MIAMI – May 11, 2020 – The Real Estate Practice of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, P.A., along with firm Shareholders Barry Richard, Yosbel A. Ibarra, and Reggie Zachariah, will be honored at the Daily Business Review’s 2020 Professional Excellence Awards to be held on Oct. 7 at the Rusty Pelican in Key Biscayne. The awards recognize standout achievements over the past year by Florida legal professionals.
“We congratulate our attorneys who are being honored for their significant contributions to legal excellence in the areas of both business and public service,” said Matthew B. Gorson, senior chairman of Greenberg Traurig. “Their commitment to client and community service is exemplary, and we are proud that they carry on these traditions, which are truly at the heart of the firm.”
Tallahassee Office Shareholder Barry Richard will receive the publication’s Lifetime Achievement award, honoring him for his distinguished legal career that includes winning Bush v. Gore, representation of The Florida Bar for 30+ years, and prevailing in four different cases at the U. S. Supreme Court. He also has represented the Seminole Tribe of Florida for years in its gambling compact negotiations with Florida.
Richard has argued dozens of important constitutional matters, tried multiple bet-the-company cases, and played a key role in shaping election and ethics law over the past three decades. He has represented Democratic and Republican governors, legislatures, Congress members, and candidates regarding significant issues of scope of government powers, separation of powers, and ethics. He also has successfully challenged and defended numerous amendments to Florida’s constitution and statutes, as well as advising the 2019 Constitution Revision Commission.
Miami Office Co-Managing Shareholder Yosbel Ibarra will be honored as a Distinguished Leader for his impressive successes in client service, law firm management, and leadership. The award recognizes his role in engineering the firm’s strategic hiring initiative and reinvigorating the GT culture of excellence and collaboration. At the same time, Ibarra continued to grow his Corporate Practice representing clients doing business in Latin America. In 2019 alone, he led more than $1 billion in transactions involving the region.
Several attorneys in the Miami and Boca Raton offices will be honored for their skill in closing high value and complex real estate transactions. Three transactions from 2019 comprised the firm’s nomination in the Real Estate Transactions category:
Miami Shareholders Richard J. Giusto, Danielle Gonzalez, and Michael T. Lynott represented longtime client Invesco Real Estate and L+M Workforce Housing Fund in the $1.2 billion acquisition of a multifamily portfolio of five high-rise towers in Northern Manhattan. Assisting them in this transaction were Associates Kathryn Corral and Kathryn Yankowski.
Miami Shareholders Nancy B. Lash and Ryan D. Bailine led a team of Greenberg Traurig attorneys to assist client Adler Development with agreements to build a new City of Miami Administration Building as part of a $1 billion mixed-use development on the Miami River. Other team members were Miami Shareholders Robert C. Gang and Michael J. Larson, Of Counsel James A. Carenza, and Associate Nicole Wolfe.
Boca Raton Shareholders Marcia H. Langley and Bruce C. Rosetto led a Greenberg Traurig attorney team to close on $225 million in financing for the Via Mizner project on behalf of developer Penn-Florida Companies. The transaction, which closed in July 2019, was considered at that time to be the largest real estate financing for that year to date for Palm Beach County. Also part of the team were Delaware Shareholder Jonathan I. Lessner, West Palm Beach Shareholder Charles J. Abrams and Boca Raton Associate Bracha Pollack.
Fort Lauderdale Office Shareholder Reggie Zachariah is being honored as a Rising Star for his track record of completing complex transactions that are transformative for companies and industries. In two 2018 deals that would change healthcare delivery in Florida, Zachariah co-led a team assisting Cleveland Clinic in acquisitions in Martin and Indian River counties. Zachariah also led an attorney team in the firm’s pro bono representation of Kids in Distress in its strategic partnership with Family Central, which created one of the largest nonprofit networks serving children and families in South Florida.
About Greenberg Traurig, LLP: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT) has approximately 2200 attorneys in 41 locations in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, diversity, and innovation, and is consistently among the largest firms in the U.S. on the Law360 400 and among the Top 20 on the Am Law Global 100. Web: www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law.