Real Estate Practice [Severson & Werson]

Real Estate

Severson & Werson’s Real Estate group has a reputation nationally for providing efficient, state of the art legal services on a full range of sophisticated real estate matters. In coordination with environmental, tax, securities, mortgage banking, litigation and creditors rights practices, we have the expertise and capacity to assist clients in every aspect and at every stage of real estate transactions and development.

At Severson, we are sensitive to, and directly involved with, the growing influence of the capital markets on all aspects of real estate. Our real estate clients range from local developers to companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange and some of the nation’s largest lending institutions. We work for pension fund advisers, residential builders, architects, engineers, commercial developers and owners, hotel and resort owners and managers, insurance companies, conventional and conduit lenders and borrowers, MBS and CMBS servicers, and special servicers.

Commercial Transactions

Severson provides a thorough and efficient approach to the purchase and sale of commercial real estate. We have vast experience in all aspects of transactions, from initial negotiations to recordation of the deed and post-closing obligations. Our experience includes, among other things, complex 1031 tax-deferred exchanges and other tax structures, land use and environmental concerns, leasing, entity structure, sale leasebacks, synthetic leases, development bonds, ground leasing and international investment. As such, we can offer a comprehensive approach to most complex transactions.

Hotel & Resort

Severson attorneys have represented clients in hotel and hospitality related matters nationwide. Our experience extends to acquisition, development, and financing of hotels and resort properties, as well as real estate issue that arise in the course of hotel management.

Land Use & Development

With many of the group’s attorneys having a background in the representation of property developers, Severson offers a significant amount of experience in traditional “dirt” law. This broader experience gives us the unique perspective to understand the motivations of parties to a transaction beyond the basic loan documents.

Subdivisions

With nine DRE-approved sets of master management documents for common interest developments, ranging from single phased condominiums to master planned communities, we are one of California’s premier sources for subdivision and common interest development legal services.

Commercial Leasing

Severson attorneys have years of experience representing both major landlords and major tenants in lease transactions ranging form office buildings to shopping centers to stand-alone restaurants.

Complex Loan Originations

Over the years, Severson & Werson attorneys have documented and closed close to billions of dollars in medium to large-sized commercial real estate secured loans. These have included new prime-based loans for commercial properties, LIBOR and prime rate structured transactions, construction loans, mixed collateral financings, and multiple property transactions. Property types have included raw law, development sites, industrial parks, multi-family, warehouses, auto dealership facilities, office buildings, shopping centers, multi-screen moving picture theater complexes, and marine facilities. For some lenders, we have established template systems that allow for efficient and cost-effective loan document origination. We also have the systems in place to handle the most complex structured and/or mezzanine transactions.

Conduit Lending

We recognize the influence of Wall Street and of the rating agencies in the commercial loan origination process and work with lenders to be sure that their documents and the structure of their loans will meet underwriting standards for CMBS. We have extensive experience in secondary market transactions, having coordinated due diligence and closings for major sales of whole loans and loan servicing.

Loan Restructures, Special Servicing & Workouts

Severson’s real estate group has long represented national loan servicers and special servicers. We are backed up by a strong creditor’s rights and bankruptcy practice, as well as the environmental, REMIC, tax, and corporate expertise to address the most complex finance restructuring.

Portfolio Real Estate & REO

Severson & Werson is uniquely positioned to assist clients with the post-foreclosure process, particularly in California. We have also gained a significant amount of experience in assisting our financial institution clients with sales or other disposition of excess bank properties, much of this being closed bank branches and commercial offices.

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