Skadden partner Nesa Amamoo advises clients on a wide range of matters related to real estate, real estate finance, and private equity, including US and offshore private placements, public and private REITs, joint ventures, opportunity zone funds, acquisitions and sales, construction and development projects, leasing and real estate-related capital markets, and syndicated loan transactions (and other credit facilities). She recently was named a 2022 Dealmaker of the Year by the New York Law Journal and was featured among Crain’s New York Business’ 2022 Notable Women in Law, as well as Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Dealmakers in America. Ms. Amamoo has been recognized as an Empire State Counsel Honoree by the New York State Bar Association for her pro bono advocacy. She currently serves as a member of the advisory board of the Skadden Foundation and co-chairs the Philanthropy Working Group of the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance.

Melissa Román Burch is chief operating officer for the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), where she leads real estate transactions that catalyze economic growth, and initiates investments to mobilize private capital. Through the NYCEDC’s diverse real estate portfolio––spanning 64 million square feet and 200+ properties––Melissa supervises assets that accelerate business growth in strategic sectors across life sciences, entertainment, advanced manufacturing, food distribution and manufacturing, and the green economy.

Melissa joined NYCEDC in April 2022 after two decades as a leading property executive and developer of large-scale, mixed-use projects distinguished by iconic design, environmental leadership, and innovative partnerships. Prior to NYCEDC, she served as executive general manager for Lendlease where she spearheaded real estate investment and development activities for the New York region. Melissa was previously executive vice president for Forest City Ratner and oversaw the development of Pacific Park Brooklyn, anchored by the Barclays Center and comprising new market-rate and affordable housing, office space, transportation improvements, and parks.

A committed civic leader, Melissa proudly serves as a Trustee of the Henry Street Settlement and Coro New York Leadership Center. Melissa holds degrees from Harvard College and the Harvard Business School.

Julia Butler is a managing director at KKR, where she focuses on real estate credit. Prior to joining KKR in 2017, Butler spent 13 years at iStar, a publicly-traded REIT, where she was an executive vice president responsible for sourcing, underwriting, structuring, and managing real estate opportunities across the risk spectrum, asset types, and geographies. Prior to iStar, she worked in the treasury department of The Walt Disney Company in Los Angeles, CA. Butler graduated cum laude from Harvard College. She currently sits on the board of directors of Women in Need (WIN), the largest provider of family shelter and supportive housing in New York City, and is an active member of several real estate organizations, including CREFC and the Urban Land Institute, where she serves as a leader on the Multifamily Platinum Council.

Edith Hsu-Chen is the executive director of the New York City Department of City Planning (DCP). During her tenure at DCP, Edith has focused on improving neighborhoods and modernizing New York’s most job-intensive central business districts. Among the many transformative projects Edith has managed is the rezoning for Greater East Midtown. Adopted in 2017, this project has quickly induced the development of new state-of-the-art office towers as well as  improvements to the subway station and public realm in one of the world’s premiere business districts. She started at DCP as an intern in 1997, and has held a number of positions at the agency, including Manhattan director. Edith has a Master of Urban Planning from Harvard University, and a BA in Design of the Environment from the University of Pennsylvania.

Rui-Min Chin is a principal in Blackstone’s Real Estate Group. Before joining Blackstone, Chin was a vice president in the real estate group at Partners Group, a global private markets investment manager, where she worked on a variety of real estate transactions across the United States. She began her career at Bain & Company. Chin received a BA in Economics and Management from Oxford University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

At BentallGreenOak, Mariana Circiumaru provides oversight on all projects of all asset classes throughout the United States. She works with the investment and the asset management teams advising on new deals, leases, capital improvement projects, development of new buildings, and redevelopment of existing assets. Prior to BentallGreenOak, Mariana was a project executive at RXR Realty, an assistant vice president of construction at Forest City Ratner Companies, and project manager at the Lefrak Organization. Mariana holds a Master of Civil Engineering from Bucharest University of Construction. She is certified by the US Green Building Council and by OSHA. She has 30 years of experience in the field of design, development, and construction.

Nora Creedon is an investor in private real estate within Goldman Sachs Asset Management, and also facilitates real estate capital-raising with Alternatives Capital Markets & Strategy (ACMS). She is a member of the Real Estate Investment Committee, which approves equity and credit investments globally. Previously, Nora spent more than a decade in fundamental equity, where she served as the global head of the Real Estate Investment Trust and Infrastructure Strategies. Nora first joined Goldman Sachs as an analyst in global investment research in 2000 and rejoined the firm in 2010 after working at Fidelity Investments and Fortress Investment Group. She serves as treasurer and trustee of the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club in the Bronx. Nora earned a BS in Foreign Service from Georgetown University in 2000.

