Nathaniel Lifschitz

Nathaniel Lifschitz counsels financial institutions, owners, developers, REITs, and domestic and offshore investors in a range of highly complex commercial real estate transactions.

Both borrowers and lenders seek Nate’s representation in connection with mortgage and mezzanine loans and preferred equity investments across asset classes. Our clients also turn to Nathaniel to represent them on acquisitions, dispositions, and joint ventures relating to various asset classes in all stages of development.

Nathaniel’s diverse list of clients includes RXR Realty, Dajia Insurance Group, JPMorgan Chase, The Blackstone Group, Brookfield, and Strategic Hotels & Resorts. He is recognized by Legal 500 in the Real Estate category.

Work highlights:

• A joint venture between affiliates of Brookfield Office Properties Inc. and affiliates of Swig Investment Company, LLC, in connection with its $1.25 billion financing of the Grace Building, an iconic 1.6 million-square-foot tower located next to Bryant Park in New York City. The 10-year CMBS financing was originated by Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Column Financial and DBR Investments Co. Limited.
   
• Brookfield Asset Management in connection with the following:
  • Approximately $1.2 billion sale of a portion of the Putnam Portfolio comprising five residential assets consisting of approximately 2,800 rental apartment units in New York City, to a joint venture between L + M Development Partners and Invesco Real Estate.
  • $714 million refinancing of a portion of the Putnam Portfolio consisting of five multifamily buildings in Upper Manhattan owned in a joint venture with Urban America.
     
• Brookfield Property Partners in connection with the following:
  • $190 million construction loan for a development property located at 2401 Third Avenue in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the Bronx, New York.
  • Aggregate $1.8 billion refinancing of the office condominium unit at One Manhattan West, comprising 2.1 million square feet of office space across 65 floors within Brookfield's new 70-story, Class A office tower in New York City. The refinancing comprised a US$1.5 million securitized mortgage loan and $300 million in mezzanine debt.
  • $1.15 billion financing of the office portion of 5 Manhattan West from a syndicate of mortgage lenders.
  • $835 million financing for One New York Plaza in New York City. The commercial mortgage-backed security financing was originated by Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, Goldman Sachs Bank USA and BMO Harris Bank, N.A.
  • $479 million mortgage loan from the Bank of China secured by the Eugene, the 62-floor residential tower at 3 Manhattan West.
  • $184 million mortgage loan to finance the construction of the retail portion of Manhattan West.
     
• JPMorgan Chase and Starwood Property Trust in connection with their co-origination of mortgage and mezzanine loans aggregating $900 million to WeWork Property Investors to finance its acquisition of, and major renovations to, the iconic Lord & Taylor flagship store at 424 Fifth Avenue in New York, NY.
   
• RXR Realty in connection with the following:
  • $463 million, to affiliates of Extell Development Company, to finance the construction and development of three residential and mixed use properties in Manhattan—555 Tenth Avenue, 500 East 14th Street and One Manhattan Square.
  • The acquisition and initial financing of the one-million-square-foot building located at 32 Old Slip in New York City and the subsequent $404 million mortgage and mezzanine refinancing for the property.
  • $200 million loan from Morgan Stanley to finance its acquisition of an office condo interest at 530 Fifth Avenue.
  • $175 million preferred equity investment in a class-A office property in New York City.
  • Combined $137.5 million mortgage and mezzanine loan origination to finance the development of The St. Regis Residences, Rye, in Rye, New York. The acquisition and financing of the one-million-square-foot building located at 32 Old Slip in New York City.
  • Refinancing and equity recapitalization of 61 Broadway, a 33-story, 787,000-square-foot office tower in lower Manhattan.
     
•  Blackstone in connection with the following transactions:
  • $300 million mortgage loan to an affiliate of Extell Development Company in connection with Extell's acquisition and development of the property known as Central Park Tower, where Extell is constructing Manhattan's first Nordstrom department store, and a residential tower intended to be one of the tallest residential buildings in the Western Hemisphere.
  • Combined $227 million mortgage and mezzanine financing to affiliates of Extell Development Company to finance the acquisition of, and certain improvements to, the Four Seasons Resort and Club, Dallas at Las Colinas in Irving, Texas.
     
• The Children's Investment Fund in its $239 million construction financing to a joint venture of Alcion Ventures and Genton Property Group in connection with the development of the Four Seasons Private Residences Los Angeles in Beverly Hills, CA.
   
• JPMorgan Chase in connection with the following:
  • As lead lender, in the origination and syndication of a $900 million construction loan to affiliates of Extell Development for the development of Central Park Tower in New York, NY.
  • $600 million mortgage and mezzanine financing relating to The Astor on West 75th Street in New York, NY; 88 and 90 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY; and The Metro on 53rd Street in New York, NY.
  • $56 million origination and syndication of mortgage and mezzanine pre-development financing relating to 801 South Canal Street, a 575,000-square-foot office property in Chicago, Illinois.
     
• Starwood Property Trust in its $262 million construction loan for the development of more than 300 single family homes on a 195 acre site along the coast of the Pacific Ocean known as Marblehead in San Clemente, CA.