Greenberg Traurig poaches Winston & Strawn real estate finance team

The Greenberg Traurig offices in Washington, D.C., U.S. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

(Reuters) – Greenberg Traurig said Monday it has hired six real estate finance partners from Winston & Strawn, one of whom will open a new office for the firm in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The rest of the group will join Miami-founded Greenberg Traurig in several of its New York area offices.

The 2,400-lawyer firm launched two outposts in January on Long Island, home to some of the firm’s lawyers and high-end investment clients.

Corey Tessler, who was chair of Winston & Strawn’s real estate practice, joins the firm’s Manhattan and Bridgehampton offices. Tessler’s clients have included Wells Fargo & Co, Deutsche Bank AG, ACORE Capital LP and Bancorp Bank, according to his archived biography on Winston & Strawn’s website.

Tessler will co-chair Greenberg Traurig’s real estate finance group with Michael Moser, another incoming lawyer from Winston & Strawn, the firm said.

Moser and Jarrid King join in White Plains, while Brian Smetana and Christine Spletzer add to the firm’s recently opened Garden City office.

Brian Bailey will be the managing shareholder of Greenberg Traurig’s new Charlotte location, which is the firm’s 43rd globally.

A Winston & Strawn spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the team’s departure.

Greenberg Traurig recently added another real estate finance lawyer when it lured former Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner partner Daniyal Ansari in London in March.

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