Schiff Hardin Appoints New National RE Group Head

NEW YORK CITY—Schiff Hardin has appointed Christine McGuinness as the leader of the firm's national real estate group. She is located in Schiff Hardin's office here.

“We are proud to have someone with Christine's exceptional talent and experience as a leader in our firm as we grow our real estate practice,” said Marci Eisenstein, managing partner of Schiff Hardin. McGuineness is one of several women in senior roles at Schiff Hardin. The firm has recently been recognized as Vault's 2015 “Best Law Firms for Diversity,” ranking #1 in the nation for diversity for women, #2 in the nation for diversity for minorities, and #5 in the nation for overall diversity.

McGuinness has more than 25 years of experience as a skilled corporate finance and real estate lawyer. McGuinness represents real estate developers and lenders in all capacities of commercial real estate, as well as individuals and corporations with regard to leasing, financing, and the acquisition of corporate jets and fractional aircraft interests.

“I am looking forward to leading the firm's expanded real estate group, representing clients in all aspects of real estate with a dedicated and knowledgeable team and in conjunction with the firm's recently expanded construction practice group,” said McGuinness. The announcement of her new role follows the firm's recent acquisition of the New York-based Mazur Carp & Rubin practice.

Recently McGuinness completed an 18-month transaction with a REIT involving 30 assets across three different states. The transaction resulted in the client's ability to access current distributions from the partnership and convert the interest to shares, allowing the client to liquidate properties in a cost-effective manner.

Schiff Hardin is a general practice law firm representing clients around the world, with offices located in Ann Arbor, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Lake Forest, New York, San Francisco, and Washington, DC.