Substantive Experience

Mr. Rishwain is the Firm Chair. His practice has emphasis in real estate matters including acquisitions, development, finance (involving, among other types, construction, acquisition, development, mini-permanent, permanent, loan assignments and purchases, and work-outs and restructures), CMBS, capital markets, ground leases, joint ventures, leasing, sales, exchanges, syndications, REITs, multi-family tax exempt bond transactions, synthetic leases and participating mortgages, involving apartment and condominium complexes, corporate headquarters, development sites, golf courses, hotels, industrial parks, office buildings, residential developments, shopping centers and wineries.

Recognition

• Ranked in Chambers USA as a "Leader in the Field" in California Real Estate (2005 to 2008).
• Recognized by Legal 500 as a Real Estate attorney that is highly recommended by clients for his strong transactional and financial experience (2008).
• Named one of the "Best Lawyers in America" over the last several years.
• Named to "Who's Who in L.A. Law" by the Los Angeles Business Journal (2007).
• Received the California Lawyer Attorneys of the Year (CLAY) Award (2005).
• Closed the Real Estate "Deal of the Year" as named by the Los Angeles Daily Journal (2005).

Firm Leadership

In addition to being the Firm Chair, Mr. Rishwain has served as leader or co-leader of the firm's global real estate practice. Mr. Rishwain has managed or co-managed the firm's Los Angeles offices. He has served on the firm's Compensation Committee, the Professional Responsibility Committee, and the Lateral Hiring Committee, among others. He has also served the firm as Vice-Chair of the firm's Partner Compensation Committee and as the Chair of the firm's Partner Compensation System Review Committee.

Representative Matters

Act as lead counsel for SBE Entertainment/SBE Hotel Group for a variety of investment and development projects in connection with SBE's high-end hotel, restaurant and nightclub development, including the acquisition, financing and ongoing equity investment negotiations of the Beverly Hills Le Meridien Hotel in Los Angeles. This project represented SBE's celebrity owner, Sam Nazarian's first entry into the Los Angeles hotel market.

Secured the $800 million acquisition and financing and multi-billion dollar redevelopment of Las Vegas' renowned Sahara Hotel & Casino for SBE Hotel Group.

Act as lead facilities and real estate counsel for Los Angeles Unified School District, one of the largest school districts in the nation, including as lead counsel on a nearly-billion dollar initiative for the district, one of the largest ongoing public improvement projects in the U.S.

Represent CommonWealth Partners in its own capacity and as an advisor to CalPers, in a variety of real estate investment activities. Recently represented CommonWealth Partners LLC and its affiliate Fifth Street Properties, in one of the largest California real estate transactions at that time, in a $1.5 billion sale of a portfolio of Class A high-rise and marquis office buildings in Los Angeles, Glendale, Orange County, San Diego, Denver, Austin and Phoenix. The deal was later named real estate "Deal of the Year" by the Los Angeles Daily Journal.

Education

J.D., Pepperdine University School of Law, 1984
cum laude, Moot Court Honor Board; Note and Comment Editor, Pepperdine Law Review

B.A., University of California, Los Angeles, 1981
with honors

Admissions

State of California

Affiliations

American Bar Association, State of California Bar Association, Los Angeles County Bar Association, Advisory Board to Los Angeles City Council for Holmby Park, UCLA Ziman Real Estate Alumni Group, Urban Land Institute, the California Coalition for Adequate School Housing, the Jonathan Club, Advisory Board member of BOMA, Board of Experts and President's Circle for The International Real Estate Trade Organization and Advisory Board Member of LA Sports & Entertainment Commission

Representative Speaking Engagements

Client Team Programs: What Works?; Speaker; Practising Law Institute Hot Topic Briefing; Webinar; August 1, 2007

Firm Publications

Real Estate Newsletter (9th Edition), Fall 2005

Real Estate Newsletter (Spring 2005, 8th Edition), 16-May-2005

Real Estate Newsletter (Fall 2004, 7th Edition), 01-Nov-2004

Real Estate Newsletter (Spring 2004), 01-May-2004

Real Estate Newsletter (Fall 2003), 21-Nov-2003

Real Estate Newsletter (Fall 2002), 26-Nov-2002

Real Estate Newsletter (Spring 2002), 01-May-2002

Real Estate Newsletter (Fall 2001), 01-Dec-2001

External Publications

Commentary: Identifying Trends Helps Keep Client Teams Effective, Law.com, 22-Aug-2007

Commentary: Making Client Teams Work, Law.com, 18-May-2007

When A Lender Becomes An Owner, Builder & Developer, BDMAG.COM, Co-Authored by Douglas A. Praw, February 2006

Protecting Possession: Subtenants need to know their rights in the event of a sublandlord's bankruptcy, Commercial Investment Real Estate, July/August 2004