Mid-Level Real Estate Finance Associate

Holland & Knight LLP; Charlotte (NC); On-site; USD 150,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

Holland & Knight LLP in Charlotte, NC seeks a lender-side CMBS/CRE attorney with experience representing institutional lenders, investment banks, or CMBS platforms in originations across office, retail, multifamily, hospitality and industrial assets.

You will draft and negotiate loan documents, review due diligence materials, and structure transactions to meet securitization criteria, coordinating with originators, underwriters, and securitization counsel through closings and post-closing

Qualifications

• Experience representing institutional lenders, investment banks, or CMBS platforms in CMBS/CLO loan origination.
• Familiarity with rating agency criteria and securitization requirements, including ground leases and cash management.
• Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating loan documents (loan agreements, notes, mortgages/deeds of trust, guarantees, ancillary documents).
• Ability to conduct and oversee due diligence (leases, zoning reports, organizational documents, third‑party reports).
• Structuring transactions to comply with CMBS securitization requirements and coordinating with originators, underwriters, and securitization counsel.
• Coordinate closings, manage timelines, and assist with post‑closing matters and loan reviews for securitization.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate a range of loan documents for CMBS/CLO financings.
• Conduct and supervise due diligence including zoning, leases, and third‑party reports.
• Structure transactions to meet securitization criteria and advise on legal issues.
• Coordinate closings and manage transaction timelines with clients and service providers.
• Support post‑closing matters and prepare loan reviews in anticipation of securitization.

Job description

Overview

• Experience is required in representing institutional lenders, investment banks, or CMBS platforms in connection with the origination of CMBS and/or CLO loans across various commercial real estate asset classes, including office, retail, multifamily, hospitality, and industrial.
• Familiarity is expected with rating agency criteria and securitization requirements, specifically regarding the treatment of ground leases, cash management, and structural features.
• The role involves drafting, reviewing, and negotiating a range of loan documents, such as loan agreements, promissory notes, mortgages/deeds of trust, guarantees, and ancillary documents.
• Responsibilities include conducting and overseeing due diligence, which entails reviewing zoning reports, leases, organizational documents, and third-party reports.
• The position requires structuring transactions to comply with CMBS securitization requirements, coordinating with originators, underwriters, and securitization counsel, and advising clients on structural and legal issues affecting securitization eligibility and marketability.
• Tasks include coordinating closings and managing transaction timelines, involving interaction with clients, borrower's counsel, and third-party service providers, as well as supporting post-closing matters and preparing loan reviews in anticipation of securitization.