Description
Contributors
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Audrey Ellis, Practice Group Leader, CMBS and Real Estate Capital Markets, Bilzin Sumberg
Audrey A. Ellis has been a leader, co-leader and member of the Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities (CMBS) Group of the Real Estate Department at Bilzin Sumberg since the early 1990s. Ms. Ellis has had extensive experience with CMBS securitizations and capital market transactions, with an emphasis on post-securitization servicing issues involving performing and non-performing loans. Her representation of servicers has involved assisting with servicing practices, procedures and standards and business and legal issues regarding pooling and servicing agreements, REMIC issues and post-securitization lender consent issues. These issues include loan assumptions, borrower restructurings and mergers or other equity transfers, preferred equity, intercreditor and co-lender agreements, partial releases, condemnations, easements, SNDAs, material alterations, cash management, rating agency confirmations, deeds in lieu of foreclosure, and loan modifications and work-outs.
Bilzin Sumberg's CMBS Team represents some of the largest special servicers of CMBS loans in the country. Her practice has also includes, with the rest of Bilzin's Real Estate Department, the general representation of developers, purchasers, sellers, investors, borrowers and lenders, in all types of complex commercial real estate loan and other transactions. -
Chaim Gottesman, Vice President, Moody's Investors Service, Inc
Chaim Gottesman is a Vice President within the CMBS & CRE CLO team and part of the Structured Finance Group at Moody’s Investors Service. He is a senior member of the CRE Legal Review team, helping Moody’s develop its policy for legal issues in CRE/CMBS.
Prior to joining Moody’s in 2015, Chaim practiced law at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP and other major law firms, primarily representing issuers, underwriters and mortgage loan sellers in commercial real estate securitization transactions. Chaim also previously worked in the legal department of CWCapital, a leading commercial real estate finance, investment management and servicing organization.
Chaim is a graduate of Yeshiva College, New York University School of Law (JD) and University of Illinois Chicago School of Law (LLM in Real Estate Law). He is a member of the CREFC Education Committee. -
George Kaleh, Director, Bank of America
George Kaleh is Head of Underwriting for the Real Estate Structured Finance Group at Bank of America where he is responsible for managing underwriting and credit diligence across the group’s capital markets businesses. Mr. Kaleh joined Bank of America in 2018 and has held roles focusing on CMBS pricing, execution, and subordinate debt distribution. Before joining Bank of America, George oversaw execution of large loan and SASB transactions at Citi from 2013 after beginning his career in the CMBS group at Fitch Ratings. Mr. Kaleh earned an MBA from St. John’s University in Queens, NY and was a recipient of CREFC’s 20 Under 40 recognition in 2022.
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John Waldeck, Vice President, Head of Real Estate Portfolio Strategy, Pacific Life Investments
Mr. Waldeck began his career at Pacific Life in 1997 as a Network Support Analyst in the Real Estate Division, following four years of experience as a computer systems consultant. In 1998, he joined the Real Estate Division’s mortgage loan production group as an Underwriting Analyst. In 2005, he was promoted to Director and was promoted to Assistant Vice President, Real Estate Underwriting in 2006. In March 2008, Mr. Waldeck was named Vice President, Real Estate Underwriting & Construction Services. In January 2013, Mr. Waldeck was named Vice President, Commercial Mortgage Investments. In 2017, Mr. Waldeck was named Vice President, Commercial Mortgage Portfolio.
In September 2021, Mr. Waldeck was named the Head of Real Estate Portfolio Strategy. In this role, he provides direction and support to the underwriting, analysis, structuring and closing processes for commercial real estate debt investments. In addition, Mr. Waldeck is responsible for participation programs, third party sourced investments, and real estate CTL investments. Mr. Waldeck has oversight for the training and development program for new investment associates. Mr. Waldeck is responsible for the division’s documentation, implementation, and maintenance of commercial mortgage underwriting guidelines. Mr. Waldeck also oversees the management and servicing of Pacific Life's commercial mortgage general account assets. -
Michael Zampetti, Senior Managing Director, Greystone
With almost 25 years of progressive CRE lending experience, Michael is responsible for billions of dollars of loans across all major property types and various debt capital sources including balance sheet and capital markets executions. His experience covers the lending process from cradle to grave, including new business development, structuring, underwriting, asset management, workouts, and NPL/REO dispositions.