Eversheds Sutherland announced that John J. Busillo, a 30-year real estate veteran, has joined the New York office as a partner in the Real Estate Practice group. Busillo joins Eversheds Sutherland from Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer.
“John is a well-respected figure in the real estate finance community whose background will greatly benefit the practice as it looks to expand its global footprint and deepen its bench,” said Mark D. Wasserman, Co-CEO of Eversheds Sutherland. “As we continue to grow our Real Estate practice, our clients in New York and around the globe will be well served by John’s experience.”
Busillo concentrates his practice on commercial real estate finance and the workout and disposition of distressed real estate. He advises major financial institutions, commercial and investment banks, insurance companies, public sector entities, real estate investment trusts and real estate developers in numerous sophisticated transactions. These transactions involve office buildings, regional shopping centers, hotels, resorts, multi-family residential complexes, mixed-use projects, healthcare-related projects, single-tenant retail sites, warehouse and industrial sites and commercial and residential condominium and cooperative projects.
“Given John’s three decades of experience and his keen understanding of real estate in New York and beyond, his arrival is another key step in the growth and diversification of our US Real Estate practice,” said Victor P. Haley, co-head of Global Real Estate and Planning. “John’s finance work complements Eversheds Sutherland’s real estate capabilities, and his reputation and network in the loan origination space strengthens our real estate brand. His arrival also advances our goal of deepening our New York presence by expanding our institutional lender capabilities alongside our growing real estate equity practice.”
Added Busillo: “Joining Eversheds Sutherland is a unique opportunity to help build a leading full-serve Real Estate practice. Expanding that practice in New York while tapping Eversheds Sutherland’s vast global footprint advising foreign lenders and real estate equity investors looking to source deals in the US was extremely compelling – as were the people here, the strong cultural fit and the vision for the future.”
Busillo has also developed strong relationships with many life insurance company lenders, which will provide synergies with Eversheds Sutherland’s robust insurance practice in New York.
Following Busillo’s arrival, John W. Benson, an Eversheds Sutherland real estate partner who previously divided his time between the legal practices in the Atlanta and New York offices, is relocating his real estate structured finance practice full time to New York.
With more than 400 attorneys dedicated to real estate globally, the Eversheds Sutherland Real Estate group has developed a comprehensive understanding of the market, the economics of our clients’ industries and the legal issues that affect them.