Practice Focus

Amy Rifkind practices in the area of commercial real estate, with a particular focus on large-scale leasing, public-private partnerships, and real estate development. She has experience in all aspects of commercial real estate transactions including construction, term loan, mezzanine, and securitized debt financings. Her work includes counseling clients regarding debt and equity restructurings. She also regularly handles purchases, dispositions, ground leases, build-to-suits and joint ventures. Her clients include FORTUNE 500 companies, nonprofit organizations, large law firms, and real estate developers. Ms. Rifkind was named the 2009 Top Washington Lawyer-Real Estate by the Washington Business Journal.

Ms. Rifkind is also a member of Arnold & Porter's pro bono committee and handles many transactions for pro bono clients including several District of Columbia charter schools and charter school support groups.

After law school, Ms. Rifkind clerked for Judge Douglas P. Woodlock on the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

Representative Matters

• Represented local developer in the restructuring of ground leases and related matters in connection with the redevelopment of the Southwest Waterfront.
• Negotiated on behalf of a developer a joint development agreement and associated ground leases with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) for the development of a 26-acre parcel in Rockville, MD in six phases
• Represented a national corporation in the sale of a 6-acre site in Washington, DC, and several other projects in Washington, DC, and elsewhere in the United States
• Represented the purchaser in the acquisition and financing of multiple sites in Reston, Virginia,and the associated approximately $140 million acquisition financing
• Represented the purchaser and developer of the 1.35 million square foot US Department of Transportation headquarters in Washington, DC, including the negotiation of a lease with the General Services Administration for the entire building and a $450 million securitized financing
• Representation of several nonprofits in the negotiation of headquarter leases, subleases, and the exercise of extension options
• Worked on the tax-deferred division of substantial real estate holdings in Arizona and California between two brothers
• Represented tenant in the master lease of a 22-acre retail mall and related financings