Leanne Dunn is a managing director and managing counsel supporting the alternative asset investment group of State Street Global Advisors (SSGA).  She provides legal oversight for the firm’s US and global real estate investment clients, including direct property investments, co-investments, funds, and asset management activities, and advises on product development and initiatives for SSGA’s alternative assets businesses.

Leanne joined SSGA in July 2016 through its acquisition of GE Asset Management. She joined GE Asset Management in 2002 as vice president and associate general counsel. Prior to joining GE Asset Management, she spent ten years at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, and two years at Morrison & Foerster, where she represented institutional clients in a variety of real estate investment and capital markets transactions. 

Leanne earned a JD from Rutgers Law School (Newark) and a BA from Colgate University. She is a member of the New York Bar and an Authorized House Counsel (AHC) in Connecticut.

Linda Foggie, a licensed architect, is currently leveraging her 20-plus years of commercial real estate experience to serve as managing director, Global Head of Real Estate Operations for Citi Realty Services. In this capacity, Linda and her team oversee the operations of Citi’s $50 million global portfolio of occupied real estate across 90-plus countries, including delivery of all of design and construction, facilities management, critical facilities, data centers, workplace experience, and sustainability. Prior to her role with Citi, Linda served as executive vice president and head of the East USA at Turner & Townsend, as well as serving on their board of directors.

Laurie Golub is responsible for oversight of Square Mile’s ongoing business operations. Prior to joining Square Mile, “L.G.”, as Laurie is known, held leadership positions with HFZ Capital Group, Africa Israel USA, and Forest City Ratner Companies. Prior to that, she was an attorney in private practice for more than a decade, representing clients on a broad range of real estate and corporate transactions. L.G. has over 30 years of extensive experience in the industry with respect to real estate finance and capital markets, investments, development and construction, and ownership and operation of mixed-use properties. She earned a JD from the NYU School of Law and a BS from Boston University.

Kimberly D. Hardy, Esq. is the Senior Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion and Compliance at McKissack & McKissack the oldest minority/women-owned professional design and construction firm in the United States. She is an award-winning, nationally recognized subject-matter authority in the field of diversity and inclusion, having worked and lectured on diversity and inclusion issues impacting businesses and infrastructure development.

As a member of the executive team at McKissack & McKissack, Ms. Hardy is responsible for ensuring that diversity, equity, and inclusion remain business-critical priorities for The New Terminal One, a $9.5 billion redevelopment project at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)..

Ms. Hardy is well regarded for her inspirational and engaging leadership. She developed her extensive knowledge in diversity and inclusion by working with governmental entities at federal, state, and local levels, developers, contractors, financial institutions, and community groups during all construction stages to improve their diversity and inclusion metrics. Her career includes executive positions in government and the private sector that has provide her with a unique understanding of the importance of diversity and inclusion. At the New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS), Ms. Hardy successfully leveraged her role as Deputy Commissioner for Economic and Financial Opportunity to increase the rates of New York's certification of minority- and women-owned business enterprises (M/WBE).

As the Deputy Commissioner at the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), Ms. Hardy led the development of the city's goal of creating thousands of affordable housing units. During Ms. Hardy’s tenure she spearheaded retail initiatives designed to provide jobs, transform lives, and strengthen communities. She also led the agency's outreach and compliance protocols for M/WBE, prevailing wage, workforce, disaster recovery, and additional government mandates.

As a Managing Director at a leading consulting firm specializing in construction monitoring, Ms. Hardy managed compliance of M/W/DBE, labor, and workforce requirements on major infrastructure projects for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the PANYNJ.

Ms. Hardy practiced insurance and municipal finance law for several years in the New York, Newark, and London offices of one of the largest international law firms at that time. She has served on the boards of the YWCA of New York City, the New York State Advisory Board for the U.S. Commission on Human Rights, the New York City Loft Board, the United Nations Development Corporation, and the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce.

Ms. Hardy is a graduate of North Carolina Central University and Yale Law School.

Olivia John is the founder and CEO of Osso Capital, where she is responsible for the investment strategy and day-to-day management of the firm and serves as the chair of the investment committee.

