DLA Piper is pleased to welcome Devan Popat as a Partner in the Real Estate practice. Popat will be based in the Los Angeles office, further bolstering the firm’s real estate capabilities in the region.
Devan represents clients on a broad range of real estate transactions, including advising investors and sponsors in the formation of real estate joint ventures and all stages of complex development from acquisition, entitlement, equity and debt financing, and construction through stabilization. He represents lenders, including debt funds and insurance companies, in all types of real estate finance transactions, including mortgage, construction, and mezzanine loans; secured and unsecured corporate credit facilities; preferred equity, and other structured financings; as well as co-lending arrangements, participations, workouts, loan sales, and mezzanine foreclosures.
Notable examples of Devan’s lead counsel experience include counseling a real estate investment firm in a US$250 million joint venture with a South Korean investment management firm to acquire student housing properties; representing a real estate debt fund in the origination of mortgage loans, mezzanine loans, and A/B loans; and advising an investment management firm on establishing a preferred equity investment platform.
“With a sophisticated practice that includes both equity and credit transactions and assets located throughout the US, Devan is a perfect fit for our global real estate platform. His addition to our group will enhance our ability to continue to provide best-in-class service for our clients investing in California and throughout the country,” said Bryan Connolly, US Chair of the firm’s Real Estate practice.
“Devan is a highly regarded real estate transactional lawyer, and his addition to our Los Angeles office will provide significant value to our clients both in California and throughout the US,” said Jerry Neuman, head of the firm’s California Real Estate practice.
Popat’s arrival is a part of the firm’s commitment to the continued growth of its Real Estate practice. In recent months, Real Estate Partners Todd Eisner, Ryan Hanofee, Lewis Goss II, and Warren Seay, Jr. have also joined the firm.
With more than 200 lawyers in the US real estate sector and more than 500 globally, DLA Piper’s market-leading Real Estate practice offers a full range of real estate services, including acquisitions and sales, single asset, programmatic and operating company joint ventures, real estate fund formation, public and private REITs, financing, cross-border transactions, zoning and development, construction and design, leasing and restructuring and workouts. The firm represents many of the world’s largest and most sophisticated real estate investors, owners, developers and lenders in their most important matters.