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Responsive, creative, pragmatic and cost-effective — these are the hallmarks of my approach to every client matter and to the issues that arise in the course of a matter.

Ms. Stefanowicz concentrates her practice in the areas of commercial lending and real estate finance. She provides counsel to both lenders and borrowers in real estate acquisition, construction, permanent mortgage (including CMBS) and mezzanine financings. She has significant experience in real estate workouts and debt restructuring transactions, and has represented real estate developers and investment funds in connection with the formation of joint ventures to acquire, develop, construct and manage properties.

Ms. Stefanowicz handles the structuring, negotiation and documentation of both secured and unsecured corporate and commercial loan transactions and other credit accommodations. Her work in this area includes revolving credit and term loan facilities, syndicated and participated credits, letters of credit and bankers’ acceptances, asset-based financings, liquidity facilities and tax-exempt financings. She represents lenders in the negotiation and documentation of inter-creditor agreements.

Ms. Stefanowicz also has experience in a variety of general corporate, commercial and real estate matters. She has negotiated and drafted contracts in connection with a wide range of transactions including acquisitions and divestitures, limited liability company and partnership agreements, leases, easements, and management agreements. She has counseled clients in connection with the formation, structure and licensing of cannabis and cannabis-related businesses. Ms. Stefanowicz also has extensive experience in negotiating and drafting third-party closing opinions, including as New Jersey or New York local counsel.

Honors & Awards

  • American College of Mortgage Attorneys (ACMA) Fellow; New Jersey State Chair; Designee to Working Group on Legal Opinions (WGLO); Opinions Committee (Co-Chair, 2010-2016); Branding Taskforce (Chair, 2013-2016); Strategic Planning Committee; Capital Markets Committee
  • American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL) Fellow; Attorneys' Opinions Committee (Chair, 2017-2020); Capital Markets Committee
  • American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers (ACCFL) Fellow
  • Listed in Chambers USA (a publication of Chambers and Partners) in the Banking & Finance practice area (2020 – present)
  • Listed in The Best Lawyers in America© (a trademark of Woodward/White, Inc.) in the Real Estate Law and Public Finance Law practice areas (2016 – present)
  • Selected by Best Lawyers® (a trademark of Woodward/White, Inc.) as Newark "Lawyer of the Year" in Public Finance Law (2020, 2023)
  • Listed in New Jersey Super Lawyers (a Thomson Reuters business) in the Banking and Real Estate: Business practice areas (20052006, 2008 – present); listed by Super Lawyers as one of New Jersey's Top 50 Women Lawyers (2020)
  • Listed in Who's Who Legal Thought Leaders: USA 2023 (a publication of Law Business Research Ltd.) in the area of Real Estate
  • Selected for inclusion in Who’s Who Legal – Real Estate (a publication of Law Business Research Ltd.) (2017 – present)
  • Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rated AV® Preeminent (a trademark of Internet Brands, Inc.) (2002 – present)
  • Recipient of the NAIOP NJ Chapter President’s Award (2008)

Please visit our Award Methodology page for a description of the standard or methodology on which these accolades are based. Attorney Advertising: No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