Before Osso, Olivia was a managing director on the Real Estate Acquisitions team at Blackstone, where she worked in the New York and London offices from 2007 to 2020. She previously led the firm’s US multifamily investing efforts (approximately $12 billion of acquisitions) and played a key role in the creation and expansion of LivCor, Blackstone’s US apartment portfolio company.

Olivia graduated summa cum laude from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where she received a BS in Economics and was a Joseph Wharton Scholar.

Suri Kasirer is a born New Yorker and advocate. She founded Kasirer in 1997 out of a studio apartment on the Upper West Side. Suri grew her business into the #1 lobbying firm in New York City, assembling and leading a team with decades of experience and an unrivaled fluency in government on local and state levels. She was a recipient of the National Organization for Women (NOW) Women of Power & Influence Award. In 2021, Suri was recognized as one of Crain’s New York “Most Powerful Women” and was an honoree on the City & State “Power of Diversity: Women’s 100”, the “New York City Power 100”, and the “Manhattan Power 100.” In 2022, she was featured in City & State’s “Real Estate Power 100” and the “New York City Power 100” for the second year in a row. Suri is the vice president of Citymeals on Wheels, and serves on the board of directors of the New York League of Conservation Voters, the Women’s Leadership Forum, and the New York Building Foundation. She is a member of the steering committee for the Association for a Better New York and a member of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, WX New York Women Executives in Real Estate, and the Downtown Lower Manhattan Association.

Anita Laremont currently serves as chair of the City Planning Commission and director of the Department of City Planning in New York City.  Before taking on this role, Anita served as the executive director of City Planning for three years, and prior to that, served as general counsel of City Planning for four years.

Prior to joining City Planning, she was a partner in the law firm of Harris Beach PLLC, where she had a real estate and land use law and government agency practice.

Before joining Harris Beach, Anita served for more than 16 years as general counsel of Empire State Development Corporation, New York State’s primary economic development entity, where she was involved with numerous large-scale land-use projects, including the 42nd Street Development Project, Queens West, Hudson River Park, Governors Island, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Atlantic Yards, and Columbia Manhattanville.

She is a magna cum laude graduate of Mount Holyoke College, and is a graduate of the New York University School of Law, where she was a Root Tilden-Kern Scholar.

Nancy Lashine is the founder and managing partner of Park Madison Partners, a real estate capital markets firm. The firm has placed over $21 billion of equity from a wide range of global investors for its clients in funds, programmatic investments, portfolio recapitalizations, and separate accounts. Park Madison is headquartered in New York City and is a FINRA regulated broker dealer. Lashine has over 35 years of real estate and investment marketing experience. Prior to forming Park Madison Partners, she was a strategic consultant advising leading institutional real estate investment managers on product development and the implementation of institutional marketing initiatives. Lashine earned her MBA at Columbia University Graduate School of Business, and her BFA (cum laude) from Case Western Reserve in Dance Theater. She serves on several Boards including the Columbia MBA Real Estate Advisory Board, the Gibney Dance Center Board, and is a past board member of the Pension Real Estate Association. She is a member of ULI and WX (Executive Women in Real Estate).

Jillian Mariutti is a senior director on JLL’s Debt and Equity Financing team in New York, and has more than 15 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry. She arranges and structures real estate capital on an exclusive basis for the nation’s premier owners, investors, and developers. Previously, Jillian was a director at Mission Capital on the debt and equity finance desk. Prior to Mission Capital, she worked at JCRA Financial LLC as the head of real estate North America and was responsible for providing foreign exchange and interest rate risk management services to real estate clients. Jillian joined JCRA from Wells Fargo’s interest rate derivatives desk in New York, where she was a vice president—and marketed and structured interest rate management solutions—for public REITS, multifamily, and hospitality finance clients. Jillian graduated summa cum laude with a BS in Mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania.

