About

Mr. Tom O’Connor is Co-Chair of the Real Estate Finance Group and a member of the Real Estate Practice Group.

Mr. O'Connor practices in the area of commercial real estate transactions with particular emphasis on real estate finance. Mr. O'Connor represents major institutional lenders in financing transactions and structuring debt and equity investments throughout the capital stack.  These representations include transactions capitalized with mezzanine debt, A/B notes, stretch mortgages and preferred equity.  Mr. O’Connor has also been active in PACE financing throughout the country and has developed an expertise in this emerging area of real estate finance.

Additionally, Mr. O’Connor has extensive experience representing clients in the acquisition of debt in the secondary market and the negotiation of complex co-lender, participation and inter-creditor arrangements.  During the prior real estate recession, Mr. O'Connor was very active in the negotiation and resolution of numerous disputes between lenders under these types of agreements.   Consequently, Mr. O’Connor is very well versed in how to properly address the real world issues that can arise among lenders in these transactions.  The last recession also afforded Mr. O’Connor the opportunity to represent lenders in the liquidation of distressed assets and represent both borrowers and lenders in loan workouts and restructurings (including deed-in-lieu transactions).

Mr. O’Connor also represents real estate equity funds and investors in the acquisition and sale of commercial real estate and debt. In connection with those transactions, he has assisted clients in forming real estate funds and in structuring their ownership and management interests through sophisticated joint venture arrangements.   This has included numerous transactions in the Caribbean involving complex foreign and local law issues and compliance, particularly in Puerto Rico. Finally, Mr. O’Connor’s work on the equity side of real estate includes extensive borrower side representation in financings.  Accordingly, his experience on both the lender and borrower side of loans makes Mr. O’Connor a great resource for the resolution of difficult lender-borrower issues.

Mr. O'Connor represents major institutions, funds and banks in real estate finance transactions, including: Ares, Barings, Northern Trust Bank, Ladder Capital, Oritani Bank, Keysite Capital and CPG Real Estate.

Prior to joining Adler & Stachenfeld LLP, Mr. O'Connor was a partner in the Real Estate Group of Cooley LLP (where he chaired the Real Estate Practice Group for nearly six years) and before that had previously worked in the real estate group of Weil Gotshal.

Mr. O'Connor is admitted to practice only in New York.

Representative Transactions:

  • The acquisition and financing of a $1B portfolio of distressed debt and REO from Banco Popular.

  • The restructuring of approximately $250M of mortgage and mezzanine debt with respect to the Marriot Resort & Stellaris Casino in Aruba.

  • The construction financing with respect to a ground-up luxury residential condominium project in Manhattan (including structuring of E-B5 mezzanine debt).

Recognitions:

  • Super Lawyers: New York Metro: 2013-2023

  • "Adler & Stachenfeld Kicks Off Caribbean Real Estate Practice", Law 360 ( link )