Belinda G. Schwartz is the chair of Herrick's 50-member Real Estate Department, one of the largest in New York City.
A Herrick partner since 1997, Belinda advises major corporations, developers, institutional funds, lenders and some of the nation's largest family-owned real estate organizations in sophisticated commercial real estate transactions.
Belinda focuses her practice on several areas including sales, acquisitions and ground leases of multifamily, office, hotel and retail properties across the U.S. She maintains an active real estate finance practice, negotiating and closing acquisition, bridge, construction and mezzanine loans. Belinda also advises clients in distressed debt acquisitions, workouts and UCC and judicial foreclosures, with a particular focus on crafting "loan-to own" strategies to acquire the underlying real estate.
A skilled negotiator and creative problem solver, Belinda also advises developers, owners and investors in complex real estate joint ventures, joint venture exit strategies and business divorce matters.
Belinda has twice been named a "Woman of Influence" by Real Estate Forum. In 2007, her matter involving one of the most complex land swaps in the history of Manhattan – one which led to the creation of the largest new synagogue in Manhattan since 1927 – was awarded REBNY's Most Ingenious Deal of the Year award. Belinda has also been recognized as a top commercial real estate practitioner by Thomson Reuters' Super Lawyers.
Belinda is a co-founder of the Real Women of Real Estate, a Herrick sponsored forum for senior women in real estate to create strategic relationships and further their mutual business goals. Belinda is also an active member of the real estate committees of several not-for-profit organizations, and volunteers with an Upper West Side charity that provides food to those in need.
Prior to joining Herrick, Belinda was a partner at Wien & Malkin LLP. Before that she spent almost a decade at the law firm Cole & Dietz (now Winston & Strawn), where she represented a wide range of lenders in commercial real estate financings.
