & Improvement Financing (RRIF) loans, Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loans, and funding for all modes of transportation. Juan was a final decisionmaker for federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation as a member of the Credit and Finance Council, and he also served on the senior review team (SRT) at the U.S. Department of Transportation, which awarded all Infrastructure For Rebuilding America (INFRA) and Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD, formerly TIGER) grants.
Juan built relationships with many organizations in the Native American community through his work as an advisor to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. He has supported the Kashia Band of Pomo Indians, the Sonoma County Indian Health Project, the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, the Department of Health and Human Services Tribal Advisory Committee, the National Indian Health Board, and the California Rural Indian Health Board.
Juan’s experience also includes several executive branch roles vital to New York City real estate, including general counsel to the New York City Board of Standards and Appeals and counsel to the New York City Loft Board, Office of the Mayor.
His clients come from a range of sectors, including residential and commercial developers, national retailers, not-for-profit institutions, corporations, educational institutions, restaurants, and entertainment facilities. Juan works closely with New York City’s legislative leaders, city agencies, and administrative departments as he helps clients navigate regulatory and discretionary governmental approvals. He has obtained variances, rezonings, landmarks, special permits, and Department of Buildings approvals throughout New York City and, in particular, Manhattan.
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