Akerman Adds Real Estate Partner Jane Hinton

LOS ANGELES — April 30, 2014 — Akerman LLP, a top 100 U.S. law firm serving clients across the Americas, today announced the growth of the Los Angeles office with two transactional real estate lawyers. A partner in the Real Estate Practice Group, Jane Hinton enhances Akerman's core strengths in the real estate and financial services sectors, bringing more than 15 years of experience in real estate and capital markets transactions in the U.S. and around the world. She arrives from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Senior associate Herman Enayati from Kennerly, Lamishaw & Rossi LLP also joins Akerman's national bench of lawyers experienced in all aspects of commercial real estate.

Hinton's transactional practice includes joint ventures, acquisitions and dispositions, leasing and portfolio management, and financings. She regularly represents both financial institutions and borrowers in single asset and portfolio mortgage and mezzanine financings and preferred equity transactions throughout the United States and in Europe. She also has extensive experience closing mortgage loans originated for the issuance of commercial mortgage backed securities (CMBS) having also previously worked in the commercial real estate group of Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch. In addition, Hinton has experience in construction financings, leasehold mortgage financings, loan participations, as well as workouts and restructurings. She works with private equity funds, global financial institutions, investment banks, real estate investment trusts (REITs), and other investment funds as well as other non-institutional clients, independently or in joint ventures with developer and equity partners. Her experience involves all types of asset classes including, office, retail, hotels and resorts, multifamily, and industrial.

"Jane adds great value to Akerman's national real estate platform, as we expand our Los Angeles presence to meet the growing needs of our clients," said Richard Bezold, chair of Akerman's national Real Estate Practice Group. "We look forward to making even greater contributions to our clients across the Americas and worldwide through Jane's robust knowledge and experience in global real estate financing transactions."

Enayati represents lenders and borrowers in connection with financing transactions. He also assists developers in all aspects of new development projects, including the purchase, sale, construction and leasing of all types of asset classes.

"We are thrilled to welcome Jane and Herman to the Los Angeles office, where we have diverse transactional practices in the real estate and financial services sectors," said Sue Zabloudil, Los Angeles office managing partner. "We are building an exceptional team of lawyers in the Los Angeles office who not only mirror Akerman's core strengths, but will play a central role in the continuing success of our clients."

Hinton and Enayati join Akerman during a time of unprecedented growth for the firm and the national Real Estate Practice Group, in particular. In the past year, the Practice Group was ranked among the five largest in the United States and globally by Law360. Headcount in the Real Estate Practice Group increased 11 percent, with such laterals as New York partners Yariv Ben-Ari, Andrew Berman, Lisa Lim; and Miami partners Michelle Gonzalez and Brian Tague. In Los Angeles, real estate partner Sue Zabloudil was recently appointed as the office managing partner. Zabloudil also helped lead the real estate aspects of a multi-state transaction on behalf of Akerman client Haggen Inc. that involved the acquisition and financing of 146 West Coast grocery stores.

Akerman was recently reported by The American Lawyer as the top law firm in the United States for lateral partner hires, with the largest percentage increase of total partnership during the 2014 fiscal year. The firm was noted for its explosive growth in New York, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and for expanding strengths in real estate and financial services.

About Akerman LLP

Akerman LLP is a leading transactions and trial law firm known for its core strengths in middle market M&A, within the financial services and real estate industries, and for a diverse Latin America practice. With more than 600 lawyers and government affairs professionals and a network of 20 offices, it is ranked among the top 100 law firms in the United States by The National Law Journal NLJ 350 (2014).

Akerman also is ranked among the top 50 law firms for diversity in The American Lawyer's Diversity Scorecard (2014).

The Akerman Real Estate Practice Group offers comprehensive and fully integrated project counsel services to clients across the United States and in Latin America. With substantial industry experience and prominent local presence, Akerman represents clients in complex real estate transactions and financings, development and redevelopment projects, public private initiatives and litigation. Recognized as a national tier one law firm for Real Estate Law by U.S. News - Best Lawyers, the group advises investors, developers, builders, lenders, retailers, owners and corporate end users, often in high profile matters.

More information can be found at akerman.com or twitter.com/akerman_law.