Michael Weinberger is a partner in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Michael is a member of the Real Estate practice group. His practice focuses on real estate law, with a particular focus on real estate finance, including CMBS, mortgage, mezzanine, and construction loan originations, restructurings, syndications, and secondary market transactions.
He regularly represents major institutional lenders and borrowers in complex transactions involving hotels, shopping centers, office buildings, multifamily properties, industrial properties, life science centers, data centers, storage facilities, casinos, condominiums, and other property types.
Chambers notes that Michael is "one of best lender side lawyers," a "go-to source of knowledge on complex and arcane legal issues," and "incredibly responsive and commercial," also noting that "Michael is so focused on the deal and the important matters - he keeps it all relevant and extremely targeted for the client."
Michael has been recognized as a leading lawyer by:
- Chambers USA, Real Estate: Finance – New York (Band 1)
- The Legal 500 U.S., Leading Lawyer in Real Estate Finance
- Lawdragon, 500 Leading Global Real Estate Lawyers, 2024
- The Best Lawyers in America, 2018 Lawyer of the Year for Real Estate
- The Legal Media Group Guide to the World's Leading Structured Finance and Securitization Lawyers
- The Legal Media Group Guide to the World's Leading Real Estate Lawyers
- The Best Lawyers in America, Real Estate
- The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers, Real Estate
- Who’s Who Legal, Real Estate
Highlights of Michael’s experiences includes representing:
- The lenders in the financing of Blackstone’s multibillion dollar acquisition of Equity Office Properties, one of the largest real estate transactions in history.
- The lenders in the financings of numerous American landmarks, including Rockefeller Center in New York City and the Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower) in Chicago.
- A hospitality REIT in the billion dollar financing of a portfolio of 120 hotels.
- The lenders in the billion dollar acquisition financing of the CBS Studio Center film and television production studio campus in Los Angeles, California, as well as in several billion dollars of financings of other movie and television studio properties in the United States and Canada.
- The borrower in the $2.4 billion financing of the Ala Moana Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, the most valuable mall in the United States.
- The lender in the $1.75 billion financing of the Fontainebleau Miami Beach.
- The lenders in the mortgage and mezzanine financing of Blackstone’s multibillion dollar acquisition of Strategic Hotels & Resorts.
- A Mexican bank, as lender, in numerous bridge and construction loans, financing luxury multifamily, hotel, and mixed-use projects.
- A private equity fund, both as borrower and lender, in financings involving high-end resorts and recreation facilities.
Michael received his J.D. degree from Harvard Law School, magna cum laude, where he was Editor of the Harvard Law Review. He received his B.A., summa cum laude, from Yale University.
Additional relevant information about Michael:
- He served as a clerk for the Honorable Leonard I. Garth of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
- Michael is admitted to practice in the State of New York.
- He is proficient in Hebrew.
Capabilities
Credentials
Education:
- Harvard University - 1991 Juris Doctor
- Yale University - 1988 Bachelor of Arts
Admissions:
- New York Bar