Joanne Minieri is a senior executive vice president of RXR Realty, and the chief operating officer of RXR Development Services and RXR Construction Services, overseeing an over $6 billion development pipeline of 6,100 multi-family and condominium units along with over two million square feet of commercial space. RXR’s portfolio comprises approximately 25 million square feet of commercial properties as well as projects under active development. From 2012 through mid-2016, Minieri served as the deputy county executive and commissioner for Suffolk County Economic Development and Planning, and was responsible for attracting and retaining business, promoting new industries, fostering transit-oriented development, managing land use, preserving open space, and expanding affordable housing options. Previously, she served as president and chief operating officer of Forest City Ratner Companies. During her tenure, the company diversified its portfolio with the development of 24 retail centers, 10 office buildings, two hotels, two residential projects, the acquisition of an NBA franchise and the development of a new state-of-the-art sports and entertainment venue, the Barclays Center, which opened in 2012. Her experience in the real estate and financial services sectors spans a full range of professional accounting, tax, and consulting services, which she has provided for both private and public companies. Minieri serves on the Board of Trinity Place Holdings, Inc., Hofstra University, NEW (Non-Traditional Employment of Women), Girl Scouts of Greater New York, the NYU SPS Schack Institute of Real Estate, and co-chairs its annual National Women in Real Estate Symposium. A native of Brooklyn, NY, Minieri is a CPA and holds a BBA from Hofstra University.

Wendy Mosler is chief financial officer/executive vice president of Global Holdings Management Group (US) Inc., where she is managing executive for the US real estate debt capital markets activities of a private family investment group. She graduated from Duke University in 1980 with a B.A. in Management Science/Accounting. Mosler began her career at Deloitte, and in 1982 joined Integrated Resources, a real estate syndicator. She served on the Board of Visitors for Duke’s Trinity College of Arts and Sciences; is on the Duke Global Health Institute Board of Advisors; is a trustee for the Kaufman Music Center, a performing arts school in New York City; and is on the board of governors for the Real Estate Board of New York. She resides in Manhattan with her husband.

Regina Myer is president of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership (DBP), a not-for-profit local development corporation that serves as the primary champion for Downtown Brooklyn  as a world-class business, cultural, educational, residential, and retail destination. Working with DBP’s board, Regina is leading initiatives, advocating, and securing funding to improve Downtown Brooklyn’s public realm, upgrade infrastructure, create open space, and cohesively connect the booming district to adjacent neighborhoods. Until 2016, Regina served as president of Brooklyn Bridge Park, where she oversaw the dramatic transformation of 1.3 miles of industrial waterfront into one of New York City’s most popular destinations—and one of the most lauded urban parks in  the country. Prior to Brooklyn Bridge Park, Regina was the senior vice president for planning and design at the Hudson Yards Development Corporation, and the Brooklyn Borough  director for the New York City Planning Department. She received her BA and Master of Urban Planning from the University of Michigan, and resides in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Since 1982, Sabrina Kanner has overseen development, design, and construction in the northeast region for Brookfield Properties and its predecessor, Olympia & York. Kanner has played a key role in the construction, design, and development or redevelopment of over 40 million square feet of signature Brookfield projects including World Financial Center, Brookfield Place, 300 Madison Avenue, Bay Adelaide Center, the restoration/renovation of the Winter Garden at World Financial Center after 9/11, and currently Manhattan West, Greenpoint Landing, Bankside, The Yards, and Halley Rise.   She is a member of the National Academy of Construction and WX, and sits on the board of directors of the New York Building Congress (secretary), The Salvadori Center (chair), The Opus Group, The Regional Plan Association (executive committee), Urban Green Council (chair), Cedar Realty Trust, and the Board of Trustees of the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation.

As a partner in Simpson Thacher’s real estate department, Whitney Salinas regularly represents private equity firms and portfolio companies such as Blackstone, BioMed Realty, QTS, Extended Stay America, Motel 6, Great Wolf Resorts, and LBA Realty—among other clients—on a broad range of commercial real estate financing transactions (including CMBS, balance sheet, mezzanine, agency, and construction financings) across a variety of asset classes. Recently profiled as one of Bloomberg Law’s “40 Under 40” for 2022, Whitney is also ranked as a next generation partner by The Legal 500. Previously, Whitney was named “Best in Real Estate” at Euromoney’s “Americas Rising Stars” awards and her work representing Blackstone in its $7.6 billion acquisition of Gramercy Property Trust was celebrated as a “Deal of the Year.” She was also recognized as a “Rising Star” by Law360.

Wendy Silverstein is a co-founder of real estate restructuring and advisory firm Silver Eagle Advisors, LLC, which advises borrowers and lenders on corporate and asset level restructurings in commercial real estate.

Prior to forming Silver Eagle, Silverstein served as Chief Investment Officer for The We Company’s global private equity platform known as ARK.  Before joining The We Company in August 2018, Ms Silverstein was President and CEO of New York REIT (NYSE:NYRT).  Ms. Silverstein took over the troubled REIT in early 2017 and by mid 2018 she had successfully completed the wind down and liquidation of the company pursuant to the shareholder approved plan of liquidation.

