Samuel M. Walker

Samuel Walker maintains a national practice in the area of real estate. His clients include private equity funds, public companies, real estate investment funds, financial institutions, developers, and landlords and tenants. Mr. Walker counsels clients in the following areas:

· sales, acquisitions, and development

· financing

· equity investments and joint ventures

· commercial leasing

· workouts and restructuring

Mr. Walker also has extensive experience in advising tenants in national and regional retail leasing roll-out programs.

Mr. Walker is a frequent lecturer and author on topics of interest in the real estate industry, including most recently on work-outs and restructuring.

Representative Matters

· A New York based REIT in a $124 million acquisition of 32 office/flex properties totaling 1.4 million square feet in Lehigh Valley, PA.

· A major New York based pension adviser in all financings and work-outs.

· A private equity company in the acquisition of a South Florida office tower.

· National fitness operator in its retail transactions throughout the US.

· National fast casual restaurant in its NYC retail expansion.

· Affordable housing developer in acquisitions and note purchases.

· A public REIT in ongoing acquisitions and financings.

· A major financial services provider in the acquisition of a CT office building.

· A special servicer in the work-out and restructuring of a loan secured by a New York office building.

· A borrower in the simultaneous work-out and restructuring of a $275 million CMBS senior loan and a $35 million mezzanine loan secured by a portfolio of office buildings.

· A joint venture consisting of a New York based real estate company, a New York based real estate fund and a major Canadian REIT in a $181.5 million financing of a major midtown New York City office building.

Community Service & Affiliations

Mr. Walker is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers and a member of the editorial board of the International Council of Shopping Centers Retail Law Strategist. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of Temple Israel in Westport, CT where he is the Chair of the Early Childhood Center Committee.

Events

REAL ESTATE FINANCE CONFERENCE
[Event]
Blank Rome LLP
The Chrysler Building
405 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY
October 20, 2011
Andrew B. Eckstein, Michael J. Feinman, Joseph T. Gulant, Carol M. Joseph, Martin Luskin and Samuel M. Walker

TRENDS IN THE SUBORDINATED REAL ESTATE FINANCE MARKET
[Event]
10th Annual IMN Forum on Real Estate Mezzanine Lending & Distressed Debt
The Roosevelt Hotel, New York
November 30-December 1, 2010
Michael J. Feinman and Samuel M. Walker

MANAGING DISTRESSED REAL ESTATE ASSETS THROUGH DEBT WORKOUTS AND RESTRUCTURINGS
[Event]
Webinar
September 29, 2010
Joseph T. Gulant and Samuel M. Walker

MARTY LUSKIN AND SAM WALKER SPEAK AT WEBINAR ON LOAN DEFAULTS & MORTGAGES
[Event]
ExecSense Webinar
April 6, 2010
Martin Luskin and Samuel M. Walker

WORK-OUTS: HOW TO EFFECTIVELY NEGOTIATE WITH LANDLORDS IN THE CURRENT ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT
[Event]
February 25, 2009
Samuel M. Walker

Publications

CMBS 2.0 UPDATE: THE EXPANDED "NON-INTERFERENCE" CARVE-OUT
[Alert]
Real Estate Update
August 2011 No. 4
Samuel M. Walker

"BAD BOY" GUARANTIES AND PROTECTING YOURSELF FROM ACTS OF OTHERS
[Article]
The Real Estate Finance Journal (Volume 26)
Spring 2011
Samuel M. Walker and David Brier

COMMERCIAL SUBLEASES: COPING WITH THE SUBORDINATION RISK
[Alert]
Real Estate Update
July 2010 (No. 4)
Samuel M. Walker and Corey Tarzik

"BAD BOY" GUARANTIES AND PROTECTING YOURSELF FROM ACTS OF OTHERS
[Alert]
Real Estate Update
July 2010 (No. 4)
Samuel M. Walker and David Brier

NEGOTIATING WITH COMMERCIAL LENDERS IN TURBULENT ECONOMIC TIMES
[Alert]
Real Estate Update
October 2009 (No. 3)
Samuel M. Walker

SAMUEL WALKER ARTICLE FEATURED IN REAL ESTATE WEEKLY
[Article]
Real Estate Weekly
July 22, 2009
Samuel M. Walker

LOAN DOCUMENTS: LATE CHARGES ON BALLOON PAYMENTS
[Article]
California Real Estate Journal
March 23, 2009
Samuel M. Walker

TRUMP V. DEUTSCHE BANK: DOES THE CREDIT CRISIS CONSTITUTE A FORCE MAJEURE EVENT?
[Alert]
Real Estate Update
March 2009 (No. 1)
Pelayo Coll, Stuart D. Kaplan, Martin Luskin, Philip R. Rosenfeldt and Samuel M. Walker

LOAN DOCUMENTS: LATE CHARGES ON BALLOON PAYMENTS
[Alert]
Real Estate Update
March 2009 (No. 1)
Pelayo Coll, Stuart D. Kaplan, Martin Luskin, Philip R. Rosenfeldt and Samuel M. Walker

