Although located in the Los Angeles and Phoenix offices, Craig's practice spans throughout the United States and its territories. Craig serves as Co-Leader of the Non-Bank Lending Team in the firm's Banking and Financial Services Industry Group. Craig is focused primarily in the areas of real property, retail/restaurant/hospitality, and finance/banking law. His experience also encompasses significant trial work on both the state and federal levels. Recently, Craig has focused his efforts on assisting clients with (COVID-19 related) distressed asset workouts on the banking and real estate side.
As it relates to Craig's real estate and finance practice, he frequently counsels clients on strategies ranging from asset acquisition and dispositions, to leveraged transactions on both the buy and sell side. Craig assists dealmakers navigate both the distressed and organic markets to source and engineer creative solutions – resulting in accretive transactions for the client. Craig often consults with private equity groups, REITs, hotel operators, and family offices, to establish internal and external strategies in order to implement a formal protocol to manage the transactional-side acquisition and disposition processes. Craig also handles pre-litigation workouts for financial institutions and various real estate entities as it relates to distressed asset scenarios.
Experience
Representative Matters
- In fiscal year 2021, Craig and his team closed over $2B in real estate and finance related transactions, involving private equity, REIT, and education based clients.
- In Q1 through Q3 of 2019, Craig and his team provided assistance with approximately $500 million in acquisitions, and assisted with the due diligence on another $400 million in transactions for a private equity client.
- Numerous representations of REITs in large Delaware based 363 Sales and counseling through the bid/auction process
Professional Highlights
Professional Activities
American Bankruptcy Institute
Maricopa County Bar Association
International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
Recognition & Accomplishments
The Legal 500 US, Real Estate–Real estate investment trusts (REITs), 2018-2021
The Best Lawyers in America, real estate law, 2017-2023
Named by IFLR 1000, "Rising Star—Arizona" 2018, 2019; "Highly Regarded— Arizona," 2020-2022 for restructuring and insolvency
Named a Southwest Super Lawyer, Business Litigation, Super Lawyers magazine: 2015-2022
Named as a Southwest Super Lawyers "Rising Star," Business Litigation, Super Lawyers magazine, 2012-2014
Speaking Engagements
"Ethical Issues in Bankruptcy," Arizona State University, Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, March 5, 2020
Guest, "Retail Market Update, Trends, and Strategies," America's Commercial Real Estate Show podcast, May 1, 2019
"Cutting-Edge Issues in Avoidance Actions," American Bankruptcy Institute's Southwest Bankruptcy Conference, Las Vegas, NV, September 7, 2018
Board Memberships & Community Service
Arizona Foundation for Legal Services, Governmental Relations Committee, past Board Member (2005-2007)
Publications
Co-author, "Ninth Circuit Finds that 1111(b) Deemed-Recourse Rights Do Not Survive Foreclosure of Underlying Property," The Bankruptcy Strategist, July 2017
Co-author, "Landlords, Beware! When Does the § 502(b)(6) Calculation Start?" American Bankruptcy Institute Journal, August 2016
Co-author, "Beware of Fed. R. Bankr. P. 7008: Seeking Attorneys’ Fees in Adversary Proceedings," American Bankruptcy Institute Journal, March 2013
Credentials
Education
Southwestern Law School (J.D. 2001)
Trial Advocacy Honors Program
University of Arizona (B.A. 1997)
Admissions
Arizona
California
Texas
U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California