Seyfarth Strengthens Real Estate Finance Leadership as Practice Advances AI-Enabled Deal Work

November 2, 2026 — Seyfarth Shaw LLP has expanded the leadership structure of its Real Estate Finance practice, with Megan Vallerie joining Daniel Evans as co-chair and Christopher Manzer elevated to vice chair.

With this expanded leadership team guiding the practice, Seyfarth is well positioned to serve clients across the range of real estate financing while continuing to apply technology to enhance legal service delivery.

Evans, who currently leads the practice, will continue to help drive its strategic direction alongside Vallerie and Manzer. Working with clients and members of Seyfarth’s technology and innovation teams, he has helped institutional lenders launch and scale new lending platforms using process mapping, Seyfarth Link deal tracking, and AI-enabled document review, increasing the speed and efficiency of legal work.

Vallerie, who rejoined Seyfarth in April 2026, brings deep transactional experience advising on high-stakes real estate matters. Her practice spans both the debt and equity sides of sophisticated transactions, giving her a broad perspective on the objectives of lenders, investors, developers, and other market participants. A former Vice President, Transaction Management at FirstKey Lending, she brings experience from both the law firm and in-house sides to complex financings.

"Lenders are under pressure to deploy capital quickly, manage risk and scale their platforms, and they need counsel who move at the same pace," said Vallerie. "I've been in that seat, and I know what it takes to keep a deal on track. As co-chair, I'll focus on growing our work across the capital stack, including in transactions to provide leverage to our lender clients and support secondary market execution, and, together with Dan and Chris, continue building the processes and technology that let us deliver speed and certainty, whether the deal is a single complex financing or a high-volume program."

“Real estate finance continues to become more sophisticated, and our clients are looking for counsel who can pair deep transactional experience with smarter and more efficient ways of getting deals done,” said Evans. “Megan and Chris bring tremendous experience, strong client relationships, and a commitment to innovation. Expanding our leadership team positions us to build on the momentum we’ve created and continue evolving alongside our clients.”

Manzer brings broad real estate finance experience representing capital providers across the life cycle of a loan, from origination and servicing through restructurings and workouts. He has been at the forefront of Seyfarth’s efforts to integrate AI and other emerging technologies into real estate transactions, including enhancing due diligence and streamlining deal execution. His approach combines deep real estate experience with a focus on practical, efficient and solutions-oriented client service.

“Technology is creating meaningful opportunities to rethink how we approach real estate transactions, but the goal ultimately remains the same: helping our clients accomplish their business objectives as efficiently and effectively as possible,” said Manzer. “I’m excited to take on this role and work with Dan and Megan to continue advancing the practice, developing the next generation of our team, and delivering an exceptional client experience.”

The expanded leadership structure also reflects the broader growth and evolution of Seyfarth’s Real Estate Department and its continued focus on combining sophisticated legal counsel with innovative approaches to client service.

“Dan, Megan, and Chris represent exactly the combination of experience, leadership and forward thinking that will carry our Real Estate Finance practice into its next chapter,” said Paul Mattingly, chair of Seyfarth’s Real Estate Department. “The practice has tremendous momentum, and expanding its leadership team gives us an even stronger platform to build on that success. Their collective focus on clients, collaboration, and innovation will help us continue growing the practice while advancing the way we deliver real estate finance services.”

About Seyfarth's Real Estate Practice

Seyfarth's Real Estate department serves sophisticated clients across a number of industries. Recognized as one of the largest real estate practices in the US, Seyfarth's integrated world class team serves local, regional, and national clients on the acquisition, financing, development, leasing, restructuring, servicing, and disposition of noteworthy real estate assets and portfolios. This experience extends across comprehensive array of asset classes, including office, industrial, multifamily, retail, health care, and data center projects.

About Seyfarth

With more than 1,000 lawyers across 19 offices, Seyfarth Shaw LLP provides advisory, litigation, and transactional legal services to clients worldwide. The firm is recognized for leading the market in client-centric innovation, advancing the standard of legal service delivery in an evolving global marketplace.

Seyfarth collaborates with clients to capitalize on opportunities and solve complex challenges across capabilities, including corporate, litigation, real estate, regulatory compliance, labor and employment, and executive compensation and employee benefits. Committed to collaboration and a client-centered approach, Seyfarth delivers solutions as sophisticated as the challenges clients face.