Mayer Brown welcomes leading real estate finance lawyer Ella-Marie Smith in Charlotte

Charlotte – Mayer Brown announced today that Ella-Marie Smith has joined the firm’s Real Estate Markets practice as a partner in Charlotte. She was previously at Dechert LLP. 

“Ella’s breadth of knowledge across the real estate finance sector, particularly in the areas of commercial mortgage-backed securitizations, comes at a pivotal time in our fast-evolving market,” said Jeffrey O’Neale, partner in Mayer Brown’s Real Estate Markets practice and a member of the firm’s Management Advisory Board. “Her experience working with various industry players – issuers, underwriters, investors, and mortgage loan contributors – to create efficiencies in the securitization structuring diligence processes, makes her an invaluable resource for our clients.”

Ella focuses her practice on commercial real estate finance including CRE securitizations and warehouse/repurchase facilities. She regularly advises a broad range of real estate investment trusts, investment banks, and other financial institutions in their roles as issuers and placement agents in managed and static CRE CLOs. Ella brings particular depth in collateral risk assessment and disclosure strategies on novel and complex asset pools.

“I’ve long admired Mayer Brown’s Real Estate Markets practice, and its well-established presence in the market,” said Ella. “I’m eager to collaborate with its exceptional lawyers in support of our clients.” 

“Ella’s impressive combination of experience in the real estate industry, collaborative approach and deep understanding of asset lifecycles align well with our practice,” said Eric Reilly, managing partner of Mayer Brown’s Charlotte office. “She will strengthen our ability to provide comprehensive counsel across all types of real estate transactions and contribute to our office’s growth.”

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