Practice Expertise

  • Acquisitions and Dispositions
  • Commercial Real Estate Lending
  • Construction
  • Blockchain

Areas of Practice

  • Acquisitions and Dispositions
  • Blockchain
  • Commercial Real Estate Lending
  • Construction
  • Blockchain and Digital Assets
  • Finance and Restructuring
  • Hospitality
  • Land Use and Development
  • Leasing
  • Real Estate, Development and Finance
  • View More

Profile

Brett is a seasoned lawyer and co-chair of the firm's global real estate practice. He assists lenders and investors in navigating the complex, ever-changing world of real estate.

Brett understands both the legal and business issues at stake and works diligently with his clients to develop and negotiate terms and structures that work best for them. He is also a deal-maker who is able to connect lenders and borrowers in a way that is mutually beneficial for both parties. 

Brett’s practice focuses on all aspects of secured financings, with an emphasis on securitized and portfolio mortgage lending, mezzanine, construction and hospitality lending, credit facilities, and co-lending and participation arrangements. He also represents secondary market participants in the purchase and sale of real estate debt instruments, including the financing of such transactions. In addition, Brett often counsels clients in loan workouts and the restructuring of distressed loans.

Relevant Experience

  • Represented an international bank in connection with the origination of a $430 million mortgage and multiple-layered mezzanine financing of an office building located in Midtown South Manhattan.
  • Represented two institutional lenders in connection with the origination of a $550 million mortgage and multiple-layered mezzanine financing of two multifamily apartment buildings located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
  • Represented a national bank in connection with the origination and syndication of a $470 million mortgage and multiple-layered mezzanine financing of a Class A building in Los Angeles, California.
  • Represented an institutional lender in connection with the origination of a $324 million mortgage and multiple-layered mezzanine financing of a multi-family apartment complex located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
  • Represented a major insurance company in connection with a $205 million mortgage financing of an office building, with ground floor retail, located in Manhattan.
  • Represented an institutional lender in the origination of a $141 million credit facility secured by an office building located in Seattle, Washington.
  • Represented a commercial bank in connection with the origination of a $113.5 million CMBS mortgage loan secured by a multifamily complex located in Los Angeles, California.
  • Represented an institutional lender in the origination and syndication of a $206.5 million credit facility secured by an office building located in Denver, Colorado.
  • Represented an institutional lender in the origination of a multibillion dollar mortgage and mezzanine loan secured by assets of various types and classes.
  • Represented a financial institution in connection with the origination of a $55 million CMBS mortgage loan secured by 19 mixed-use commercial properties located in Michigan, Illinois and Florida.
  • Represented an international bank in the origination of a $90 million construction loan for a project in lower Manhattan.
  • Represented a REIT in the origination of a $65 million A/B structured mortgage loan secured by an office building with ground floor retail in lower Manhattan.
  • Represented an institutional lender in a workout involving approximately $2 billion in debt.
  • Represented an institutional lender in connection with the workout of a $214 million syndicated mortgage loan secured by a corporate center in South Florida.
  • Represented a commercial real estate finance company in connection with the acquisition of a $130 million mezzanine loan.
  • Represented a borrower in the workout of a $38.4 million securitized mortgage loan secured by a multifamily property in Nevada.
  • Represented an institutional lender in the sale of $188 million of preferred equity.

Bar Admissions

  • New York

Education
BS, University of Florida, Business Administration, cum laude, 1996

Areas of Practice

  • Acquisitions and Dispositions
  • Blockchain
  • Commercial Real Estate Lending
  • Construction
  • Blockchain and Digital Assets
  • Finance and Restructuring
  • Hospitality
  • Land Use and Development
  • Leasing
  • Real Estate, Development and Finance

Professional Career

Significant Accomplishments
  • Represented an institutional lender in the origination of a $141 million credit facility secured by an office building located in Seattle, Washington.
  • Represented an institutional lender in the origination and syndication of a $206.5 million credit facility secured by an office building located in Denver, Colorado.
  • Represented an institutional lender in the origination of a multi-billion dollar mortgage and mezzanine loan secured by assets of various types and classes.
  • Represented a national bank in connection with the origination of a $55.5 million mortgage loan secured by an office building with ground floor retail in midtown Manhattan.
  • Represented a major international bank in the origination of a $90 million construction loan for a project in lower Manhattan.
  • Represented a REIT in the origination of a $65 million A/B structured mortgage loan secured by an office building with ground floor retail in lower Manhattan.
  • Represented an institutional lender in a workout involving approximately $2 billion in debt.
  • Represented an institutional lender in connection with the workout of a $214 million syndicated mortgage loan secured by a corporate center in South Florida.
  • Represented a commercial real estate finance company in connection with the acquisition of a $130 million mezzanine loan.
  • Represented a borrower in the workout of a $38.4 million securitized mortgage loan secured by a multifamily property in Nevada.
  • Represented an institutional lender in the sale of several hundred million dollars in mortgage loans.
  • Represented an institutional lender in the sale of $188 million of preferred equity.



Professional Activities and Experience
  • Selected as a Rising Star for Real Estate Law, New York Super Lawyers magazine, 2013-2014. A description of the selection methodology can be found on Super Lawyers’ webpage.


Articles

  • Building Relationships: New York Real Estate Highlights
  • Building Relationships: New York Real Estate Highlights

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