Previous to New York REIT, Ms. Silverstein was Executive Vice President and Co-Head of Acquisitions and Capital Markets for Vornado Realty Trust (NYSE:VNO), one of the largest owners of commercial real estate in the United States, from 1998 to 2015. Ms. Silverstein was a member of the Investment Committee for Vornado's private equity fund, Vornado Capital Partners, L.P.  On behalf of Vornado, she has served on the Board of Directors of Toys R Us, Inc., Americold Realty Trust and the Board of LNR Property, LLC, the nation’s largest loan special servicer.

Prior to joining Vornado in 1998, Ms. Silverstein spent 12 years at Citicorp. From 1990 to 1998, she was with Citicorp Real Estate in the Corporate Debt Restructuring Group, which she headed from 1994 to 1998. During this time, she led the negotiation and restructuring of many complex debt and equity transactions of companies in the airline, hospitality, retail, office and residential real estate industries. She served on the Board of Directors of Shuttle, Inc. (d/b/a US Air Shuttle) from 1992 to 1997 and Alexander’s, Inc. (NYSE:ALX) from 1992 to 1995. From 1986 to 1990 she was with the Leveraged Capital Group at Citibank, N.A. providing sponsor financing for leveraged buyouts.

Ms. Silverstein currently serves on the Board of Alexander’s, Inc. (NYSE: ALX) and TPG Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE: TRTX). Ms. Silverstein is on the Audit Committee of both companies and heads the Compensation Committee of TRTX.    Ms. Silverstein is proud to serve on the Board and Chair the Finance Committee for Beit Ruth, an educational and therapeutic village for at risk teenage girls in Israel. Ms. Silverstein earned her Bachelor of Science in Economics, Magna Cum Laude, and a Master of Business Administration with Distinction from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She is also a Certified Public Accountant.

Hilary Spann serves as BXP’s executive vice president, New York region. Spann brings to BXP more than 20 years of real estate investment and development experience, most recently as the head of Americas for real estate at CPP Investments. During her tenure at CPP, she was responsible for leading all aspects of the Americas real estate business, including investment strategy and execution, talent acquisition and management, and portfolio management. Prior to joining CPP Investments, Spann held several executive roles in acquisitions and asset management in the Global Real Assets Group at JP Morgan Asset Management including the head of acquisitions for the northeast region. She is a governing trustee of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), as well as a member of its Americas Executive Committee, and serves as a director of the ULI Foundation. Spann graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a BS and MS of City Planning, both from the College of Architecture. She also studied architecture at the Ecole d’Architecture de Paris - La Villette.

Crowned the “Queen of the Skyscrapers” by The Wall Street Journal in 1997, Darcy Stacom is responsible for both the largest residential and largest office transaction in history. Stacom’s prolific achievements range from $35 million trust and estates dispositions to the $5.4 billion sale of Peter Cooper Stuyvesant Town for Metropolitan Life. She has completed over $100 billion in sales, financing, joint venture, leasehold, and development transactions. Stacom is chairman and head of the NYC Capital Markets Group. She is co-chair of the New York Restoration Project, a trustee of Phipps Houses, co-chair of the Diversity Committee and on the Board of Governors at REBNY, and serves on the Women’s Network Board of CBRE. Darcy is also on the board of the NYU SPS Schack Institute of Real Estate.

Tiffany Theriault (Thurber) joined Apollo Global Management in 2021, where she is a managing director on the CRE debt team. She is responsible for originating and structuring commercial real estate mortgage and mezzanine loans on behalf of Apollo’s insurance company platform, as well as Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc.––Apollo’s publicly traded mortgage REIT. Prior to joining Apollo, Tiffany spent 10 years at Goldman Sachs in the real estate financing group, where she was the co-head of large loan originations. Theriault (Thurber) earned a BBA in Finance at the College of William & Mary.

Diana Zakem works at Brookfield Properties as a director in construction project management. She is currently working at Brookfield’s Manhattan West Development on a variety of projects, including the High Line Moynihan Connector, Two Manhattan West, and the 31st Street Department of Transportation Bridge replacement, where she focuses on managing budgets, schedules, community interactions, and turnovers. Prior to Brookfield, Zakem worked at Tishman Construction and LERA consulting engineers. In 2014, Diana cofounded The Knitting Club, a professional networking and mentorship group for women in New York City’s architecture, engineering, construction, and real estate industries.