OVERVIEW

With over 30 years of experience representing borrowers and lenders in connection with the negotiation and documentation of the acquisition, disposition and financing of commercial real estate throughout the United States

Brian Weinhart has established himself as one of the leading real estate/finance attorneys in the nation. Brian’s expertise extends to multiple real estate asset classes, including shopping centers, multifamily apartment complexes, hotels, industrial properties and commercial office buildings. Brian has also had decades of experience in finance and has negotiated and documented several billion dollars of permanent, bridge, construction and mezzanine loans, as well as preferred equity structures for both borrowers and lenders.

Because he has spent his entire career representing both developers/sponsors and lenders, Brian brings a unique perspective to each transaction. He undertakes and is able to navigate complex transactions efficiently and cost effectively with a comprehensive understanding that few other attorneys have. Brian prides himself on being accessible and responsive to each and every client he represents and is proud to oversee a group of talented professionals that have been together for more than a decade. He recognizes that each client’s project or issue is uniquely important to that client and treats each undertaking as if it was his own. Brian understands that results are key, but cost matters. He prides himself on practicing law in a manner that supports the business objectives of his clients. He is adept at financial analysis and has the insight necessary to advise on business as well as legal issues. Brian makes sure that all of his clients understand the nature of the matter at hand and the anticipated cost to achieve a desired result, at the outset of each representation. Virtually, all of his clients (many of whom he has counseled for close to two decades), consider Brian a close friend, trusted advisor and a key member of their business team.

Brian has navigated the market in both the most robust and the most challenging of economic cycles. He has negotiated complex mortgage loan work-outs and restructurings involving several billion worth of troubled commercial real estate assets. In addition, Brian has extensive experience representing portfolio lenders and originators and master and special servicers, of commercial mortgage-backed securities throughout the nation.

Brian’s interests extend beyond the law. Brian is deeply involved with the community and has served as the Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Heart Foundation at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, where he is also a founding member of the Heart Foundation’s Board of Directors. Brian has also been featured as a guest instructor on multiple occasions at the USC Gould School of Law – where he has taught law students the ins-and-outs of underwriting commercial loans and negotiating key loan terms. Brian has also been a featured panelist at the Annual Hunter Hotel Investment Conference and many other industry conferences.

When he is not overseeing his real estate and finance practice, spending time with his family, traveling or focusing on a myriad of other interests, Brian has taken time to author several publications, including:

• “Guarantor beware – is the loan really non-recourse?” - Los Angeles Daily Journal
• “Making Deals Happen” - Southern California Super Lawyers & Los Angeles Magazine
• “TIC Workout Considerations” - California Real Estate Journal
• “New CMBS Workout Rules Raise More Questions Than Answers” - California Real Estate Journal
• “No Longer a “Routine” CMBS Assumption” - California Real Estate Journal
• “Understanding Modification Options Under Portfolio and CMBS Loan Structures”

Brian is proud to have been recognized by his peers as a leader in the legal profession. He has been a Southern California Super Lawyer every year for almost two decades and has been named one of “Southern California Super Lawyers’ Top 100 Lawyers”. Brian also holds a Preeminent “AV” Peer Rated by Martindale-Hubbell; the highest rating for ethical and professional standards.