• James (Jay) P. Godman represents sellers and purchasers, lenders and borrowers, investors and developers, and landlords and tenants in a full range of real estate transactions, including sales and acquisitions, financings and restructurings, joint ventures, and leases.

    Chambers USA has recognized Jay as a leading practitioner in real estate, lauding him as “skilled at handling commercial real estate transactions for a range of clients” (2019). Clients describe him as “very practical, [he] understands the role I want him to play and gives me guidance on what position to take” (2019); “very smart, dedicated, knowledgeable and quick on his feet, but also calm and collected” (2018); an “expert in the field” (2017); and “fantastic,” “very responsive” and “extremely thorough and knowledgeable” (2016).

    Among his notable work, on a national scale Jay has represented VICI Properties Inc., an experiential REIT, in connection with numerous acquisitions of casinos, hotels, resorts and similar properties in various cities throughout the United States. More locally, Jay represented a joint venture between The Peebles Corporation and The El-Ad Group in the acquisition and financing of 108 Leonard Street. (formerly known as 346 Broadway) in Tribeca, the single largest building ever sold by New York City. He also represented Rockrose Development L.L.C. in various transactions including the construction financing for 200 Water St. in New York’s Financial District and the Eagle Lofts project in Long Island City, and in the refinancing and sale of the leasehold estate in 22 River Terrace in Battery Park City, and Trinity Place Holdings Inc. in connection with various transactions including acquisitions, joint ventures and financings with respect to various multi-family and mixed-use properties in New York City.

    Experience

    • Represented Property Markets Group in connection with various loan transactions, including obtaining a $182 million construction loan to finance the development of a mixed-use property located at 811 Peachtree St. in Atlanta, GA. 

    • Represented Customers Bank in connection with numerous note-on-note financing transactions, including its $54.5 million note-on-note financing of an approximately 330-unit multifamily community located in Jacksonville, FL. 

    • Represented VICI Properties Inc., a NYSE-listed REIT, in connection with numerous acquisition transactions, including its $17.2 billion strategic acquisition of MGM Growth Properties LLC, its purchase of the real estate assets associated with Fitz Casino & Hotel and WaterView Casino & Hotel for approximately $293.4 million, and its $4 billion acquisition of the real estate assets of The Venetian Resort Las Vegas and The Venetian Expo and Convention Center Las Vegas.

    • Represented VICI Properties Inc. in connection with its origination of a $400 million loan to a subsidiary of Caesars Entertainment Inc. secured by a mortgage on the Caesars Forum Convention Center in Las Vegas.

    • Represented The Peebles Corp. in the formation of a joint venture with The El-Ad Group, and the joint venture in the acquisition and financing of the property located at 108 Leonard St. (f/k/a 346 Broadway), the Tribeca landmark and single-largest building ever sold by New York City.

    • Represented Rockrose Development LLC in numerous financings, including its $210 million refinancing of 4705 Center Blvd. in Long Island City, NY, and its refinancing and sale of the leasehold estate in 22 River Terrace, a 26-story residential apartment building located in Battery Park City, NY.

    • Represented Trinity Place Holdings Inc. in entering into a joint venture with TF Cornerstone, and the joint venture in the related $137.75 million acquisition of and $82.75 million financing for a multifamily building containing 234 market-rate units at 250 N. 10th St. in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY.

    • Represented Quilvest Private Equity in its acquisition of a majority of the equity in the partnerships that own the 30-story office building located at 123 S. Broad St. in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the related joint venture, mortgage refinancing and sale of the adjacent Witherspoon Building.

    • Represented two mortgage lenders in their $781 million refinancing of 237 Park Avenue, New York.

    • Represented Millennium Partners in connection with long-term leases by Millennium to Equinox Fitness of the Sports Club/LA and Reebok Sports Club/NY clubs located in Boston, Miami, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., as part of a transaction in which Millennium sold its health and fitness club business and certain related assets to Equinox Fitness.

    • Represented a real estate investment and development company in the development, leasing and financing of a mixed-use project containing approximately 800,000 square feet of retail space and 2 million square feet of residential condominium units.

    • Represented a private real estate company in the acquisition of a luxury hotel, as well as in the financing and the formation of a joint venture for the transaction.

    Credentials

    Education

    • J.D., New York University School of Law, 1990
      • Articles Editor, New York University Law Review 1989-1990
      • Staff Member, New York University Law Review, 1988-1989
      • Order of the Coif
    • B.A., Economics, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, University of Pennsylvania, 1987

    Bar Admissions

    • New York, 1991

    Professional Affiliations

    • New York State Bar Association
    • Metro New York Advisory Board of the Make-A-Wish® Foundation of Metro New York and Western New York
  • *No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. A description of the Super Lawyers selection methodology can be found here.