It's Not Over Yet

Yesterday, 225 of you gathered at Jenner & Block's new digs on the 45th floor of 353 N. Clark Street for our breakfast on Workouts and Restructurings. Consensus: This ride isn't over.
 

Jenner & Block's Don Resnick and Wildman Harrold's David Fischer are currently working out some assets together and also agree on a prognosis: as more cash-flowing properties start requiring workouts, borrowers will be more likely to try to resist efforts by lenders to take their assets, including resorting to bankruptcy. Don says we'll also start to see more litigation, including lender liability claims. David points out that the receiver is selected by the court and won't necessarily do the  lenders bidding, so lenders should be careful before demanding one.

 
 
UGL Equis' Ed Wlodarczyk  says today's lending problems come from a number of sources—not just CMBS lending but also mid-size commercial banks and small community banks. He thinks that insufficient capital and deteriorating real estate values won't be able to be refinanced over the next five years, resulting in more REOS. (Sounds bad, but add an "O" and you've got a delicious cookie.)

Grant Thorton's Paul Melville said that most of the work he's doing with TIC exchanges and REITs is getting very complicated, just as GGP did, because there are so many parties involved, with up to 30 different legal entities vying for their client's interests. Hilco's Ed Terry  emphasized that 55% of commercial loans were being held by banks with $5B or less in capital, so borrowers should beware of the possibility of their bank going under.

The expansive space displayed northeast, and south views of the city through floor-to-ceiling windows. Jenner & Block moved in late last year on the top floor of the  Mesirow Financia l-owned building.
Jenner & Block's Michelle McAtee and Kristen Boike showed off their space to Jupiter Realty's Michael Propizzi. Michael tells us Jupiter already has 12 tenants at its brand new apartment at 225 W. Washington, and the sales center doesn't even open till next week. The condo-quality apartments, he says, have received a lot of interest in the slow rental market. Michelle is doing workouts and restructurings (so you know she didn't wander in accidentally) and says she's never seen a time when borrowers have less power.
Frontline Real Estate Partners' Matthew Darin  and Joshua Joseph flank Pioneer Engineering and Environmental Services' Wayne Smith. The trio recently worked together on the disposition of two buildings for Lakewood Engineering at 501 N. Sacramento and 4400 W. Ohio. Wayne handled the environmental due diligence.
 
UGL Equis' Michael Pontarelli, Coldwell Banker Commercial's Edward Pohn, and Aries Capital's  Jeffrey Bucaro  here represent the three definitive lifestyle choices by our measure—coffeeOJ, or neither. Michael is working on an office building portfolio disposition, while Jeff is refinancing a $31 million industrial building. Sounds like they've already got workouts and restructurings down!

Continue reading this story with a free account

Log in or register
Sign up for more articles like this
Subscribe to Bisnow's Chicago Newsletters
Related Stories

California Investor Scoops Up Amazon Warehouse: The Chicago Deal Sheet

How Crystal Lake 'Connects The Dots' To Building Complete Community

Downtown Atlanta Improvement Group Picks Food Bank Chief As Next Leader

Trump's DEI Crackdown Is Creating New Risks For Landlords That Lease To The Government

Brandon Johnson Seeks Second Term Amid Strained CRE Relationship

Prologis Acquires 69 Acres For 1M SF Chicago-Area Industrial Development

Former CBRE Exec Suing Brokerage Giant Over Age Discrimination, Whistleblower Complaint

D.C. Investor Behind The Stacks Swaps CEO For First Time In 25 Years

First LaSalle Street Reimagined Conversion Opens In Chicago's Loop

CBRE IM Buys Net Lease REIT For $1.6B, Plans More Investment

The Difference Between Service And Hospitality That Makes A Flexible Workspace A Success

Beyond The Boom: How Miami's CRE Market Continues To Be Resilient