2021 Leaders in Law Finalists: Real Estate
Meghan Cocci
Partner, Global Co-Chair of the Hospitality, Gaming & Leisure Industry Group
Latham & Watkins
Meghan Cocci stands out among the top LA real estate attorneys for her successful leadership of Latham & Watkins’ Global Hospitality, Gaming & Leisure Industry Group at a time that was extremely turbulent for the industry. Within a few weeks of joining the firm in January 2020 as deputy chairwoman of the group, almost all customer projects were closed due to the pandemic. Cocci quickly shifted from negotiating high profile transactions and introducing Latham colleagues to a global effort to stabilize and protect hospitality customers from the ravages of COVID-19.
Owners, investors, and operators of many of the world’s finest properties turned to Cocci and her colleagues in Latham to help resolve urgent financial restructuring, operational public health issues, implementing and enforcing new guest and event policies, and countless employment matters. Cocci escorted its customers through the storm to a successful landing, many of whom are now recovering solidly.
Salvador LaViña
Partner / Chairman of the Real Estate Department
Barnes & Thornburg LLP
Salvador LaViña was named chairman of Barnes & Thornburg’s real estate division at the beginning of the 2021 calendar year – making him the first black and Latinx head of a large division in the company’s 40-year history, with over 700 lawyers in 20 offices across the United States .
The perfect deal attorney, LaViña has monitored or closed over $ 13 billion in transactions worth billions of dollars across multiple states and since the economic downturn in 2008. He advises clients on virtually all areas of the real estate industry, including real estate real estate investment and private equity, joint ventures, multi-family transactions, 1031 complex exchanges, opportunity zone, development, public-private and multi-state affairs. In the corporate sector, he focuses on private equity, fund formation, syndication, private placements, mergers and acquisitions in the mid-market segment, as well as equity and asset transactions.
Casey Sobhani
Partner, Head of Leasing (USA)
FOR Piper
Casey Sobhani is a preeminent leasing attorney known in Los Angeles for his strong community ties. He is directly responsible for managing and handling the legal work for millions of square feet of commercial, industrial and retail space across the country. At the local level, his work spans many of the most iconic and iconic buildings in Los Angeles, from downtown to Century City, from Santa Monica to Glendale and beyond.
Sobhani is a first-generation Iranian-American American who grew up in rural Pennsylvania before establishing his professional roots in Los Angeles, where he has remained throughout his 22-year career. When DLA Piper decided to expand its Los Angeles presence in 2017, Sobhani played a key role in firmly establishing Los Angeles as the hub for the company’s extensive leasing practice. Although Sobhani is now practiced nationally, its highest volume of transactions still flows through the Los Angeles area.
Tyson Sohagi
partner
The Sohagi Law Group PLC
Tyson Sohagi’s practice focuses on environmental law, land use and planning law, the Coastal Act, California Environmental Quality Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Public Trust Doctrine, and the right to vote. Sohagi earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley, which helps SLG review problems with complex legal and technical issues. He advises public clients on complex matters such as infrastructure projects (long-distance lines, port facilities, airport facilities, intermodal and dock railway systems, supply systems), local transport fees, general and individual plans, concrete development proposals and other land use issues.
Many of Sohagi’s projects involved intricate issues related to historical resources, water supply, seawater intrusion, groundwater, water quality, rainwater, sewage, cultural resources, air quality, greenhouse gases, hazardous substances, noise, and geology. Sohagi also has extensive experience in transportation analysis.
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