Milbank maintains a broad real estate finance practice based in New York, with notable strength in distressed commercial real estate, data center financings, and debt and equity acquisitions. The team regularly handles large mortgage, mezzanine, and preferred equity originations, alongside acquisitions and sales of performing and non-performing loans. Practice head Erwin Dweck advises investors on debt, equity, and structured transactions across a range of asset classes and is particularly noted for his data center expertise. Nicolette Sullivan regularly counsels both lenders and borrowers on mezzanine financings, CMBS, construction lending, and property acquisitions, with a focus on complex debt structures. Yaakov Sheinfeld and Jonathan Karl are also recommended. The practice is further strengthened by the arrival of Alex Meirowitz from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in April 2025, bringing experience advising borrowers and lenders across the capital stack.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Milbank is the preeminent CRE practice in the US. Their breadth of expertise, combined with the high quality of talent, is second to none. Specifically, the CRE team at Milbank has expertise that goes beyond traditional CRE assets and covers debt origination at all levels of the capital stack. Specifically, the Milbank team has Jonathan Karl, one of the most talented and highly coveted lender lawyers in the CRE space globally.’
‘In my view, Jonathan Karl is the best CRE and CRE-adjacent lender lawyer across all markets, US or otherwise. Jonathan is my absolute first choice of origination counsel on all data center finance originations in the US. He has developed market-leading expertise on the asset class and industry to complement his extensive experience with traditional CRE loans and assets.'
Key clients
- The Cordish Companies
- Kemmons Wilson Hospitality Partners
- Monroe Capital LLC
- PSP Investments
- Silver Point Capital
Work highlights
Representing a joint venture among The Cordish Companies and Bruce Smith Enterprises in connection with a $1.4 billion investment for a transformative mixed-use casino, hotel, and retail development.
Advised PSP Investments on a $1.15 billion loan regarding a complicated mixed-use project that included 3.5 million-square-foot property of office, retail, multifamily, hospitality, and entertainment space.
Represented Silver Point Capital as the lender in connection with the origination of a $110 million senior pre-development loan to finance the acquisition and pre-development costs of a multifamily development site located in Brooklyn, NY.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Jonathan Karl
Practice head
Erwin Dweck
Other key lawyers
Nicolette Sullivan; Jonathan Karl; Alex Meirowitz; Yaakov Sheinfeld