AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

In 2020, Harris was again named a “Real Estate MVP” by Law360, a recognition he previously earned in 2019, 2017 and 2015. He has been recognized by Chambers USA, The Legal 500 and Expert Guides as one of the country’s leading real estate lawyers, and he has also been listed as one of Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Dealmakers in America” and one of The Best Lawyers in America for real estate law in New York City since 2011. Harris is also a member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers. He is involved with numerous charitable organizations including serving as pro bono counsel for The Blue School, an innovative school for young children led by the founders of The Blue Man Group.

EXPERIENCE

Harris' recent experience includes:

• representing CIM Group, a sponsor of real estate funds that specializes in urban investments, in a variety of acquisitions, joint ventures, and developments, including 85 Jay Street in Brooklyn, The Vale at the Parks and Trellis House in Washington, D.C., Southern Towers and Skyline Towers in Southern Virginia, Sunset La Cienega in Los Angeles, The Tribune Building and The Paragon in Chicago, Miami World Center in Florida, Uptown Station in California, and Panorama (formerly the Watchtower), The Dominick Hotel, 432 Park Avenue, 440 Broadway, 303 East 51st Street, 140 West Street and 109 Montgomery in New York, and 1000 Washington in Boston
• represents Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in its ground lease with Related Companies LP for the Hudson Yards projects, the largest private development in U.S. History
• representing Holiday Retirement, an owner-operator of retirement communities controlled by Fortress Investment Group, in the restructuring of over 120 leases and lease guarantees with four different landlords
• representing Maiden Holdings, a public re-insurance company, in a $500 million platform joint venture to develop multi-family properties in Canada
• representing Las Vegas Sands Corp., the owner of The Venetian and Palazzo gaming resorts in Las Vegas, The Sands Macau and Venetian Macau in Macau, and Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, with all of its financings, developments, sales, joint ventures and other material transactions in the United States, Macau and Singapore since 1995
• representing Healthpeak Properties, Inc., (formerly HCP, Inc.) an S&P 500 healthcare REIT, in a variety of acquisitions, joint ventures and financings (as lender) covering hundreds of healthcare facilities throughout the United States
• representing NorthStar Realty Finance Corp., a New York-based diversified commercial real estate company, in various healthcare portfolio acquisitions, joint ventures and financings, including its $4.2 billion acquisition of the outstanding shares of NYSE-traded Griffin-American Healthcare REIT II
• acting as primary counsel to the joint venture that owns the iconic Fontainebleau Miami Beach Hotel, and representing it in the successful out-of-court restructuring of over $800 million in debt and other secured claims and in several subsequent refinancings with senior and mezzanine components
• representing Douglaston Development the development and joint venture equity and debt financing of various multi-family market, affordable and mixed income and residential condominium developments in New York City and elsewhere, including The Edge, a mixed-use project consisting of 347 moderate-income rental apartments, 1,100 luxury condominium units, 60,000 square feet of retail space and parking garage space on the Williamsburg waterfront, as well as 2 North 6th Place (mixed income) and Level BK (market rate), also on the Williamsburg waterfront
• representing various developers and funds and other institutions in the acquisition, development and financing of various properties