MIAMI (April 22, 2014) – Gary Saul, Paul Berkowitz, and Iris Escarra, Shareholders in the Miami office of international law firm Greenberg Traurig, will speak at the IMN Condominium Development, Finance & Investment Forum conference in Miami on Thursday, April 24, and Friday, April 25. The event takes place April 24 – 25 at the Ritz Carlton, South Beach hotel at One Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, FL 33139.
The conference will bring together condominium brokers, financiers, developers, investors and service providers to discuss the current condominium climate. Sessions will cover an array of topics including: the broader economic landscape; opportunities in distressed real estate; new financing and funding strategies; legal, regulatory and tax issues; conversions and reversions; trends in architecture and design; and foreign investment.
Saul, a Shareholder and Co-Chair of the Miami office’s Real Estate Practice, will participate in the panel on “Using Deposits to Fund Construction,” at 10 a.m. Thursday focusing on the changing dynamic of construction financing that utilizes buyers’ deposits. Speakers will discuss how this model impacts financial planning and construction timelines, how to prevent another instance of mass walk-aways if the economy falters, and the security of a buyer’s deposit if a project fails. Saul is one of the nation’s leading attorneys in the area of condominium law and focuses his law practice on condominium-related real estate law and financing.
Berkowitz, a Shareholder in the firm’s Corporate & Securities Practice, will participate in the panel on “Legal/Regulatory/Tax Issues Including Offering & Purchase Agreements” at 12:15 p.m. Thursday. Speakers will discuss liability and risk management, tax incentive programs, financing contingencies, condo hotels, lessons learned from the distressed market, right to rescind/terminate a contract and other topics relating to state and federal law. At Greenberg Traurig, Berkowitz focuses his law practice on the capital needs of the real estate sector, combining cross-border representation of clients in acquisition, disposition, and debt and equity financing transactions, including acting as an advisor to multinational enterprises in rule 144A, initial public, private and high yield debt offerings.
Escarra, a Shareholder in the firm’s Land Development Practice, will participate in the panel on “Variations on Theme – Hotel Condos, Mixed Use Projects, Low Income/Workforce Housing and Master Planned Communities” at 10:15 a.m. Friday. Speakers will discuss making the condo hotel work, funding for low income housing, greenfield development, paying for infrastructure, demand for transit-oriented developments and structuring multiple owner deals. At Greenberg Traurig, Escarra focuses her law practice on land use, zoning and procurement law, representing land owners and developers in every phase of property development and operation.