February 02, 2012

Venable Expands its New York Real Estate Group with New Partner

3 min

Peter G. Koffler looks to build prominent real estate group in New York, bringing broad range of real estate experience representing owners, developers, investors and financial institutions in significant range of transactions


NEW YORK, NY (February 2, 2012) – Venable LLP has added veteran real estate attorney Peter G. Koffler to its New York office to lead the Real Estate Group, looking to further expand and strengthen its New York real estate profile and to complement its well-respected national real estate practice.  He joins Venable from Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP, where he practiced for the last decade.

Mr. Koffler brings a diverse and sophisticated practice counseling clients on acquisitions, sales, financing, joint ventures, development and leasing.  He frequently advises on complex transactions involving a wide variety of property types including office, multi-family, retail, hospitality and mixed-use properties.

Mr. Koffler, who has handled major real estate matters, concentrates his practice in major East Coast markets, including New York City, Washington, DC and Florida.  His clients include owners, developers, investors, funds and financial institutions.  His experience also extends to advising on the real estate aspects of power plant and energy industry projects, as well as involvement with brownfields redevelopment.

Venable has one of the country’s leading real estate practices, particularly in the Mid-Atlantic region.  The firm has worked on numerous high-profile, multi-state deals; its clients include some of the largest investment management firms, pension funds and other institutional investors, fund advisors, developers, corporate property owners, and private equity investors in their real estate matters.  Venable has long had a dominant practice advising publicly held real estate investment trusts – the firm consistently ranks among the leaders in REIT representations, given the majority of REITs are governed by Maryland corporate law.

In the last several years, Venable has had an outsized role in distressed property workouts.  The firm advised CWCapital Asset Management in the foreclosure proceedings on the 80-acre Stuyvesant Town residential complex in New York and in the 2009 bankruptcy of the second largest mall operator General Growth Properties, with $27 billion worth of debts at the time of filing.

“Peter Koffler brings excellent New York and East Coast real estate credentials to our firm.  We are looking for him to add a new level of leadership to our growing New York profile and we’re certain he’ll play a major role in the continued building of our real estate representation here as well as across the country,” said Edmund O’Toole, partner-in-charge of Venable’s New York office. 

“In conjunction with having an eminent national real estate practice, handling all types of major transactions, Venable embraces an entrepreneurial approach to clients and matters that is a significant consideration in today’s business environment,” said Mr. Koffler.  “I am extremely excited about this unique leadership opportunity, to further perpetuate the Venable tradition of excellence in New York, and to work with my new colleagues around the country.”

Mr. Koffler received a B.A., magna cum laude, from Boston University and his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

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Note: An American Lawyer Global 100 law firm, Venable serves corporate, institutional, governmental, nonprofit and individual clients throughout the U.S. and around the world. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with offices in California, Maryland, New York and Virginia, Venable LLP lawyers and legislative advisors serve the needs of our domestic and global clients in all areas of corporate and business law, complex litigation, intellectual property, regulatory, and government affairs.