Ken Lore Featured as Real Estate Trailblazer in the National Law Journal

Head of Katten’s Real Estate practice on the east coast, Ken Lore, was featured in the National Law Journal’s 2020 “Trailblazers” issue. During his interview of the issue, Ken discussed why he decided to pursue real estate law, some of his past and recent cutting-edge projects, and what opportunities exist in the real estate market.

“My career has been mixed with complicated transactions; they are like a puzzle. The common element is that they often include a public-private aspect,” Ken said.

Some of the cutting-edge projects Ken has worked on throughout his career include representing the Resolution Trust Corporation, the temporary federal agency that closed and liquidated assets of failed United States financial institutions, to restructure and sell their real estate holdings during the savings and loan crisis in the early 1990s; representing Forest City, Washington, in developing The Yards, a former navy waterfront facility being repurposed into boutique stores, restaurants and residences; playing a key role in drafting the low-income housing tax credit provisions of the Internal Revenue Code; representing a large financial institution in a billion dollar plus restructuring of 35 real estate properties across the country in connection with the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy; and representing many of the top New York City and other multifamily property owners in connection with tens of billions of dollars of mixed use and mixed income properties.

Ken believes there are many critical areas where talented attorneys can help deal with, and find solutions for, problems and take advantage of opportunities which currently exist for properties that have been negatively impacted by the effects of the coronavirus. It’s important to note that attorneys are needed to address pre-existing shortages of decent affordable housing for the homeless, other low income families, workforce housing and moderate income housing needs, which are now even more severe than before the pandemic. Ken believes the ability of attorneys and their clients to effectively deal with these issues will be critically important to ensure the well-being of the country, both socially and economically. Being able to navigate and deal with all levels of government to find workable solutions to these problems is a challenge for everyone.

Read, “Trailblazers: Real Estate/Construction Law,” in its entirety.