March 2, 2006 (Boca Raton, FL) - Proskauer Rose LLP, an international law firm with more than 700 lawyers in the United States and Europe, announced that Andrew S. Robins, one of the nation's leading hotel, resort and condominium lawyers, has joined the firm's Real Estate and Lodging & Gaming practice groups as a partner. Coming with Mr. Robins are Susan K. Robin and Michelle Oms, who join as senior counsel, and two associates. They will be based in the firm's Boca Raton office.
The addition of Mr. Robins' practice to Proskauer is the latest move in the continued expansion of the firm's Boca Raton office. In October, prominent estate and tax planning attorney David Pratt joined the firm as partner, along with senior counsel Elaine Bucher and a number of associates.
"We are excited to welcome Andy and his group to Proskauer and look forward to integrating their formidable practice into our international platform," said Albert Gortz, head of Proskauer's Boca Raton office. "Their addition is an important part of our ongoing strategy to continue to grow both the Boca Raton office and our overall transactional practices."
Mr. Robins has extensive experience in finance and development in the real estate and hospitality industries in the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America and is one of the nation's foremost experts in the areas of hotels, condominiums, mixed-use developments, timeshares, fractional interests, and destination clubs. He has worked with hotel operators, franchisors and developers in real estate, community development, and complex resort and mixed-use development matters, helping them to maintain brand standards, balance and reconcile the interests of multiple stakeholders, and comply with applicable securities laws. He has represented InterContinental, Hyatt, Hilton, Sonesta, Rosewood, Wyndham, Carlson, Kimpton, Morgans Hotel Group, Donald Trump, RAL, AIG, WCI Communities, The Blackstone Group and The Patrinely Group.
"Andy's practice brings a number of synergies to our growing Lodging & Gaming and Real Estate groups, giving us an even wider and deeper footprint in the North and Latin American markets," said Jeffrey A. Horwitz, co-head of Proskauer's Lodging & Gaming Practice Group. "Working with our U.S. and international attorneys, his transactional, finance, development and operational experience will further enhance the firm's capabilities in the residential and commercial real estate sectors as well as our overall corporate work."
Prior to joining Proskauer Rose, Mr. Robins was a partner at Gunster, Yoakley & Stewart, P.A. in Fort Lauderdale, where he chaired the firm's Real Estate Department and its Leisure and Resorts Group. His prior experience includes work in the office of the General Counsel of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development of the City of New York. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute and a founding member of the Center for Caribbean and Latin American Development. A graduate of the State University of New York at Binghamton, Mr. Robins earned a law degree from Syracuse University School of Law.
Ms. Robin practices in the areas of real estate, hotel and resort law and commercial leasing. She is a graduate of the University of Miami School of Law and the University of Colorado. Both were formerly at Gunster, Yoakley & Stewart. Ms. Oms practices in the areas of hotel, resort and mixed-use development, residential and hotel ownership, and hotel operations. She is a graduate of American University, Washington College of Law, and the University of Miami, where she received a Master's of Law Degree in Real Property Development, and Catholic University of America.
Proskauer's Boca Raton office brings clients the in-depth resources of an international law firm combined with the Florida market experience and efficiencies of a locally-based firm. Proskauer's Boca Raton office and its over 30 attorneys work in a range of practices - personal planning, corporate and securities, labor & employment, litigation, aviation, healthcare, real estate, hospitality, employee benefits and executive compensation - that are integrated into the firm's national and international practices.
The firm's Lodging & Gaming Practice Group involves Proskauer's corporate, real estate, labor, litigation and dispute resolution, environmental, employee benefits, tax, bankruptcy and intellectual property practices. A true cross-border practice, the group's recent transactions include: Kerzner's acquisition of its property in The Maldives; work for Swiss?tels in Quito and Lima; mixed-use developments in Kiev and Tokyo; advising Macquarie, an Australian bank, on issues relating to a gaming facility in Cambodia; and acquisitions in Paris.
Proskauer's Real Estate Department advises clients in the diverse and complex legal aspects pertaining to commercial real estate including: sales and acquisitions of real property and equity and debt interests; mortgage and mezzanine loan originations and other real estate finance vehicles; credit leases, ground leases and other net leases; office and retail leases; joint ventures and equity funds; equity and debt securitizations; property development and construction; and brokerage and management arrangements. The firm's clients include property owners, developers, mortgage and mezzanine lenders, debt and equity investors, tenants, brokers and managers.
