Sarah D. Ragusa

Senior Associate
  • Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights
  • Commercial Real Estate Lending
  • Commercial Real Estate Transactions
  • Distressed Debt Transactions
  • Office, Retail, and Industrial Leasing

Overview

Sarah D. Ragusa is a Senior Associate in K&F’s Commercial Real Estate Lending Group.

Sarah represents high-profile investment banks, private equity funds, institutional lenders, developers, investors, and commercial borrowers in complex commercial lending transactions ranging from commercial real estate, to asset-based lending (ABL) and loan-on-loan financing transactions.

Sarah routinely represents both lenders and borrowers in bridge and term construction loans, mezzanine loans, CMBS loans and Debtor-in-Possession (DIP) financings spanning a variety of asset classes. With her experience as both lender’s and borrower’s counsel, Sarah understands the parties’ competing interests and knows how to negotiate practical solutions that afford lenders the protection they require, and borrowers the flexibility they need to efficiently and successfully complete financed projects.

Sarah leverages her experience as a former litigator in the areas of general commercial litigation, commercial real estate (CRE), commercial foreclosure, and trusts and estates to provide her clients with well-rounded and insightful representation.

“My clients come to me with high expectations. They stay with me because I offer an unrelenting work ethic, practical risk assessment and creative solutions to their financing concerns.”

Sarah’s active involvement in global professional networks ensures that she up to date on pertinent issues in the CRE and finance industries, further supporting her ability to offer clients pragmatic and insightful representation nationally.

Sarah is a member of various local, national and global professional organizations, including the New York State, New York City, Suffolk County, Nassau County, American, and Portuguese-American Bar Associations, Long Island Real Estate Group (LIREG), Urban Land Institute (ULI) and Association of Commercial Finance Attorneys, and sits on various advisory boards and committees of both industry and non-profit organizations.

Sarah is a New York State-licensed real estate instructor and frequently gives lectures, presents on panel discussions, and provides continuing legal education (CLE) and continuing education (CE) courses on a variety of real estate matters across various organizations and platforms.

Representative Matters

  • Representation of Senior Lender in $207MM New York loan-on-loan construction financing transaction.
  • Representation of private equity borrower in $175MM New York loan-on-loan-on-loan financing transaction.
  • Representation of Senior and Mezzanine Lenders in $228MM New Jersey construction loan for development and construction of residential condominium complex and municipal community facilities.
  • Representation of Lender in $182MM California construction loan for 336-unit multifamily development.
  • Representation of Senior and Mezzanine Lenders in $62MM Florida construction loan for multifamily rental complex.
  • Representation of New Jersey developer in a variety of commercial mortgage transactions, including $53MM CMBS loan and $73MM construction bridge loan to finance municipal redevelopment projects.
  • Representation of New Jersey media studio in studio licensing negotiations with major production companies, including Netflix.

Professional Experience

  • Platzer, Swergold, Goldberg, Katz & Jaslow, LLP, Associate
  • Jaspan Schlesinger LLP, Associate

Education

Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center, J.D.

St. John’s University, B.S., Childhood Education

  • magna cum laude

 

Admissions

  • State of New York
  • State of New Jersey
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York