HOW SECURE IS YOUR SECURITY DEPOSIT? CERTAIN STANDBY LETTERS OF CREDIT MAY NO LONGER BE HONORED BY THE FDIC
[Alert]
Real Estate Update
March 2009 (No. 1)
Pelayo Coll, Stuart D. Kaplan, Martin Luskin, Philip R. Rosenfeldt and Samuel M. Walker

GREEN BUILDING CERTIFICATION - 2009 REVISIONS TO THE LEED CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
[Alert]
Real Estate Update
March 2009 (No. 1)
Pelayo Coll, Stuart D. Kaplan, Martin Luskin, Philip R. Rosenfeldt and Samuel M. Walker

GOOD GUY GUARANTIES: LANDLORD-TENANT PERSPECTIVES IN TOUGH TIMES
[Article]
Real Estate Weekly
March 4, 2009
Samuel M. Walker

CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM IN THE 105TH CONGRESS; FAILURE TO ADDRESS SELF-FINANCED CANDIDATES
[Article]
Hofstra Law Review
Fall 1998
Samuel M. Walker

News

BLANK ROME ELECTS 13 NEW PARTNERS TO THE FIRM
[Press Release]
January 1, 2008
Sheila E. Branyan, Michael C. Graziano, Daniel J. Ivler, C. Vincent Leon-Guerrero, Stephen P. McSweeney, David M. Perry, et al.

Cases and Deals

BLANK ROME CLOSES SIGNIFICANT TRANSACTION FOR DRA ADVISORS
[Deal]
December 2, 2009
Martin Luskin, Samuel M. Walker, Samantha Wallack, Emanuel J. Adler, David Brier, Joseph T. Gulant, et al.
DRA Advisors in redeeming the interest of Colonial Properties, a publicly traded REIT, from an existing joint venture and simultaneously conveying to Colonial a class-A office property located in Atlanta.

BLANK ROME HANDLES RETAIL PORTFOLIO SALE TO KIMCO REALTY
[Deal]
November 6, 2009
Martin Luskin, Samantha Wallack, Samuel M. Walker, Emanuel J. Adler, Joseph T. Gulant, Daniel J. Ivler, et al.
DRA Advisors LLC in the sale of its 85% interest in PL Retail LLC to Kimco Realty Corporation, a publicly-traded REIT.

NWJ APARTMENT HOLDINGS, INC. MAKES MERGER AGREEMENT WITH WILSHIRE ENTERPRISE, INC.
[Deal]
June 13, 2008
Pamela E. Flaherty and Samuel M. Walker
NWJ Apartment Holdings, Inc., in a merger agreement with Wilshire Enterprises, Inc., for $55 million.

DRA ADVISORS PURCHASES APARTMENT PORTFOLIO FOR $1.7 BILLION
[Deal]
March 3, 2008
Martin Luskin, Joseph T. Gulant, Daniel J. Ivler, C. Vincent Leon-Guerrero, Samuel M. Walker, Dayna C. Finkelstein, et al.
DRA Advisors in its joint venture purchase of 86 apartment communities from UDR, Inc., for $1.7 billion.

DRA ADVISORS ACQUIRES 29 PROPERTIES FOR $245 MILLION
[Deal]
December 20, 2007
Martin Luskin, G. Craig Lord, Pelayo Coll, Barry Friedman, Samuel M. Walker, David M. Kuchinos, et al.
DRA Advisors LLC in its joint venture acquisition with Brandywine Realty Trust of 29 properties valued at $245 million.

DRA ADVISORS PURCHASES PROPERTIES FOR $571 MILLION
[Deal]
September 4, 2007
Martin Luskin, Samuel M. Walker, Samantha Wallack and Robyn Neff
DRA Advisors in the purchase of 27 properties, located throughout North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia, from Steven D. Bell & Co., for $571 million.

$1.1 BILLION SHOPPING CENTER ACQUISITION
[Deal]
December 20, 2004
Emanuel J. Adler, Thomas E. Biron, Harris N. Cogan, Joseph T. Gulant, Daniel J. Ivler, G. Craig Lord, et al.
An investments fund's merger with a publicly-traded REIT with 35 shopping centers valued above $1 billion, with financing of more than $500 million.

Recognition

REAL ESTATE ALERT RECOGNIZES BLANK ROME'S REAL ESTATE PRACTICE
[Ranking]
March 11, 2010
Martin Luskin, Pelayo Coll, Steven A. Shoumer, Corey Tarzik, Joseph T. Gulant, Samantha Wallack, et al.

$1.7 BILLION DEAL RANKED LARGEST MULTIFAMILY REAL ESTATE TRANSACTION OF FIRST-HALF OF 2008
[Ranking]
August 6, 2008
Martin Luskin, Joseph T. Gulant, Daniel J. Ivler, C. Vincent Leon-Guerrero, Samuel M. Walker, Dayna C. Finkelstein, et al.