The Baker Program in Real Estate is pleased to welcome Darin L. Buchalter, Managing Director and head of the Real Estate practice at Navigant Consulting for the Distinguished Speaker Series talk on April 21st. In his role as the Americas practice leader of the Global Construction practice, Buchalter provides expertise in financial, operational, organizational, and risk management matters to investors, lenders, and users of real estate.
Buchalter is an advisor to boards and senior management teams in the real estate and construction industries, collaborating with clients in the areas of acquisitions, due diligence, development, construction, asset management, and operations. His experience spans all asset types and demonstrates ample geographic diversity. Buchalter has also served in a consulting capacity and expert in a variety of disputes and bankruptcies involving development projects, leases, purchase agreements, joint venture arrangements, and professional practice standards.
Buchalter has served as financial advisor to evaluate exposure on billions of dollars of positions with public homebuilders. His expertise includes direct loans, land banking, sale-leaseback arrangements on model homes and construction financing in the wake of the financial crisis. He performed recovery negotiations in anticipation of bankruptcy proceedings as well as litigation preparation.
Buchalter has also served a financial advisor for a private equity sponsor in the extension of a senior financing facility on a $2.2 billion, 57,000-acre primarily residential master-planned community development. His sophisticated understanding of land use planning, real estate marketing, construction and financing was vital. It ultimately resulted in his serving as a testifying expert in bankruptcy hearing for the opposition of a lift stay motion by a primary creditor. Buchalter led the team that investigated cost growth on the development of the World Trade Center and the ability of The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to support its $25 billion capital program for the next decade.
Buchalter served as the consulting expert for one of the largest commercial real estate bankruptcies in history involving over 180 retail properties throughout the United States. He prepared a property-by-property comprehensive risk analysis to price the debt on each property in anticipation of litigation by CMBS bondholders in the event that consensual restructuring negotiations were not successful.
Students of the Baker Program in Real Estate are eager to hear from Buchalter’s vast experience in consulting for a range of clients in major real estate transactions, disputes, and distressed real estate, just one of the many benefits of the specialized two-year Master’s Degree Program offered through Cornell Cornell University.
