Matthew R. Halal

Matt has a keen understanding of the fast-paced and rapidly-shifting world of real estate, and spends considerable time with his clients, getting to know their business and their long-term goals so he can best advise them on current transactions. He is known for his ability to close intricate lending transactions with precision and speed in a manner that is beneficial to all parties.

Matt focuses his practice on advising lenders and investors in all aspects of secured financings, with an emphasis on representing institutional lenders in the origination of securitized and portfolio mortgage loans and mezzanine loans. His experience includes construction and hospitality lending as well as credit facilities, co-lending and participation agreements. Additionally, Matt has experience representing clients in connection with repurchase and warehouse facilities, and loan-on-loan financing transactions.

• Represented major institutional investor, as seller, in connection with an $300 million master repurchase agreement for commercial real estate assets.
• Represented major institutional investor, as borrower, in connection with an approximately $85 million loan-on-loan facility for commercial real estate assets.
• Represented an institutional lender in connection with a $470 million loan comprised of a $370 million mortgage loan, $55 million senior mezzanine loan and $45 million junior mezzanine loan, secured by a Class A office building in Los Angeles, California.
• Represented an institutional lender in connection with the origination of $225 million mortgage and mezzanine financing of a mixed use building in New York City.
• Represented an institutional lender in connection with the origination of a $54 million mortgage loan secured by a boutique hotel located in Denver, Colorado and an interest in a neighboring condominium unit utilized for parking. The hotel, which was built in 1911, has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1996 and was converted into a hotel in 1995.
• Represented an institutional lender with a mortgage loan in the amount of $117 million secured by several retail properties in San Diego, California. The collateral was comprised of parcels that were ground leased from the City of San Diego pursuant to 16 individual ground leases and one parcel that the borrower owned in fee. The mortgage loan was structure to accommodate a series of “reverse” 1031 exchanges.
• Represented an institutional lender with the origination of mortgage and mezzanine loans in the aggregate amount of $140 million secured by an office building located in midtown Manhattan.
• Represented an institutional lender in connection with the origination of $134 million mortgage financing of an office building in Washington, DC.
• Represented a real estate investment fund in connection with the origination of a $63.85 million mortgage loan secured by a manufacturing and office complex, located in Torrance, California.
• Represented an institutional lender in connection with the origination of a $78 million mortgage loan and a $73.8 million mezzanine loan secured by an office building in Denver, Colorado. A portion of the office building was subject to a ground lease which required modifications to provide adequate remedies for the mortgage and mezzanine lenders.
• Represented an institutional lender in connection with the origination of $60 million mortgage financing of a retail shopping center located in Tampa, FL.
• Represented an institutional lender in connection with the origination of a $28 million mortgage loan secured by a retail shopping center located in Florida.
• Represented an institutional lender in connection with the origination of $105 million mortgage and multiple-layered mezzanine financing of a shopping mall in Miami, FL.
• Represented an institutional lender in connection with the origination of $33 million mortgage financing of a hotel located in Knoxville, TN.
• Represented an institutional lender in connection with the origination of $228 million mortgage and multiple-layered mezzanine financing of an office park in Overland Park, KS.
• Represented a not-for-profit organization in the negotiation of a development agreement with the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and the NYC Economic Development Corporation for the redevelopment of a historic firehouse in Harlem, NY for use as the not-for-profit’s headquarters.

• Recommended for Real Estate Finance, Legal 500 United States, 2021-2024
• Selected as a Super Lawyer for Real Estate, The New York Times Magazine, 2021-2023

• Selected as a Rising Star for Real Estate Law, The New York Times Magazine, 2015-2020