Audrey A. Ellis
Partner
305-350-2368
aellis@bilzin.com
Area of Focus:
Real Estate, CMBS
Audrey A. Ellis
Partner
305-350-2368
GET TO KNOW
AUDREY
Audrey's practice over the last two decades has been focused on the CMBS loan industry with an emphasis on representing CMBS loan servicers in all aspects of CMBS loan servicing, including assisting our clients with servicing practices, procedures, and standards and business and legal issues involving pooling and servicing agreements, mezzanine loans, preferred equity, intercreditor and co-lender agreements, REMIC and rating agency reviews.
Audrey has also handled thousands of loan servicing files involving loan assumptions, consents to non-permitted equity transfers, partial releases, easements, collateral swaps and redevelopment, cash management, condemnations, loan modifications, deeds in lieu of foreclosure and other loan workouts.
Audrey has also handled thousands of loan servicing files involving loan assumptions, consents to non-permitted equity transfers, partial releases, easements, collateral swaps and redevelopment, cash management, condemnations, loan modifications, deeds in lieu of foreclosure and other loan workouts.
Q & A
How has your legal experience been valuable to your clients?
I have spent most of my legal career working in the CMBS servicing space and, therefore, I do and can share my expertise in this area with existing and new clients. My expertise in this area and the long term relationships with industry participants that I have developed can help expedite the post securitization servicing process.
How have you used your knowledge and experience to advance the industry?
As creator and chair of a Task Force of the Servicer's Forum of the Commercial Real Estate Finance Council ("CREFC"), the largest CMBS loan industry group, I have used my knowledge and experience to lead a group of servicers and their counsel to develop standardized underwriting and legal checklists for loan assumptions which has just been adopted by CREFC as one of their best practices, with the goal being to streamline the post-securitization servicing process. We intend to continue our work to establish best practices for other post securitization borrower consent requests.
I have also been very involved with educating and training attorneys, clients and other industry participants by moderating two CREFC After-Work Seminars and conducting numerous in-firm and client training seminars.
I have also been very involved with educating and training attorneys, clients and other industry participants by moderating two CREFC After-Work Seminars and conducting numerous in-firm and client training seminars.
What accomplishments at Bilzin Sumberg are you most proud of?
I am most proud of the growth of our CMBS and Real Estate Capital Markets Group and the high quality services that we provide to our clients. This has been, in part, due to my focus in the CMBS space and to my ability to train new and experienced attorneys and clients in CMBS best practices, procedures and efficiencies.
EXPERIENCE
Representation of special servicers in connection with borrower requests for lender consent to various matters involving billions of dollars of performing CMBS loans including loan assumptions, equity transfers, loan modifications, forward and reverse 1031 exchanges, post-securitization mezzanine lo...
Represented specials servicers in connection with loan workouts, restructurings, deeds in lieu of foreclosure, loan modifications, COVID relief, forbearance, discounted payoff and short sale agreements for hundreds of millions of dollars worth of non-performing loans.
Assisted three different servicers in analyzing issues involving lender consent to approximately a dozensolar power leases and power purchase agreements involving the installation and construction of solar power facilities and the placement of solar panels on rooftops and parking canopies at the pro...
Representation of special servicer in connection with its consent to the borrower's sale of the property securing and the assumption of a $270 million loan. The $453 million purchase price for the property securing the loan was funded by a combination of the $270 million loan assumption, a $135 mill...
Representation of special servicer in connection with its consent to the borrower's sale of the property securing and the assumption of a $580 million loan evidenced by 6 pari-passu notes . The $1.2B purchase price for the property was funded by the $580 million loan assumption and cash provided by ...
Representation of CMBS servicer in evaluating, structuring, and consenting to a $18 million preferred equity investment in indirect owner of a CMBS borrower under a $92 million loan facility secured by a major urban redevelopment project in Cleveland, Ohio.
INSIGHTS
As solar panel rooftop leases gain traction in commercial real estate markets, both landlords and lenders must navigate critical due diligence, lease structuring, and financing risks. Understanding these legal touchpoints is essential to protect long-term property values and avoid costly complicatio...
Audrey Ellis participates as a panelist for CMBS 201: Complex Loan Structures and Subordinate Debt, a two part webinar series hosted by CRE Finance Council.
Audrey Ellis presented a webinar titled Who's in Control of the Borrower - Analyst Training.
Audrey A. Ellis moderates a panel at the CRE Finance Council After-Work Seminar Series. The discussioncovers the different types of cash management structures, eligible institutions, trigger and trigger cure events, and tenant and credit card direction letters, among other topics.
Audrey A. Ellis moderates this CRE Finance Council After-Work Seminar Series in Miami, Florida.
Audrey A. Ellis speaks at the CRE Finance Council Annual Conference 2015 in New York, New York.
CREDENTIALS
-
University of Miami, J.D., cum laude, editorial board of the University of Miami Law Review, 1985University of Florida, B.S., with high honors, 1981
-
American Bar AssociationReal Property, Probate & Trust Law SectionCRE Finance Council (CREFC)Chair, Performing Loan Borrower Consents Standardization Working Group of Servicer Forum
Education Committee, Member, 2021 - 2023Dade County Bar AssociationThe Florida BarReal Property, Probate & Trust Law Section
-
Florida
-
Florida Trends Legal Elite, 2011- present
Florida Super Lawyers, 2006 - 2008, 2013 - 2014
AV Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
Sending an email will not establish an attorney-client relationship. You should not send us any information that you want treated confidentially. By clicking "I Accept," you acknowledge that we may review and use any information you transmit to us.
PRACTICES