Joan Velazquez Receives Connect Media’s Women in Real Estate Award
Partner and Co-Chair of ECJ's Real Estate Practice Group, Joan B. Velazquez has been selected as a 2021 Winner for the ‘Connect Commercial Real Estate Awards’ and recognized as a leader in California. The special feature, published earlier this week, says the awards highlight “women with achievements and inspirational stories who have reached respected positions of leadership and play key mentorship roles for others in commercial real estate.”
“Through Joan’s leadership, the Firm’s real estate practice has flourished,” said Co-Managing Partner Barry J. MacNaughton. “Of the myriad of issues surrounding a client’s deal, Joan is laser-focused on the ones that have the biggest “make it or break it” impact and counsels her clients to realize opportunities and minimize risk.”
Joan represents real estate owners, developers, investors, lenders, contractors and asset managers in connection with a wide range of projects, including the acquisition, financing, development, leasing, management and sale of commercial real estate. “While many lawyers spend time telling their clients what cannot be done, Joan is a creative problem solver and proven deal maker who never loses sight of her clients’ business goals,” says the feature. “She understands that her job is to mitigate her client’s legal risks while letting them realize the business opportunity in every deal.”
Joan is experienced in the formation of partnerships, joint ventures, limited liability companies and arranging complex capital structures including highly leveraged mezzanine financing, subordinated lending arrangements and other creative solutions. “Having structured, documented and closed more than one billion dollars of financing transactions over the past years, Joan guides clients with distressed properties in successfully restructuring existing debt,” the publication says. “Additionally, her tax background gives her a competitive advantage when structuring deals so she can increase the net return to her clients.“
In 2021, L.A. Times Magazine recognized Joan as both a ‘Commercial Real Estate Visionary’ and an ‘Inspirational Women Awards’ nominee. She was selected as a ‘Woman to Watch Award’ nominee by the Los Angeles Business Journal and has been recognized repeatedly by Best Lawyers in America as well as SuperLawyers.