Fried Frank Hires Former Managing Director at Natixis

NEW YORK CITY— Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP has hired Andrew B. Levine as senior counsel in the real estate department, based in New York City. Levine comes from the French bank Natixis where he worked as a managing director and the head of portfolio lending & underwriting.

The law firm notes he has extensive experience as both a senior banking executive and an attorney in commercial real estate finance, acquisitions, asset management, and restructurings across the risk spectrum, credit cycles and asset classes. 

At Fried Frank, Levine will advise clients on commercial real estate finance transactions, including loan structuring, capital markets, multi-tiered senior/sub structures, and workouts and restructurings, with particular expertise in complex structured financings and construction loans. At Natixis, Levine was a long-standing member of the real estate executive committee, where he had a key role in the strategic development, originations, execution, and management of the bank’s real estate finance activities in the Americas. Prior to his position at the bank, Levine was a real estate partner at the law firm, Katsky Korins LLP.

During the last year, Fried Frank’s real estate deals have included representing Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc. in its $1.8 billion financing for Tishman Speyer’s constructing the Spiral, a 2.8 million square-foot office building located in Hudson Yards. The firm also represented the Children’s Investment Fund in its $290 million construction financing for developing the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences in New Orleans. The 33-story tower once known as the World Trade Center New Orleans was designed by Edward Durell Stone and originally built in 1967.

“Andy’s blend of client-side experience and executive-level insight will provide us with an in-depth level of understanding of our clients’ most complex needs,” says Jonathan L. Mechanic, chair of Fried Frank’s real estate department.

Levine says he chose the firm for the strength of its real estate group and it growing, highly respected finance practice. He also highlights the client-side experience that he’ll bring to the firm. Levine notes Fried Frank offered a flexible work schedule that will allow him to pursue outside business opportunities that would not conflict with his responsibilities at the firm.

Levine received his JD from New York University School of Law, where he was on the editorial staff of the Journal of International Law and Politics. He received a BA with distinction, from Binghamton University, where graduated Phi Beta Kappa.

The addition of Levine follows the firm’s recruiting real estate partner Stuart A. Barr and tax partner Cameron N. Cosby, who both focus on REIT work, and tax partner Libin Zhang who will also concentrate on real estate-related tax transactions. In addition, in recent months, Fried Frank announced the promotions of real estate partners Suzanne deVries Decker and Cyril Touchard and real estate special counsel Kabaye Liku and Wesley O’Brien.