Mr. Honig brings a full arsenal of CRE deal experience, with particular focus on CMBS transactions

Further adding to its full-service real estate practice, Venable LLP announced that Ross A. Honig, a leading commercial real estate finance attorney, has joined the firm as a partner in its New York office. He arrives from the New York office of Winston & Strawn LLP.

Mr. Honig represents financial institutions, public and private commercial lenders, sellers, and purchasers in real estate transactions, including financings, acquisitions, dispositions, and leases. He has particular experience representing commercial mortgage lenders intending to include loans in commercial mortgage-backed security transactions, which have regained favor in recent years as a critical form of large-scale financing and as an asset class among institutional investors. In addition to numerous fixed-rate and other permanent loan transactions throughout the United States, Mr. Honig has also advised his clients on construction, bridge, and mezzanine loan transactions secured by all asset classes of properties. He has also counseled clients in mortgage loan purchase and sale agreements, as well as loan participations, syndications, and intercreditor agreements. He also advises lending clients on workouts and restructuring of defaulted and non-performing loans. Additionally, Mr. Honig has represented sellers and purchasers of real property, as well as commercial landlords and tenants in leasing transactions.

“The CMBS market has come back strong in the last several years to make a big impact on the commercial property market nationally, said Peter G. Koffler, Chair of Venable’s New York Real Estate Group. “Ross’s deep well of financing experience – especially his experience with CMBS deals – adds a critical component to our team. He has covered the waterfront in CRE transactions, and has handled some of the most complex financings that have taken place over the last 10 years. Our practice will benefit greatly from his addition.”

Venable’s New York office is home to a strong, highly experienced bench of real estate attorneys who represent owners, developers, private equity funds, pension funds, tenants, and operators of all types of commercial, residential, and mixed-use real estate. The group advises clients on property acquisitions, dispositions, and joint ventures; financings, design, and construction; zoning and land use; leasing and property management; and development and economic incentives.

Mr. Honig noted: “Venable has a stellar platform and reputation for high-end CRE work. I’ve worked with a number of the firm’s real estate attorneys in Baltimore and Washington and have watched with interest how the New York office has quickly grown to a full-scale team of professionals, handling the most sophisticated financings and transactions. This is a terrific opportunity to further grow my practice and align my transactional skill set with a top-flight group of colleagues.”

Mr. Honig earned his J.D. from the Boston University School of Law and his B.A. from the State University of New York at Albany.