Brian J. Danzig

Partner and Chair of the Firm's Seattle Real Estate Group

Brian Danzig advises institutions, investors and key decision makers in negotiating, conducting due diligence and documenting and closing diverse and complex real estate, finance and business transactions. Mr. Danzig regularly handles acquisitions, dispositions, commercial mortgage and other financings, leasing, investment, development and related business transactions for institutional, private, and individual clients, from the largest financial institutions and institutional investors in the United States to local developers and investors and regional and community banks. He has noteworthy experience representing institutions and investors with single asset and on portfolio note purchase and sale transactions and with multi-state and multi-party transactions. Mr. Danzig is a frequent lecturer and author on a wide range of subjects concerning real estate transactions, finance and creative deal structuring. And he also handles a variety of related business transactions, often related to his real estate practice

Practice Areas:

Real estate acquisitions, dispositions, development and mortgage finance transactions
Commercial secured and unsecured loan transactions
Ground leases, space leases and property use agreements
Loan asset/note purchase and sale transactions
Loan and lease workouts and restructuring
Multi-property and multi-jurisdiction transactions
Business, joint venture and public/private transactions

Committees, Papers & Presentations:

• Executive Committee, Real Property, Probate and Trust Section, Washington State Bar Association
• Washington Lawyers Practice Manual; Chapter 14, Section II; Real Estate Financing and Security Devices (Editor), King County Bar Association.
• Washington Real Property Deskbook: Escrows and Closings (Author), Washington State Bar Association
• Real Estate Secured Financing Transactions: Information, Practices And Procedures For Successful Closings (Speaker), Washington Commercial Broker’s Association
• Negotiating Key Lease Provisions: A Panel Discussion (Speaker), Law Seminars International Conference on Advanced Commercial Real Estate Leases
• Lender Lease Review and Issues, (Speaker),Washington State Bar Association
• Negotiating Real Estate Purchase and Sale Transactions, (Speaker), Law Seminars International
• Real Estate in Troubled Times (Co-Chair), Washington State Bar Association
• Washington State Real Property, Probate and Trust Journal (Past Editorial Board and Author), Real Property Probate and Trust Section, Washington State Bar Association.

Representative Transactions:

• Represented the developer in a ground lease for a retail development valued at $100,000,000 located on Native American land in Washington state; handled related land use issues and development agreements.
• Represented the purchaser in a $20,000,000 acquisition and financing of a 200 unit multi-family project in Everett, Washington.
• Represented the purchaser/borrower in the concurrent acquisition of 3 multi-family mixed-use properties with a concurrent 3-facility conduit loan defeasance and new financing.
• Represented the developer in connection with land acquisition, entity formation, and an $18,000,000 combined construction, interim revolving credit and term loan forward commitment. Developed construction documents and conducted construction contract negotiations for the construction project. Documented facility lease and operations and management agreements.
• Structured and prepared documentation for the operations of a 71 unit continuing care retirement community, including the entry fee agreement, residency agreement and master trust agreement.
• Negotiated, documented, directed due diligence and timely closed real estate acquisitions, and related development matters in four states for one of the nation’s largest "big box" home improvement retailers.
• Represented a joint venture purchaser in the concurrent acquisition and financing of a $163,000,000 pool of 25 facilities located in 12 states. Financing was provided by a group of participating first lien lenders and subordinated "mezzanine debt" financing providers. Coordinated and led all activities of local counsel, title companies, surveyors, due diligence teams.
• Successfully and timely closed in one month, the disposition of 12 office properties located in Washington and Oregon through sale and lease transactions.
• Negotiated, documented and timely closed a pre-bankruptcy workout of a $12,500,000 construction loan for CBD condominium project. Obtained a favorable result including shared appreciation interest.
• Negotiated and documented development agreements for the public/private development of a 500,000 square foot urban entertainment and retail center adjacent to Moscone Center in downtown San Francisco, California.
• Successfully structured, negotiated and closed for the lender, a $16,000,000 permanent loan and standby "variable borrowing base" revolving credit facility secured by multiple parcels of real property and an assignment of ground lessor’s interests in ground leases. Structured fixed rate conversion and interest rate hedging features for the facilities.
• Led a team of attorneys in an asset sale of a bottling business and joint venture transaction with a concurrent bond redemption and sale-leaseback/build-to-suit development project valued at $38,000,000.
• Represented the lender and led a team of attorneys, legal assistants and staff in the due diligence, documentation, negotiation and timely closing (in less than thirty days) of a $150,000,000 financing of a commercial real estate portfolio of 25 office, hotel and retail properties.