Krishana Pleasant

Krishana is Of Counsel in Maynard Cooper’s New York office with a practice focused on all facets of real estate and finance matters. Her clients include commercial real estate investors, developers, lenders, and private business owners from a broad spectrum of industry sectors. She works extensively with clients involved in mixed use, multifamily, senior housing, condominium, retail, office, industrial, and hotel developments. Krishana’s experience includes, among other things, advising clients in connection with the origination and servicing of loans intended for purchase/securitization by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Krishana also counsels business owners on office, retail, and industrial leasing matters.

Immediately prior to joining Maynard Cooper, Krishana was in private practice in the New York office of an AmLaw 100 firm and the CEO and founder of a real estate advisory firm.

• Acted as de facto general counsel to nationally recognized, fast-growing affordable housing advisory and asset management firm. Responsibilities included:
  • Assessing laws and regulations impacting the business, and working with business executives to develop appropriate responses.
  • Engaging and managing outside counsel.
  • Developing and overseeing implementation of standardized processes, procedures, and form documents.
  • Assisting in the structuring and closing of loans. Identifying and managing risks and conflicts of interest.
  • Counseling and providing legal advice on loan originations for all product types including co-lending and participations.
• Represented industry-leading debt fund in its origination of a $20 million loan to finance the acquisition of a development site located in the Bronx, the largest single transaction in the fund’s history. The acquisition facilitated construction of a 755-unit, mixed-use, affordable housing development over 4 phases to include 21,000 square feet of commercial space.
• Represented investor in $80 million syndicated equity investment in portfolio of multifamily affordable housing projects, which qualified for tax credits under Section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code.
• Counseled major national bank with respect to permitting a developer to collapse its historic tax credit master-lease structure following completion of rehabilitation for 2 multi-property portfolios in Missouri. Assessed impact of recent case law on proposed deal structure.
• Coordinated review and analysis of subordinate debt structure in connection with representation of Wells Fargo in the closing of a $2.7 billion loan under the Fannie Mae DUS program for Blackstone and Ivanhoe Cambridge’s acquisition of Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village, the largest mixed-use apartment complex in New York City comprised of more than 11,000 units.
• Facilitated joint venture between a Pennsylvania-based real estate investment company and a private, multinational enterprise in its $309 million acquisition of a nine-property multifamily portfolio comprising 2,671 units in the Washington, D.C. area.
• Represented institutional lender in the credit enhancement of a $157.5 million tax-exempt bond financing by HFA to finance the acquisition and rehabilitation of 1,654-unit multifamily residential housing project in the Bronx.
• Counseled institutional lender in the closing of a $46.2 million loan to finance the construction of a select-service hotel with approximately 196 guestrooms in Manhattan for a major national brand.
• Represented institutional lender in the direct debt financing of a $13.8 million construction loan with respect to the acquisition and construction of 157,000 square foot distribution facility in Ohio for a worldwide fast food chain.
• Advised California-based mortgage company in the origination of a $16.8 million FHA-insured mortgage loan to refinance 130-bed assisted living facility in Pennsylvania through HUD’s Section 232 program.
• Advised independent specialty finance company in the closing of a $6.7 million credit facility to refinance existing debt and support the growth of a leading national provider in the telecommunications industry. Managed all real estate related components of the transaction.
• Represented commercial lender in the development of its mortgage loan conduit program for securitization; recommended and implemented new procedures; closed numerous loans in various states.

New Destiny Housing Corporation, Board of Directors (2012 – Present)