Marco P. Caffuzzi, Real Estate Attorney in New York

Marco Caffuzzi joined Skadden’s Real Estate Group in 1996. His practice includes a range of real estate matters, including acquisitions and dispositions, real estate development projects, joint ventures, leasing, securitized real estate and other types of financings and loan restructurings and workouts.

Mr. Caffuzzi’s practice includes a number of development-related representations, including:

• Silverstein Properties, Inc. in connection with (i) all aspects of the redevelopment of the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan, (ii) a joint venture for the development of properties in central and eastern Europe, (iii) the acquisition of a mixed-use development site on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and a joint venture related thereto, and (iv) a joint venture relating to the development of a Four Seasons hotel in Orlando, Florida;
• Two Trees Management in connection with (i) the donation of a vintage carousel to Brooklyn Bridge Park, (ii) the development of a stable for the NYPD Mounted Unit, (iii) the development of a middle school facility for the NYC Department of Education, (iv) the acquisition of a development site in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, from the city of New York, (v) the negotiation of certain agreements with the New York City Parks Department relating to the Domino Sugar Refinery development in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and (vi) a joint venture for the development of a hotel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn;
• Howard Hughes Corporation in connection with negotiations with the city of New York for the redevelopment of the South Street Seaport situated in lower Manhattan;
• Mercedes-Benz Manhattan, Inc. in a build-to-suit transaction for its flagship Manhattan showroom and a related 1031 Exchange;
• The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in connection with the construction of a new railroad tunnel from New Jersey to New York’s Pennsylvania Station;
• Apollo Real Estate Advisors in its investment in the Time Warner Center located at Columbus Circle in New York City;
• The Clarett Group in numerous joint ventures and development projects in New York, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles;
• Boston Properties, Inc. in connection with a major property assemblage for a development project in New York City; and
• André Balazs Properties in several boutique hotel developments in New York City.

Mr. Caffuzzi’s experience with the acquisition, disposition and leasing of commercial real estate properties includes transactions for Sony Corporation of America; Felcor Lodging Trust; Boston Properties, Inc.; Mercedes-Benz North America; The McGraw Hill Companies; Normandy Real Estate Partners; Silverstein Properties, Inc.; Brooklyn Friends School; and Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization. His most recent transactions of this nature include representing:

• Sony Corporation of America in the $1.1 billion sale of its U.S. headquarters building at 550 Madison Avenue in Manhattan to a consortium led by The Chetrit Group, LLC;
• Felcor Lodging Trust in connection with its acquisition of a landmark building in New York City for the development of a high-end hotel, the conversion of the building into a condominium ownership structure and the related construction financing;
• Boston Properties, Inc. in the sale of a 49 percent interest in Times Square Tower in New York City; and
• Mercedes-Benz North America in connection with the sale of its former showroom situated on the far West Side of Manhattan.

Other significant transactions on which Mr. Caffuzzi has worked include representingDeutsche Bank AG in connection with the restructuring of a construction loan for a condominium conversion project located in Brooklyn; Silverstein Properties, Inc. in the refinancing of the outstanding Liberty Bonds relating to 7 World Trade Center in a unique municipal bond/CMBS execution; and Wharton Properties in connection with numerous joint ventures for the acquisition of a retail properties in New York City.

Mr. Caffuzzi also has represented major lending institutions as well as borrowers in connection with securitized real estate loans, mezzanine loans, construction loans, unsecured revolving credit facilities and secondary market loan transactions, including AREA Property Partners, Deutsche Bank AG, Silverstein Properties, Inc.,Wharton Properties and The Georgetown Company.

Mr. Caffuzzi repeatedly has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America.