Seyfarth Shaw Adds Real Estate Finance Partner in Los Angeles

Contact:
Kevin Livingston, National Director of Public Relations
(312) 460-6681 / (212) 218-5272, klivingston@seyfarth.com

Thomas Masenga joins from Allen Matkins; Brings established California and national practice representing institutional investors in broad-based commercial property deals

Los Angeles, CA (January 10, 2011) — In a move that significantly enhances its West Coast real estate finance practice, Seyfarth Shaw LLP has added Thomas J. Masenga as a partner in the firm’s Downtown Los Angeles office. Masenga is the second prominent partner to join Seyfarth in California this month. The firm also announced that ERISA litigator D. Ward Kallstrom has joined the firm in San Francisco.

Masenga, who arrives from the Los Angeles office of Allen Matkins, is recognized nationally for structuring and closing complex real estate transactions for institutional investors, including pension funds and their advisors, banks, life insurance companies, private equity funds, and REITs.

Masenga’s practice is focused on secured lending, equity investments, acquisitions and dispositions, and debt restructuring and workouts. He also has experience with development, leasing, residential subdivision and securitized loans. He has represented clients in most property sectors, including: office, retail, industrial, multifamily, hotel and residential planned development.

“Tom brings superb real estate credentials on both the equity and lending sides of the transaction. We anticipate him playing a major role for us in California in addition to nationwide as we continue to strengthen our national institutional real estate practice,” said Paul P. Mattingly, Chair of Seyfarth Shaw’s Real Estate department.

“Tom is a top-notch real estate and finance attorney recognized for his talents by peers and clients alike,” said Kenwood C. Youmans, a member of Seyfarth’s executive committee. “Equally important, he is a terrific person who will add much to the social fabric of our Los Angeles offices.”

Masenga received his J.D., cum laude, from Loyola University and his B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Notre Dame. He is a member of the National Association of Public Pension Attorneys, the Pension Real Estate Association, the California State Bar and the Los Angeles County Bar.

“The California real estate market is showing signs of a market rebound and Seyfarth Shaw provides an excellent platform to capture that work. I am excited to be part of the firm as it looks to further strengthen its practice on the West Coast and nationally,” said Masenga. “In addition to its first-rate reputation for real estate law, Seyfarth offers a broad portfolio of services that will be attractive to many institutional clients.”

The Real Estate department balances legal counseling with an understanding of how a client’s business works and how their real estate assets and investments fit with their business objectives. The group specializes in retail, pension funds, office/industrial leasing, development/construction, and structured real estate finance. The team works with lenders, investors, developers, owners and users of real estate across all industries, including pension funds, investment advisors and government entities.

The Structured & Real Estate Finance practice group has multiple programs to provide updated market information and educational materials to current and potential clients. The group works with a wide array of financial institutions and companies to structure and negotiate mortgage and mezzanine loans and other credit facilities, handle loan administration and servicing issues, and through the firm’s Distressed Asset Resolution Team, represent the interest of clients in mortgage and mezzanine loan defaults, workouts, foreclosures, and borrower bankruptcies.

Seyfarth Shaw established a California presence in 1973 with two partners from its Chicago office and now has approximately 200 lawyers in the state with expertise in business transactions, intellectual property, commercial litigation, employee benefits, international 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 Brussels, Belgium. 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 practice reflects virtually every industry and segment of the country’s business and social fabric. Clients include over 300 of the Fortune 500 companies, financial institutions, newspapers and other media, hotels, health care organizations, airlines and railroads. The firm also represents a number of federal, state and local governmental and educational entities. For more information, please visit www.seyfarth.com.