August 17, 2015 – Reed Smith LLP today announced the addition of Joseph A. Sarcinella as a partner in its Real Estate Group. A former partner in the New York office of Thompson & Knight LLP, Sarcinella will practice in Reed Smith’s New York office.
“Joe is an experienced real estate attorney, with nearly three decades of business and in-house experience spanning the real estate and finance aspects of large, highly structured, multi-lender, complex real estate transactions,” said Dusty Elias Kirk,” chair of Reed Smith’s Real Estate practice. “The depth and breadth of his knowledge and experience will enhance our international practice, and his network of clients and other relationships in the real estate industry, including real estate finance and the hospitality industry, will broaden and expand the firm’s practice.”
Sarcinella focuses his practice on a wide range of complex and intricate real estate finance transactions, including balance sheet lending, structured real estate finance, and lending for large-scale construction projects and transactions, as well as real estate-centric M&A transactions. He has served as debt counsel on both the borrower and lender side, advised lenders in financing that includes multiple mortgage and mezzanine tranches for balance sheet and conduit loan programs, and has also advised clients on buyer- and seller-side debt sales, such as co-lender and inter-creditor agreement negotiations. Sarcinella recently advised a lending consortium in connection with the origination of an $860 million construction loan for 53W53, an 82-story residential condominium tower adjacent to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. In addition, Sarcinella advised a large, multi-national real estate developer in the company’s $22.5 billion acquisition of one of the largest owner/operators and investors of residential apartment communities in the United States.
“Reed Smith’s global reach will provide me with the necessary platform to continue to service and expand my work on behalf of both domestic and international clients,” said Sarcinella. “In addition, Reed Smith’s commitment to growing in New York, as well as the firm’s significant presence in the major global financial centers of the world – including London, Hong Kong, Frankfurt, and Singapore, among others – truly sets the firm apart and makes it a great fit for my practice, which involves significant cross-border work.”
Prior to Thompson & Knight, Sarcinella was a partner at Arent Fox, which he joined after a period as a senior associate at Schulte Roth & Zabel. Before that, he was in-house general counsel at two New York-based real estate private equity firms. The newest Reed Smith partner began his career at King & Spaulding, after graduation from Pace Law School in 1997.
Sarcinella is the second new partner in Reed Smith’s New York office in less than a month. Former Wiggins & Dana partner Niket Rele joined the firm’s the Corporate & Transactional Advisory Group in mid-July.
“We are delighted with the high quality of the talent joining this office,” said Douglas Wood, Reed Smith’s New York Managing Partner. “With the uptick in local and regional real estate market activity, we know Joe will be an asset, particularly with his strong background in complex transactions. We welcome him to the Reed Smith team.”
The Reed Smith Real Estate Group comprises some 150 lawyers and legal professionals worldwide, providing exceptional service and a global practice that spans the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Its lawyers provide tailored advice and develop effective solutions for clients’ real estate needs, whether local, regional, international or pan-global.
About Reed Smith
Reed Smith is a global relationship law firm with more than 1,800 lawyers in 26 offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Founded in 1877, the firm represents leading international businesses, from Fortune 100 corporations to mid-market and emerging enterprises. Its lawyers provide litigation and other dispute-resolution services in multi-jurisdictional and other high-stakes matters; deliver regulatory counsel; and execute the full range of strategic domestic and cross-border transactions. Reed Smith is a preeminent advisor to industries including financial services, life sciences, health care, advertising, entertainment and media, shipping and transport, energy and natural resources, real estate, manufacturing and technology, and education. For more information, visit reedsmith.com.
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