Stroock has appointed Lorie Soares Lazarus and Peter David Ballance as partners in its national real estate service practice in Los Angeles.
The pair join from Katten Muchin Rosenman, where Lazarus co-chaired the firm’s West Coast Real Estate practice and Ballance co-chaired the LGBT Coalition.
Lazarus represents institutional equity investors, developers and commercial real estate lenders including banks, investment funds, REITs, investment advisors and asset managers. Ballance counsels lenders, borrowers, developers and property owners in a range of national commercial real estate transactions. Together they have extensive experience in all aspects of commercial real estate financing, guiding both lender and borrower clients through multifaceted projects including securitised, mortgage, mezzanine and construction lending for office, industrial, residential, multifamily, retail and hospitality projects across the country.
“We are thrilled to join such a dynamic real estate group and are excited to play a role in one of the industry’s most innovative teams. We are confident our clients will appreciate the sophistication of Stroock’s service offerings and the broad platform that the firm offers in serving their legal needs,” Lazarus and Ballance said in a joint statement.
The two LA-based partners continue the firm’s consistent growth trajectory in key practices. Stroock has welcomed more than 10 senior attorneys to the firm since 2019, with a half-dozen of those in the national real estate practice. The addition of the duo’s extensive experience in commercial real estate finance, acquisition and disposition, combined with their strong reputation for distressed real estate counselling, will strengthen the already robust national real estate platform at Stroock.
“Los Angeles remains one of the most active cities in terms of commercial real estate transactions, lending activity and development. Our addition of Lorie and Peter underscores Stroock’s strategic approach and commitment to the market,” says LA office managing partner and Executive Committee member Julia Strickland.
With an active presence in the LA real estate market, Stroock represents high-profile clients in sophisticated transactions, such as the recent USD1.2 billion refinancing of the landmark Century Plaza Towers in Los Angeles and the USD750 million sale of CBS’ iconic Television City.
“We are thrilled to have Lorie and Peter join the firm,” says Jeff Keitelman, Stroock’s co-managing partner and co-chair of the national Real Estate Group. “They will add significant depth to our national lineup as we further expand our real estate group and proudly continue to be a destination for top talent from coast to coast.”