Dechert LLP boasts a leading commercial real estate finance practice which is regularly mandated by clients to aid with origination of commercial real estate loans, including mortgage and mezzanine loans, as well as with real estate acquisitions and dispositions. The firm specializes in representing lenders in complex real estate finance transactions and advises clients on seeking leverage through repurchase agreements. Advising issuers, underwriters, and asset sellers in CMBS and standalone securitization of large loans is also a key pillar of the practice. Practice heads Laura Swihart and John Timperio lead the team from New York and Charlotte, respectively. Swihart is the go-to for clients requiring assisting with commercial mortgage-backed securitization transactions. She has also represented a number of joint ventures and entities with creating commercial mortgage loan origination platforms. The firm has a large team of lawyers to assist its large client base all over America, key names include David Forti who takes the lead in Philadelphia, Stewart McQueen who is key to the commercial mortgage-backed securities practice in North Carolina, and in Philadelphia Jason Rozes is an expert in advising lenders on commerical real estate finance. Richard Jones is an expert in capital markets and mortgage finance, while Devin Swaney focuses on structure finance and real estate matters and are both based in New York. Matthew Ginsburg, Kenneth Hackman and Nitya Kumar Goyal in Pennsylvania, and Laura Ciabarra and Matthew Fischer over in New York, are all noted for their specialism in real estate finance. In Philadelphia, Victoria Boland is noted for her experience representing investment banks, life insurance companies, and commercial banks.
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Dechert is an industry leader within the CRE finance space, especially as it relates to securitization and related topics.'
- 'Richard Jones is a very creative individual and is at the forefront of developing new tailored solutions to meet clients needs. Stewart McQueen is a well respected lawyer who has worked on many deals and understands the ins and outs of the market. Jonathon Gaynor is a dedicated associate and is always available.'
Key clients
- Arbor Realty Trust, Inc.
- Farmer Mac
- Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”)
- Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P.
- MF1 Capital LLC
- NewPoint JV LLC
- Pretium Partners LLC
- The Toronto-Dominion Bank
Work highlights
- Represented Freddie Mac in over 500 securitizations totaling approximately $539 billion since 2009, including advising on approximately 41 deals in 2022 with the cumulative issuance of more than $32.3 billion.
- Represented a syndicate of lenders in connection with multiple loans to finance the $11 billion take-private acquisition of Switch, Inc. by DigitalBridge and IFM Investors.
- Represented KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Inc. and a number of its affiliates, as issuer, in connection with the offering and issuance of 6 classes of secured notes (approximately $847.5 million) to investors, and the issuance of 2 classes of unsecured notes and 1 class of preferred shares (approximately $152.5 million) to be retained by an affiliate.
Lawyers
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Laura Swihart, John Timperio