Tom Fileti is the co-chair of the firm’s U.S. Real Estate Group. He represents a broad spectrum of clients in connection with investments in, and the financing, development, operation, and disposition of, real estate assets in California and throughout the United States. He has a track record of representing clients with substantial and complex transactions. In the recent words of clients, Tom is “one of the smartest and most thoughtful attorneys in the market today,” (Legal 500 US) and is “exceptionally thorough, deliberate, careful and thoughtful,” “fantastic at thorny transactions,” and a “strategic thinker” who “sees the implications of [client] decisions miles down the road and advises [clients] accordingly.” (Chambers USA)
Tom’s practice emphasizes transactions involving REITs; acquisition and disposition of real estate assets, loans, and portfolios; real estate finance transactions and credit facilities of all types; matters involving the financing, acquisition, operation, and disposition of hotels and resorts; real estate joint ventures and other equity investments involving development projects, acquisitions, and portfolios; credit lease and master lease transactions involving corporate real estate assets and real estate aspects of mergers and acquisitions involving companies with deep real estate footprints; and workouts, restructurings, exercise of remedies and dispositions with respect to problem loans, troubled joint ventures, and other problem real estate investments. His practice involves all property types, including office, residential (multi-family, subdivisions, and condominiums), retail, hospitality, mixed-use, industrial, and land development projects.
Tom regularly represents financial institutions and other clients in connection with syndicated credit facilities; A/B notes and participation arrangements; mezzanine financing; and intercreditor and co-lender arrangements related to the financing of major real estate projects.
Tom’s REIT practice includes such matters as representing REITs and contributors in connection with tax deferred roll-up transactions involving the receipt of common and custom-tailored preferred operating partnership units; representing clients selling projects to REITs in taxable transactions involving cash consideration or REIT securities; representing lenders providing financing to REITs for working capital and acquisition or development lines (including credit facilities in connection with REIT IPOs); and representing REITs or their counterparties in connection with joint ventures, purchase and sale transactions involving individual projects and portfolios, development projects, credit facilities, mortgage and mezzanine loan investments, and other matters.
Tom is a member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers and of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts.