Seyfarth Shaw Continues Real Estate Expansion with Six-Lawyer Los Angeles Team

Contact:  Ivette Delgado, Senior Public Relations Associate
(212) 218-5273, idelgado@seyfarth.com

LOS ANGELES (February 6, 2012) — Leading law firm Seyfarth Shaw LLP has announced a significant addition to the firm’s Real Estate practice in California with a six-attorney group joining its Los Angeles office. The group is led by partner Richard C. Mendelson and includes partners Andrew E. Shiner and Stacy N. Paek and three associates. All were previously practicing at DLA Piper.

“We are happy to welcome this exceptionally talented group of lawyers to our national real estate practice,” said Seyfarth Shaw Real Estate Department Chair Paul Mattingly. “Richard’s team provides us with exceptional depth for our California Real Estate team, deepens our institutional real estate bench and further validates Seyfarth Shaw’s position as a premier real estate practice nationally. From a market perspective, we are committed to having a top tier Real Estate Department, and the recovering market provides us with opportunities to have a major impact not only in California, but across the country.”

Ray Kepner, Seyfarth Shaw’s Downtown Los Angeles Office Managing Partner added, “The firm remains committed to continued growth in Southern California across the broad spectrum of our national practices. Richard and Andrew are highly regarded real estate attorneys with a reputation for performing sophisticated work at the highest level. The added presence of their team will allow us to better serve clients with diverse skill sets, and we are happy to have them join our roster of Los Angeles attorneys.”

“A cohesive firm that runs more like a true partnership, Seyfarth possesses a proven national platform to engage our practice,” said Mendelson. “We are delighted to join one of the largest real estate practices in the country, allowing us to play a significant role on the West Coast market and elsewhere.”

Attorney Biographies

Richard Mendelson (partner) is an experienced lawyer with a depth of knowledge in the areas of acquisitions, joint ventures and financing transactions, in addition to workouts and restructurings. He represents domestic and international banks and other financial institutions, insurance companies, pension funds and major commercial and residential property developers.

Andrew Shiner (partner) works on a diverse portfolio of commercial real estate transactions for financial institutions, insurance companies, pension funds, private equity investors and other businesses, consisting of purchases and sales of office buildings, shopping centers, hotels, industrial properties, apartment buildings, other commercial properties and vacant land; commercial real estate secured transactions, including loan assumptions, workouts and restructurings; permanent, construction and securitized mortgage loans; joint venture and mezzanine financing; and covenants, conditions and restrictions, easements, title, land use and survey matters. Shiner also advises his clients on the organization, formation and restructuring of business entities, including special purpose, and bankruptcy remote entities.

Stacy Paek (partner) is an experienced attorney who handles a variety of commercial real estate transactions on behalf of real estate fund, pension fund, developer, insurance company and other institutional clients. Her practice includes acquisitions and dispositions of commercial, industrial, retail, hospitality, multi-family residential and development properties and on all aspects of commercial real estate secured financing, including, permanent, construction and securitized mortgage loans, joint venture and mezzanine financing, loan workouts and restructurings, credit facilities, multi-property loan portfolios, loan modifications, defeasances of conduit loans and loan assumptions. Paek's practice includes the organization, formation and restructuring of business entities, comprising special purpose, and bankruptcy remote entities, as well as all components of due diligence matters.

Associates Stephen Shiu, Christine Kim, Galina Krivitsky will also join Seyfarth’s Los Angeles office as part of the firm’s Real Estate Department and practicing in real estate and commercial finance.

About Seyfarth Shaw’s Real Estate Department

Seyfarth Shaw’s national Real Estate Department provides a full range of services including development, construction, leasing, acquisitions, dispositions, financing, joint ventures, hospitality and leisure, representing individuals, corporations and other entities to maximize the value and return on their real estate investments and assets.

Seyfarth Shaw has more than 130 lawyers in Los Angeles with considerable experience in business transactions, intellectual property, trust and estates, commercial litigation, employee benefits and employment law.

Seyfarth Shaw has over 750 attorneys located in 10 offices throughout the United States, including: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Sacramento, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., as well as internationally in London. Seyfarth Shaw provides a broad range of legal services in the areas of labor and employment, employee benefits, litigation, corporate and real estate. The firm’s clients include over 300 of the Fortune 500 companies, and our practice reflects virtually every industry and segment of the economy. For more information, please visit www.seyfarth.com .