D. Scott Brinkmann, Butzel Long Photo

D. Scott Brinkmann is a Shareholder based in Butzel's Troy office. His principal areas of practice include all aspects of commercial real estate and real estate-related finance with an emphasis on the development, acquisition, disposition, leasing and financing of real property.

Overview

Scott Brinkmann is a Shareholder based in Butzel's Troy office. Mr. Brinkmann has extensive transactional experience in real estate development matters, having been involved in numerous projects worth billions of dollars of investment. In 2016, he was recognized as one of DBusiness Magazine’s 30 in Their Thirties for his legal work in the City of Detroit, Michigan. 

Mr. Brinkmann concentrates his practice in the areas of commercial real estate and real estate-related finance, including all facets of development, acquisition, disposition, leasing and financing of real property.  He also assists real estate clients with property tax, tax abatement, entitlement, land use, public utility and title matters.  Mr. Brinkmann is experienced in affordable housing development and has provided counsel on loans, loan modifications and loan workouts for various U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development federal pass-through grant programs (HOME, CDBG and Section 108 Programs).

During his career, Mr. Brinkmann has played a pivotal role in several transformative City of Detroit development projects.  Such projects include: 1) negotiation of a lease for the first state park in the City of Detroit (Tri-Centennial State Park, now William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor), 2) negotiation of municipal agreements and real estate support for the Gordie Howe International Bridge Project, 3) community benefits and tax abatements for FCA US LLC’s expansion of their Mack 1, Mack 2 and Jefferson North automotive manufacturing assembly plants and 4) community benefits, tax abatements and real estate support for the Detroit Pistons NBA franchise relocation from Auburn Hills to the City of Detroit.   

Mr. Brinkmann is a graduate of Wayne State University Law School (J.D., 2005) and Michigan State University (B.A., Political Science, Pre-Law, 1999).  He is also a member of the Real Property Law and Government Law Sections of the State Bar of Michigan.

Primary Practice Areas

Credentials

Education

Wayne State University Law School, 2005

Michigan State University, 1999

Admissions

Awards & Recognitions

Awards & Recognitions

The Best Lawyers in America®: Real Estate Law, 2025

Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s ‘Michigan’s Go To Lawyers’ Power List, 2023 

Michigan Lawyers Weekly, Go To Lawyers, Commercial Real Estate, 2023

Michigan Lawyers Weekly, Go To Lawyers, Real Estate & Condominium Law, 2022

DBusiness, 30 in Their Thirties, 2016

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