Hunton & Williams Announces Expansion of National Real Estate Capital Markets Practice

Hunton & Williams LLP continues its national expansion with the arrival of Robert K. Smith as a partner with the real estate capital markets practice. Smith focuses his practice on REITs, with a focus on the mortgage REIT space that includes representing some of the leading publicly traded mortgage REITs on securities offerings and corporate and securities law reporting matters. Smith also advises other companies on a broad range of capital markets activities. He is resident in the firm’s Washington office.

“Rob’s practice experience and client base are a perfect fit for our nationally recognized REIT, mortgage finance and securitization practices. We are delighted that he has joined us,” says David C. Wright, head of the firm’s real estate capital markets practice.

Wright continues: “The addition of Rob and the recent internal promotions of our longtime real estate capital markets team colleagues Kendal Sibley and Allison Stelter in the tax area and Mark Wickersham and Jim Davidson in the securities area, position us well to take advantage of numerous opportunities and continue to expand the firm’s industry focus on the dynamic real estate and real estate finance industries.”

Hunton & Williams’ real estate and finance lawyers take an integrated multidisciplinary team approach to clients’ needs, drawing from nearly 350 lawyers from our corporate, real estate, capital markets, finance, tax and other practices.

Smith adds: “I was drawn to Hunton’s mortgage REIT platform, in particular the firm’s multitalented real estate capital markets team and the broad support offered to mortgage REIT clients by its tax, 40 Act, structured finance and mortgage finance practices. Hunton also provides an excellent corporate securities platform to service companies outside the REIT space.” Smith received an undergraduate degree from St. Bonaventure University and law degree from SUNY Buffalo Law School.

Hunton & Williams has extensive experience in taking real estate companies public, both as REITs and as C corporations, and in subsequent capital markets financing transactions. We have handled more than 140 IPOs and Rule 144A equity offerings, and more than 1,000 capital markets transactions involving more than 200 REITs and other real estate companies. In the course of those and other engagements, we work regularly with leading investment banking firms, accounting firms and other professionals active in the real estate finance industry.