Krystyna M. Blakeslee is a partner in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and a member of the Real Estate Department where she focuses on commercial real estate finance and investment.
Krystyna has led some of the country’s largest and most high-profile commercial real estate transactions in recent years. She concentrates on the origination, acquisition and disposition (including securitization and syndication) of mortgage loans, mezzanine financings, preferred equity, bridge loans and corporate debt. In addition, Krystyna has extensive experience in restructures and workouts, as well as the exercise of remedies (including, in connection with acquiring assets in bankruptcy). She is also experienced in handling joint venture investments and acquisitions of real estate assets, including hotels, and advises funds in connection with their investment and financing activities in real estate.
Krystyna is ranked as a leading practitioner in the area of Real Estate Finance (New York) by Chambers USA (2024) and recognized by The Legal 500 U.S. (2024). Chambers describes Krystyna as “fantastic”, “very knowledgeable and commercial”, having “experience with highly structured deals and very strong market knowledge” and being “well-versed with handling unusual and complex situations. She can be relied upon to effectively manage large transactions involving multiple parties.” Krystyna was recognized in Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Global Real Estate Lawyers” in 2024. She was also named “Rising Star Attorney of the Year” at the 2024 Commercial Real Estate RED Awards, was honored as a “Notable Veteran Executive” by Crain’s New York in 2021, and in 2018 she was recognized as a “Working Mother of the Year” in the October/November issue of Working Mother. Krystyna current serves on the board of the New York Restoration Project and is a member of She Builds.
Krystyna previously served as a sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps and also served in Iraq.
Her recent experience includes the following representations: *
- Represent administrative agent and lender syndicate in connection with a $680 million construction loan secured by development project to be used primarily for lab and office space in Cambridge, MA.;
- Represent mezzanine lender in connection with the origination of mortgage and mezzanine loans in the aggregate amount of $1.2 billion on a ground up construction of five buildings to be used for research and development (and other ancillary uses) in San Diego, California;
- Represent lender in connection with the origination of various loan secured by hotels located on the Papagayo Peninsula in Costa Rica;
- Represent the lender syndicate in the restructuring and exercise of remedies on a $1.2 billion construction project;
- Represent the lenders in connection with the origination of a $500 million mortgage loan secured by 43 properties; and
- Represented a financial services company with respect to two $200 million mezzanine loan acquisition platforms with an unrelated third party and a loan origination platform with an unrelated third party.
Distressed Debt Representations
- Represented various lenders in connection with the restructure of over a $1 billion worth of mortgage loans secured by a variety of asset classes (including hotels and resorts) during the COVID-19 pandemic, including amendments related to PPP loans;
- Represented the borrower in connection with the workout and restructure of a $800 million mortgage loan held by a syndicate of lenders which loan is secured by an office property in New York City;
- Represent mezzanine lender in connection with the restructure of the entire debt capital stack related to a distressed office property in New York City;
- Represented the lender with respect to providing exit financing for a bankrupt debtor;
- Represented the mezzanine lender in connection with a foreclosure of the mezzanine lender’s UCC collateral, which was secured indirectly by an iconic building in New York City; and
- Represented various CMBS special servicers in connection with a myriad of matters, including foreclosures, modifications, forbearance agreements and restructures.
Before joining Gibson Dunn, Krystyna was a partner and head of Real Estate at an international law firm. She also previously served as law clerk for the Honorable Alan H. W. Shiff of the United States Bankruptcy Court, District of Connecticut. Krystyna received her B.A. from the University of Connecticut, summa cum laude, and her J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law with high honors. She is admitted to practice in the state of New York.
*Includes representations prior to Krystyna’s association with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.
Capabilities
Credentials
Education:
- University of Connecticut - 2009 Juris Doctor
- University of Connecticut - 2006 Bachelor of Arts
Admissions:
- New York Bar
Clerkships:
- USDC, Connecticut, Alan H.W. Shiff, 2009 - 2010