Alston & Bird has enhanced its Real Estate Group by adding partners Jim Kousoulas and James Litwinovich to the firm’s Los Angeles office. Jim and James help guide real estate clients through a variety of complex loan transactions and litigation management strategies, with extensive experience working with a variety of lenders.
Joining from Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, both handle matters involving a diverse array of asset types, such as multifamily, office, industrial, retail, and mixed-use.
“We are thrilled to welcome this duo, whose seasoned perspectives fit perfectly with our dynamic attorneys who work on clients’ most complex and sophisticated real estate transactions,” said Carson Leonard, partner and co-chair of Alston & Bird’s Real Estate Group. “It’s exciting that their talents and experience will further strengthen and expand our capabilities on the West Coast and beyond.”
Jim counsels banks, private equity firms, private lenders, debt funds, life insurance companies, and other corporate clients on commercial lending and transactional real estate matters. He has more than 25 years of experience helping clients through a variety of complicated commercial loan transactions, including commercial mortgage-backed securities, mezzanine financings, secured and unsecured real estate and asset-based borrowing facilities, letter of credit facilities, secured and unsecured revolving lines of credit, and construction and bridge loans. His advice to clients throughout the United States often focuses on multistate transactions.
James represents institutional lenders in commercial real estate financing and a wide range of other financial services matters across the real estate and banking industries. Clients around the country seek his assistance with acquisition and development loans, construction and bridge loans, permanent financing, mezzanine and other subordinate financing, and other complex real estate financing transactions.
Situated at the intersection of capital markets and real property, Alston & Bird’s Real Estate Group advises leading investors, banks, servicers, advisors, developers, and funds on deals from conception to completion. With attorneys located across the United States and in the United Kingdom, the interdisciplinary team encompasses a sophisticated equity and development practice integrated with cutting-edge debt, fund formation, and capital markets teams. These real estate attorneys also coordinate closely with the firm’s structured finance, litigation, and tax attorneys to deliver the resources needed to navigate a broad range of transactions for clients.