Craig Solomon Ganz

Partner

Los Angeles

Tel 424.204.4352
Fax 424.204.4350

Phoenix

Tel 602.798.5427
Fax 602.798.5595

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 bankruptcy restructuring matters, and trial work on both the state and federal levels. Craig has focused his efforts on assisting clients with 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.

Services

Representative Experience

Representative Matters

In 2024, Craig and his teammates were responsible for over $1.3B in real estate and finance transactions, including net-lease acquisitions/dispositions, note-on-note deals, structured financings, note sales, and bond refinancing's.
In 2022, Craig and his team again assisted on the closing of over $2B in various real estate and finance related transactions for numerous REIT and lending clients.
In 2022, Craig represented a publicly traded REIT accused of multiple wrongdoings, including an allegation of fraud on the closing of a real estate transaction. Craig and his team reduced the causes of action through a motion to dismiss, and succeeded on several motions for summary judgment resulting in a complete dismissal of the case and an award of fees and costs. Craig and his team then prevailed in the appellate phase, along with an award of fees and costs.

In 2022, Craig represented a lender group in multiple lawsuits arising out of several credit-tenant leases involving a large municipality. The lender group’s exposure was in excess of $130M, and the tenant and taxpayers lawsuits included remedies that could have resulted in the lender being forced to completely release its security interest in the collateral. Craig and his team prevailed on summary judgment in one of the lawsuits, and resolved another lawsuit resulting in 100% of the principal loan balance ($130M+) being returned to the lender group which included default interest, and a 100% recoupment of fees and costs.
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
Representation of publicly traded hardware, software, and IT solutions company in bankruptcy avoidance actions, critical vendor requests, and creditor committee representation
Representation of creditor hospitality group in 363 Sale of substantially all of the debtor's assets
Representation of publicly traded retail chain in 363 Sale of leases by landlord-debtor and related avoidance action
Representation of a creditors' committee in a $32 million Ponzi scheme perpetrated against investors domiciled in the United Kingdom, resulting in plan confirmation and appointment of a liquidating trustee
Representation of investors domiciled in the United Kingdom and prosecuted securities fraud and RICO action claims effectuated through private placement memorandums and subscription agreements
Representation of the world's largest hotel chain in matters including multidistrict antitrust litigation, creditor rights, commercial litigation, and bankruptcy
Representation of various publicly traded triple net REITs in various bankruptcy and commercial real estate disputes, including bankruptcy assets purchases, breach of mortgage agreements, loan agreements, and commercial guarantees

Professional Highlights

Professional Activities

American Bankruptcy Institute

International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)

National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT)

Recognition & Accomplishments

The Legal 500 US, Real Estate–Real estate investment trusts (REITs), 2018-2023

The Best Lawyers in America, Real Estate Law (Phoenix) 2017-2025; Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law (Phoenix), 2025; Litigation - Bankruptcy (Phoenix), 2025

Named by IFLR 1000, "Rising Star—Arizona" 2018, 2019; "Highly Regarded— Arizona," 2020-2024 for Restructuring and Insolvency

Speaking Engagements

Panelist, "A New Market of Distressed CRE," Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies, April 16, 2025

"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

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

Related Insights

Credentials

Education

Southwestern Law School (J.D. 2001)
Trial Advocacy Honors Program

University of Arizona (B.A. 1997)

Admissions

Arizona

California

Texas