Bio

Michael L. Messer represents financial institutions, including regional, national, and international banks and underwriters, in commercial matters and loan transactions. Throughout his career, Mr. Messer has been involved in transactions in excess of several hundred million dollars. He has also served as an expert witness in many litigations related to real estate financing. Mr. Messer also serves as group chair of the firm's Commercial Restructuring and Workouts Practice. Mr. Messer’s real estate practice includes a wide spectrum of transactions and he has been retained by local and international entities (owners for their own accounts as well as developers and investors) in matters including the acquisition and development of properties and financing of real estate. As a result of his experience, he has frequently represented out-of-state entities that wish to either relocate their operations to New Jersey or invest in New Jersey. In addition, he has extensive experience with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, including bond counsel, underwriters’ counsel, and borrower’s counsel for more than 25 years. Further, Mr. Messer is often called upon to structure an acquisition and to utilize variouis governmental incentive programs in such transactions. Mr. Messer’s professional affiliations include past and present membership on several ank advisory boards including Sovereign Bank, Oritani Bank, Independence Bank and Peapack-Gladstone Bank. He is also the former president and current member of the Senior Counsel of the Board of Governors, Industrial & Office Real Estate Brokers Association (New York metropolitan area; encompasses commercial real estate firms in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania). Mr. Messer has currently been involved in the acquisition and financing of multi-family residential projects for investors and lending institutions in the New York metropolitan area and Pennsylvania.