Carlton Fields is pleased to announce the addition of three attorneys in its Real Estate and Finance practice. Robert Barnes, Lee Lyman and Marci Schmerler joined the firm’s Atlanta office. Their addition strengthens the firm’s existing team with uncommon breadth and depth of experience in real estate, finance and capital market matters.
“I am very pleased that we continue to attract lawyers with the reputations and experiences of Marci, Lee and Bob,” said Wayne Shortridge, Carlton Fields’ Atlanta Office Managing Shareholder. “Their joining our Atlanta office enhances our Real Estate practice and presence nationally, and we look forward to practicing with them as our Atlanta office continues to grow.”
Barnes, Lyman and Schmerler said that they were impressed by the strength of Carlton Fields’ attorneys and its real estate and finance platform, which encompasses all aspects of distressed debt resolution, real property and whole loan acquisitions, capital markets, development, financing and leasing, as well as asset-based financing and equipment leasing. Currently, the firm has approximately 90 lawyers practicing in these areas.
Ed Lester, the head of Carlton Fields’ Real Estate and Finance Practice Group, added, “We are excited to be growing our practice in Atlanta. The addition of Marci, Lee and Bob to our existing group of lawyers gives us the ideal opportunity to serve and expand our collective relationships.”
The Atlanta office in particular, and the firm in general, are immersed in assisting clients with distressed debt and problem loan workouts. The attorneys’ move to Carlton Fields complements the firm’s vibrant distressed debt and workout practice as well as engagements relating to the re-emergence of the CMBS origination market. “We are pleased that our clients have asked us to play an integral role in helping them navigate this distressed real estate cycle,” said Greg Null, a Real Estate Shareholder in the firm’s Atlanta office. “The talents and experiences of Marci, Lee and Bob give us a great opportunity to continue to meet the needs of our clients and provide creative solutions, wherever they may be on economic cycle, and to grow with them as the economy rebounds.”
Barnes has significant experience in CMBS lending and in matters involving mezzanine loans, equity investments, borrowing entity structures, defeasance, asset management, loan workouts, and real estate leasing and sales. Prior to Carlton Fields, he served as Managing Director at Cantor Fitzgerald and as General Counsel at Column Financial, Inc., a Credit Suisse company. Barnes received his B.A., magna cum laude, from Duke University and his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Lyman has experience in structuring equity and debt financing for the acquisition, sale, development and construction of multi-state real estate projects; asset management; restructuring; entity formation; and joint ventures and strategic alliances. She also practices in the firm’s Corporate, Securities and Tax practice group. Prior to Carlton Fields, she was counsel at Thompson Hine LLP. Lyman received her B.S. from Florida State University, M.A. from the University of Pittsburgh, J.D. from Duke University School of Law and an MCRP from Georgia Institute of Technology.
Schmerler also joined Carlton Fields from Thompson Hine LLP, where she was a partner and head of the firm’s Atlanta real estate practice. At Carlton Fields, Schmerler’s practice focuses on secured and structured financing and acquisition, sale and asset management and leasing of multi-state real estate projects for REITS, portfolio and securitized lenders, banks, life companies, pension funds, and specialty finance funds. She also has experience in structuring and negotiating joint ventures, handling master and special servicing transactions like workouts and foreclosures, and the set up and management of commercial loan conduit programs for conduit lenders. Schmerler received her B.A. and B.S., both cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania and her J.D., cum laude, from Temple University.
