Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP is pleased to announce that a five-attorney team has joined the Real Estate, Energy, Land Use & Environmental practice group. The team is led by Dallas-based partners Michelle R. Brown and Andrew W. Bengtson, who were most recently at Jones Day. Also joining from Jones Day are partners Ian Lange and Shane M. Trawick and special counsel Jeffrey T. Ramsey.
This team represents public and private equity companies and developers of multifamily and other commercial real estate in real estate finance matters, acquisitions and dispositions, joint venture formation, multistate portfolio transactions, distressed asset transactions and more. This is the third real estate group to join the firm in the last 12 months: in September 2022, the firm welcomed a real estate finance trio in New York, and in March 2022, the firm added a five-member healthcare real estate team in Los Angeles.
"We’re thrilled to welcome Michelle, Andy, Ian, Shane and Jeff. Their real estate finance expertise strengthens our already renowned practice and will be invaluable to our clients as they navigate the current economic landscape and beyond," said Luca Salvi, chair of Sheppard Mullin. "Their knowledge, experience and practice also add to the continued growth and success of our Dallas office and our national real estate presence."
Sheppard Mullin Real Estate, Energy, Land Use & Environmental practice group co-leader Keith Garner added, "We have a premier real estate practice and this is the latest example of our continued expansion. This team boasts extensive real estate finance experience and a tremendous client base that complements our existing capabilities, particularly in the multifamily sector. We are delighted that this talented group has joined the firm."
Brown has more than 25 years of experience representing public and private equity companies and developers in real estate transactions. Her practice focuses on real estate finance and acquisitions and dispositions across numerous asset classes, including multifamily projects, single family rental, mixed-use projects, office and retail buildings, hotels, restaurants and grocery stores located throughout the United States. In particular, Brown has market-leading experience with borrower-side construction lending and has represented a multitude of borrowers in connection with more than 170 constructions loans with aggregate loan amounts in excess of $11 billion. In addition, she frequently represents clients in the real estate aspects of M&A transactions and project development and finance transactions for energy industry participants. Brown also has significant experience in multistate portfolio transactions, distressed asset transactions and loan assumptions. She received her B.S. in Business Administration from Missouri Southern State University and her J.D., cum laude, Order of the Coif, from Southern Methodist University, where she was a Hatton W. Sumners Scholar and a citation editor for the International Lawyer.
Bengtson’s practice combines nearly two decades of legal experience in the commercial real estate sector with a particular emphasis on joint venture formation, real estate finance, real estate fund sponsor formation and acquisitions/dispositions across several asset classes, including multifamily housing, single family rental, mixed-use projects, industrial projects, outdoor storage facilities, office buildings, hotels, shopping centers and power centers throughout the United States. He has significant experience with various equity investments and structures, including single asset ventures, programmatic ventures, platform companies as well as preferred equity investments. Bengtson graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Kansas with a B.A., with distinction and departmental honors, in Economics and a B.S., with distinction, in Business Administration. In addition, Bengtson earned a J.D., cum laude, and a M.B.A., with high distinction, from the University of Michigan, where he also served as an associate editor of the Journal of International Law and received Merit Awards in Real Estate Finance Law and in Financial Institutions.
Lange’s real estate practice centers around joint ventures, financings, acquisitions, dispositions and development-related agreements. He has particular experience in the multifamily housing industry, having worked on numerous transactions for the acquisition and development of apartment projects with a variety of capitalization structures, including single-asset and programmatic ventures, preferred equity investments and secured debt. Lange also represents clients in the real estate aspects of M&A transactions and corporate real estate service matters. Lange received his B.A., cum laude, from Denison University and his J.D., from The Ohio State University, where he was articles editor of The Ohio State Law Journal.
Trawick focuses on complex real estate transactions, including construction/term financings, acquisitions and dispositions throughout the United States. He has worked on behalf of borrowers, purchasers and sellers of real estate assets, including multifamily apartments, single-family residential developments, office complexes, hotels and shopping centers. Over the past several years, Trawick has closed real estate acquisitions and dispositions in excess of $13 billion and more than 55 construction and term loans in excess of $5 billion. He received his B.A., with highest honors, from The University of Texas at Austin and his J.D., from the University of California, Berkeley, where he was a member of the California Law Review. Previously, Trawick externed for the Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court where he gained experience working on real estate development, land use, environmental regulation, banking and criminal appellate review.
Ramsey specializes in commercial real estate transactional matters, with particular emphasis in the area of real estate joint ventures, including development and acquisition ventures, programmatic, portfolio and single-asset joint ventures across all asset categories. Ramsey has negotiated complex joint ventures involving a myriad of structures, including those for sponsors, developers and investors providing sponsor, LP and GP capital. He also has significant experience in negotiating asset and property management agreements for various asset classes and has acted as chief outside counsel for the operations group of a major national multi-family and single-family rental real estate developer. He earned his B.A., cum laude, from Iowa State University and his J.D., with distinction, from Drake University Law School.
About Sheppard Mullin’s Real Estate, Energy, Land Use & Environmental Practice Group
With more than 120 attorneys, Sheppard Mullin has one of the largest, most diverse and experienced real estate, energy, land use and environmental practices of any AmLaw 100 firm. We represent builders, developers, investors, lenders, owners, retailers, major landowners, nonprofits and local agencies in key markets in the United States and internationally. We leverage the breadth of our experience, industry connections and market knowledge to deliver full-service counsel and holistic solutions to meet our clients’ needs. Our attorneys work as a seamless team with a single goal – to help clients create value in an ever-changing environment.