Steven Levine advises clients on their full range of complex real estate and project development and finance matters, including real estate and project purchases and sales and leasing transactions.
Mr. Levine draws on his vast experience in the real estate and project finance markets to help clients successfully navigate their most significant business challenges. He delivers creative counsel to a variety of key industry players, including lenders, underwriters, and real estate and infrastructure project owners and developers. Mr. Levine also advises biotechnology companies in connection with real estate and product procurement issues.
Mr. Levine’s real estate practice includes:
Development, construction, and financing of laboratory projects, office projects, and large infrastructure projects, including hotels, casinos, sporting facilities, petrochemical projects, power projects, and water projects
Leasing of office, retail, gaming, hospitality, industrial, and laboratory projects
Acquisition and disposition of raw land and office, retail, gaming, hospitality, industrial, and laboratory projects
Sale-leaseback transactions for a variety of office, retail, gaming, hospitality, industrial, and laboratory projects
Mr. Levine’s project finance and construction practice includes:
Representation of lenders, underwriters, developers, and acquirers of power and other infrastructure projects
Acquisition and disposition of projects
Drafting and negotiation of project contracts, including operations & maintenance agreements, construction contracts, consulting contracts, engineering and design contracts, and power purchase agreements
Representation of developers of projects throughout the world, including in Mexico, Russia, Paraguay, Mozambique, Canada, Chile, and Abu Dhabi
Strategic advice with respect to development and construction matters
Mr. Levine brings particular experience handling novel and precedent-setting financing transactions, both in the United States and internationally.
Experience
Mr. Levine’s experience includes:
Construction
Gaylord Pacific Project (RIDA Development) – Representing sponsor in connection with development and financing of approximately 1,600-room hotel and convention center in Chula Vista, California, as part of a public-private partnership
Center for Novel Therapeutics (BioMed Realty Trust) – Represented sponsor in developing an office/laboratory complex on the UCSD campus as part of a public- private partnership, including negotiation of construction contracts
Various Laboratory, Manufacturing, and Pilot Plant Projects (Impossible Foods) – Representing food tech company in connection with various leasing, manufacturing, and construction arrangements
Illumina Laboratory Project (BioMed Realty Trust) – Represented sponsor in connection with development of laboratory project located in San Diego, California, including negotiation of construction contracts
Lumière Place Casino and Hotels Sale (Caesars Entertainment) – Represented seller/lessee in sale and leaseback by Caesars Entertainment, Inc. of Lumière Place Casino and Hotels in St. Louis, Missouri
Harrah’s Las Vegas (Caesars Entertainment) – Represented seller/lessee in connection with sale-leaseback of Harrah’s Las Vegas, Nevada casino/hotel
Caesars Exchange (Caesars Entertainment) – Represented seller/lessee in exchange of real property in order to remove one hotel and casino property from a sale-leaseback structure and replace it with two different hotel and casino properties
LAFC Soccer Stadium (LAFC Sports) – Represented sponsor in connection with the development of a proposed MLS soccer stadium to be located in downtown Los Angeles for the Los Angeles Football Club
Lucas Museum of Narrative Art – Represented sponsor in connection with development of state-of-the-art museum complex in Los Angeles, California
Jack Casinos (Jack Ohio Finance) – Represented seller/lessee of casinos in connection with the sale and leaseback of two casinos
del Lago Resort & Casino (Peninsula Pacific) – Represented sponsor in connection with development of casino-hotel located in upstate New York
Alila Marea Beach Resort Encinitas (JMI Realty) – Represented sponsor in connection with development of hotel project located in Encinitas, California
Represented sponsor in connection with development and financing of a 5,600-MW nuclear power project in the Middle East
Mozambique LNG Facility (Anadarko Petroleum Company) – Acted as co-counsel for project financing in connection with an integrated upstream and midstream gas and LNG project in the Republic of Mozambique; this transaction was awarded Global Multilateral Deal of the Year by the Project Finance International Awards in 2020
Confidential (Confidential) – Represented biotech company in connection with construction contracts for laboratory, GMP manufacturing, and headquarter space in Boston, Massachusetts
Texas Central Railroad Project (Texas Central Partners) – Representing sponsor in negotiating construction, operations and procurement contracts for an approximately 240-mile high-speed rail line between Dallas and Houston, Texas
500 Fairview (BioMed Realty Trust) – Represented sponsor in connection with development of laboratory project, including representation relating to construction contract
Energía Sierra Juárez Wind Farm (Sempra Energy) – Represented sponsor in connection with the development of the 155-MW first phase of the Energía Sierra Juárez Wind Farm in Mexico
Ohio Petrochemical Complex (PTT Global Chemical) – Representing sponsor in connection with the development of a proposed petrochemical refinery complex to be located in Belmont County, Ohio
Carlsbad Desalination Project (Poseidon Resources) – Acted as co-counsel in connection with development and financing of an industrial scale desalination facility in Carlsbad, California
Qualifications
Bar Qualification
California
Education
JD, University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, 1990
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