Jean ("John") F. Hotte, a Partner in KHL Law's Ft. Lauderdale office, leads the Firm's Real Estate & Banking group. John represents commercial developers and investors in all aspects of real estate transactions, including entity formation, acquisitions, dispositions, development, site plan approvals, and financing. His experience spans shopping centers, vacant land, office buildings, hotels, apartment buildings, duplexes, and ground leases. He also advises clients on commercial and residential leasing matters, including negotiations, build-outs, renewals, restructurings, workouts, and third-party financing. He regularly assists landlords and tenants with drafting or negotiating complex commercial leases.

In addition to his commercial real estate practice, John routinely represents local, out-of-state, and international clients in residential real estate transactions throughout Florida, including the acquisition of vacant lots, condominium units, and single-family homes. He is an authorized agent for nearly all of the nation's largest title insurance companies and oversees the firm's title, escrow, and closing services through Grande Title & Escrow, LLC. In this role, he has handled numerous real estate closings for buyers, sellers, commercial tenants, franchisees, and mortgage lenders and has issued title insurance policies for properties statewide.

With decades of experience in commercial and high-end residential real estate, John is widely recognized for a practical, business-driven approach to complex transactions. His extensive experience allows him to navigate sophisticated real estate and financing matters with efficiency and strategic insight. Clients value his ability to identify and resolve issues proactively while aligning legal solutions with broader business objectives.

Born in Montreal, Canada, John is fluent in French. In 1976, his family relocated to Fort Lauderdale to establish the Florida arm of the family's commercial real estate development business, which was originally founded in Canada. John remains actively involved in the family's real estate development operations throughout Florida and the Southeast, further enhancing his practical understanding of the industry.

John earned his J.D. from Nova Southeastern University's Shepard Broad Law Center and his undergraduate degree from Stonehill College. He is admitted to practice in Florida state courts.

John is "AV Peer Review Rated" by Martindale-Hubbell and is a member of the Real Property and Landlord Tenant Law Section of The Florida Bar, the International Council of Shopping Centers, the Broward County Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the Broward Attorney Real Estate Council.