Seyfarth Shaw Adds Two Real Estate Attorneys in New York

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

Eric Sidman joins as partner and Lester Bliwise as of counsel

NEW YORK (February 23, 2011) — Adding to its deep real estate practice in New York as well as nationally, Seyfarth Shaw LLP announced that real estate lawyers Eric L. Sidman and Lester M. Bliwise have joined the firm in its New York office. Sidman has joined as partner and Bliwise as of counsel. Both were previously with Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP.

Both Sidman and Bliwise have broad practices representing institutional investors in acquisitions, financing, dispositions and joint venture arrangements. They represent clients nationally and in all sectors, including office, retail, industrial, apartment and hotel properties.

In addition to his advisory work with institutional clients, Sidman frequently represents both landlords and tenants in lease transactions throughout the country. In his corporate real estate practice Sidman counsels companies in the management of real estate portfolios, including negotiating management and brokerage agreements and advising on acquisition and disposition of assets. He also has experience with sales and financing of timberland.

Bliwise is a 40-year real estate law veteran and has extensive experience in conventional and securitized mortgage lending, acquisitions, dispositions, and joint venture investments, as well as debt restructurings and workouts. His clients include insurance companies, commercial and investment banks, pension fund advisors, institutional owners and investors in real estate, and special servicers.

“The real estate market continues to strengthen in key cities across the country and we expect deal flow to grow in 2011,” said Paul Mattingly, chair of Seyfarth Shaw’s Real Estate department. “Eric Sidman and Les Bliwise bring a tremendous amount of experience that both complements our existing real estate work as well as enhances our ability to capture a lot of the anticipated uptick in real estate transactions in the coming year.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Eric and Les to the New York office. They are not only considered first-class real estate attorneys, but genuinely top-notch lawyers and individuals,” said John Napoli, co-managing partner of Seyfarth Shaw’s New York office.

“As the industry continues its recovery, Seyfarth provides us with the ability to better serve our existing clients and to expand our institutional relationships utilizing the firm’s national platform,” said Sidman. “Investors and lenders will need to be extra vigilant as they wade into the marketplace after several very lean years. Les and I look forward to working with our new colleagues in New York and throughout the country to help clients navigate this new environment.”

Sidman received his JD, cum laude, from Harvard Law School and his BA from Emory University, where he was Phi Beta Kappa. He is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers, Urban Land Institute, and Real Estate Board of New York.

Bliwise received his JD from Brooklyn Law School, where he was Notes Editor for the Brooklyn Law Review, and his BA from Rutgers College. He is a fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, the American College of Mortgage Attorneys, and The New York Bar Foundation. Bliwise is the former chair of the Real Property Law Section of the New York State Bar Association. He is also active in the International Council of Shopping Centers and is a member of the Real Estate Board of New York.

Seyfarth Shaw’s 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.

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 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.