R. Robert Benaicha

"I enjoy turning difficult counterparties into problem solvers to get deals done on my clients’ terms. Investing time in getting to know the client and counterparties on a personal level helps me to find common ground and forge creative solutions to seemingly intractable differences."

Rob represents national and local developers, investors and lenders seeking to acquire, sell, lease, develop and finance all types of property for all types of uses, guiding clients throughout the development cycle in transactional and land use matters.

In addition to retail, industrial, office and residential development projects, Rob has extensive experience representing developers, sponsors, utilities and lenders in the real estate aspects of developing utility-scale renewable and conventional power facilities across the United States.

Before reentering private practice with his previous firm, McGuireWoods, Rob was associate general counsel of a multi-state Federal Reserve member bank, where he handled the origination and workout of a wide range of loan structures and assisted the bank’s leadership in negotiating the unique regulatory challenges facing community banks in the post-TARP era.

Rob currently serves as outside general counsel for the World Green Building Council, an international NGO that works with national green building councils and global climate action groups to increase the sustainability and health of the global built environment.

Best Lawyers in America® 2024 for Land Use and Zoning Law and Real Estate Law

Greater Richmond Association of Commercial Real Estate (GRACRE)

Richmond Bar Association

Urban Land Institute

Virginia State Bar

Rob and his wife Lile have an eight-year-old daughter and a six-year-old son. Rob is always looking for an excuse to get out and play golf, but between work and parenting, he often finds his schedule only allows for less time-consuming activities like cooking, craft beers, Islay scotch, a monthly poker game and reading historical non-fiction and spy novels. 

Together with their springer spaniel Edgar, Rob and his family enjoy spending weekends at their family cottage on the Potomac when they aren’t staying home for youth sports or in Charlottesville for UVA games. Rob and Lile also love to travel farther afield as much as they can.

Although he can’t remember much of it, Rob picked up rudimentary Arabic during holiday visits to see his parents in Saudi Arabia, where they lived while he was in high school.