The addition of Mr. Robins' practice to Proskauer is the latest move in the continued expansion of the firm's Boca Raton office. In October, prominent estate and tax planning attorney David Pratt joined the firm as partner, along with senior counsel Elaine Bucher and a number of associates.
"We are excited to welcome Andy and his group to Proskauer and look forward to integrating their formidable practice into our international platform," said Albert Gortz, head of Proskauer's Boca Raton office. "Their addition is an important part of our ongoing strategy to continue to grow both the Boca Raton office and our overall transactional practices."
Mr. Robins has extensive experience in finance and development in the real estate and hospitality industries in the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America and is one of the nation's foremost experts in the areas of hotels, condominiums, mixed-use developments, timeshares, fractional interests, and destination clubs. He has worked with hotel operators, franchisors and developers in real estate, community development, and complex resort and mixed-use development matters, helping them to maintain brand standards, balance and reconcile the interests of multiple stakeholders, and comply with applicable securities laws. He has represented InterContinental, Hyatt, Hilton, Sonesta, Rosewood, Wyndham, Carlson, Kimpton, Morgans Hotel Group, Donald Trump, RAL, AIG, WCI Communities, The Blackstone Group and The Patrinely Group.
"Andy's practice brings a number of synergies to our growing Lodging & Gaming and Real Estate groups, giving us an even wider and deeper footprint in the North and Latin American markets," said Jeffrey A. Horwitz, co-head of Proskauer's Lodging & Gaming Practice Group. "Working with our U.S. and international attorneys, his transactional, finance, development and operational experience will further enhance the firm's capabilities in the residential and commercial real estate sectors as well as our overall corporate work."
Prior to joining Proskauer Rose, Mr. Robins was a partner at Gunster, Yoakley & Stewart, P.A. in Fort Lauderdale, where he chaired the firm's Real Estate Department and its Leisure and Resorts Group. His prior experience includes work in the office of the General Counsel of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development of the City of New York. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute and a founding member of the Center for Caribbean and Latin American Development. A graduate of the State University of New York at Binghamton, Mr. Robins earned a law degree from Syracuse University School of Law.
Ms. Robin practices in the areas of real estate, hotel and resort law and commercial leasing. She is a graduate of the University of Miami School of Law and the University of Colorado. Both were formerly at Gunster, Yoakley & Stewart. Ms. Oms practices in the areas of hotel, resort and mixed-use development, residential and hotel ownership, and hotel operations. She is a graduate of American University, Washington College of Law, and the University of Miami, where she received a Master's of Law Degree in Real Property Development, and Catholic University of America.
Proskauer's Boca Raton office brings clients the in-depth resources of an international law firm combined with the Florida market experience and efficiencies of a locally-based firm. Proskauer's Boca Raton office and its over 30 attorneys work in a range of practices - personal planning, corporate and securities, labor & employment, litigation, aviation, healthcare, real estate, hospitality, employee benefits and executive compensation - that are integrated into the firm's national and international practices.
The firm's Lodging & Gaming Practice Group involves Proskauer's corporate, real estate, labor, litigation and dispute resolution, environmental, employee benefits, tax, bankruptcy and intellectual property practices. A true cross-border practice, the group's recent transactions include: Kerzner's acquisition of its property in The Maldives; work for Swiss?tels in Quito and Lima; mixed-use developments in Kiev and Tokyo; advising Macquarie, an Australian bank, on issues relating to a gaming facility in Cambodia; and acquisitions in Paris.
Proskauer's Real Estate Department advises clients in the diverse and complex legal aspects pertaining to commercial real estate including: sales and acquisitions of real property and equity and debt interests; mortgage and mezzanine loan originations and other real estate finance vehicles; credit leases, ground leases and other net leases; office and retail leases; joint ventures and equity funds; equity and debt securitizations; property development and construction; and brokerage and management arrangements. The firm's clients include property owners, developers, mortgage and mezzanine lenders, debt and equity investors, tenants, brokers and managers.