Representative Matters

  • Represented an affiliate of Mack-Cali Realty Corp., as borrower, in the negotiation, structuring, documentation and closing of a $150 million non-recourse mortgage loan from an insurance company lender to finance a 566,215 square-foot Class A office building in Hoboken, New Jersey. Read more here.
  • Represented an affiliate of Mack-Cali Realty Corp., as borrower, in the negotiation, structuring, documentation and closing of a $124.5 million non-recourse CMBS mortgage loan, to finance a portion of the purchase price of a portfolio of Class A office buildings in Short Hills, New Jersey. Read more here.
  • Served as an expert witness for the plaintiff in a legal malpractice action in Supreme Court, New York County by a loan fund against its closing counsel arising from a defaulted loan transaction.
  • Served as an expert witness for the plaintiff in a legal malpractice action in District Court, Clark County, Nevada against its counsel arising from a closing legal opinion issued in a loan transaction.
  • Represented a joint venture borrower in connection with a $42 million construction and permanent term loan from Provident Bank to finance the construction of a 219-unit multi-family rental complex project in Rahway, New Jersey.
  • Represented a private investment fund as property owner in the negotiation, structuring and documentation of deed-in-lieu of foreclosure conveyances of three separate suburban office properties to an affiliate of Third Point LLC, a distressed debt investor, as noteholder of three defaulted CMBS loans in the respective principal amounts of $60.7 million, $53.1 million, and $59.1 million.
  • Represented Agent bank in over $57.3 million syndicated (club deal) senior secured revolving credit (including letters of credit) and term loan facilities to a leading manufacturer and distributor of high-quality branded nuts, trail mixes & dried fruits.
  • Represented an affiliate of a publicly-traded REIT, as borrower, in the negotiation, structuring, documentation and closing of a $250 million non-recourse CMBS mortgage loan, secured by a 1.25 million square feet office building in Jersey City, New Jersey.
  • Represented the seller of a portfolio of 5 Class A suburban office buildings in Bergen County, New Jersey containing almost 1.1 million square feet to two separate buyers, in seller’s capacity as a purchase money mortgage lender for loans of $40,202,500 and $24,294,390, respectively.
  • Represented a New York City public charter school in connection with a construction dispute and debt restructure, including additional tax-exempt and taxable financing through Build NYC Resource Corporation.
  • Represented a major national bank in connection with a $150 million maximum principal amount unsecured revolving line of credit (including a letter of credit subfacility) to a leading retailer of electronics.
  • Represented Agent bank in a $222.5 million syndicated senior secured revolving credit facility (including letters of credit, bankers’ acceptances and swing line loans) to a multinational food importer and its affiliates.
  • Represented a property owner (joint venture between a developer and an affiliate of Fidelity Investments) in connection with a $44.7 million syndicated construction loan with Wells Fargo Bank as Agent, the proceeds of which were used to renovate and reposition a vacant suburban office building.
  • Represented the tenant, the U.S. affiliate of the manufacturer and distributor of Waterford crystal, Wedgewood china and other luxury tableware, in the negotiation of a ten-year net lease for a 278,000 square feet, single tenant industrial warehouse building in Monmouth County, New Jersey, to serve as its North American headquarters and distribution center.
  • Represented the liquidity provider under a standby bond purchase agreement with Meridian Hospitals Corporation in connection with the conversion of a $97 million tranche of New Jersey Health Care Facilities Financing Authority Revenue Bonds from auction rate to variable rate bonds.
  • Represented a property owner in the negotiation and documentation of a joint venture with GreenVest LLC, a strategic land use and environmental planning firm, to develop a wetland mitigation bank projected to produce approximately $12.5 million of marketable wetland mitigation credits.
  • Represented the property owner in extensive negotiations and documentation of a perpetual, non-exclusive easement for underground electric transmission lines in favor of an affiliate of Competitive Power Ventures, Inc., with the objective of preserving the future development prospects of the property.
  • Represented New Jersey-based developer in the negotiation of the terms of a joint venture with an affiliate of BlackRock to acquire a commercial/industrial property in the Port Newark area; represented same developer in connection with acquisition financing of the property and ultimate sale of the property.

Uniquely NJ

  • New Jersey State Bar Association (former member); Banking Law Section Board of Directors; Business Law Section Board of Directors; Cannabis Industry Committee; Third Party Legal Opinions Committee  
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More Activities & Experience

  • Working Group on Legal Opinions Foundation; Board of Directors; Operating Committee; Affinity Groups Function Co-Head (2019-present)
  • Mentored a law school student under the auspices of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity
  • Fluent in Russian and Polish languages

Presentations & Speaking Engagements

Publications & Alerts

View Abbreviated Bio

Departments

Education

University of Virginia School of Law, J.D., 1979

New York University, B.A. summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, NYU Scholar, 1976

Bar Admissions

  • New Jersey, 1982
  • New York, 1980


- Chambers USA 2023 -
(a publication of Chambers and Partners)

Editorial Excerpt: "Commended for her commercial lending and real estate finance practice. Of particular note is her work on CMBS and mezzanine financings."



American College of Mortgage Attorneys Fellow
American College of Real Estate Lawyers

Stefanowicz, Lydia C.

Lydia C. Stefanowicz Recognized by Best Lawyers
Lydia C. Stefanowicz Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year 2023

Lydia C. Stefanowicz Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year 2020


Lydia C. Stefanowicz
Rated by Super Lawyers


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Please visit our Award Methodology page for a description of the standard or methodology on which these accolades are based. Attorney Advertising: No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.