Katherine C. Bissett

A commercial finance attorney on the firm’s Capital Markets Team, Katherine specializes in representing lenders and borrowers in all their real estate finance needs. 

Katherine has extensive experience steering and closing sophisticated and complex real estate finance transactions, including acquisition, bridge and construction financing, ground lease financing, mezzanine loans, revolving credit facilities, and secondary market transactions.  She regularly handles transactions throughout the United States, and her experience spans a broad spectrum of property types, including undeveloped land, hotel/resort, retail, commercial, and multifamily and mixed use projects.  She maintains a practical deal-making approach using her experience with asset management work (including loan modifications, assumptions, collateral substitutions, restructures and work outs) to add valuable perspective that takes into account the entire life of a loan.

Katherine received her J.D. from UCLA School of Law, where she was a founding member and Vice President of the Real Estate Law Association in connection with the UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate.  Katherine was awarded the 2010-11 Jerry Patch Constitutional Law Award and was designated a member of the Order of the Coif.  She earned her B.A. in International Studies from Boston College.

Represented life insurance company as lender in a $140 million loan secured by multiple buildings in Illinois, including a nationally flagged hotel. The property was subject to multiple ground leases, complex reciprocal easements and zoning agreements, numerous major leases and sponsorship contracts, as well as a third party hotel manager and franchisor.

Represented developer in obtaining loans totaling $154 million secured by a retail complex in Washington. The financing involved two lenders, and multiple borrower entities, as well as several ground leases and complex reciprocal easement agreements.

Represented investor in obtaining a $178 million of acquisition and operation financing secured by agricultural farmland, equipment and operating facilities in California.

Represented lender in the origination of a $140 million construction loan to build a hotel in Northern California, as well as the bifurcation of the loan into mortgage and mezzanine components and the sale of the mortgage loan. The planned construction involved a commercial condominium structure, as well as a phased purchase agreement.

Represented lender in a $80 million mezzanine loan for the development of a multi-family project in Southern California.

Represent lender in connection with the origination of a $140 million portfolio loan to develop and operate 8 high end “glamping” sites across the country, as well as obtaining leverage financing for the same.

Represented lender in the origination of a $250 million loan financing the construction of a high-end hotel and condo project in Southern California. The transaction involved multiple borrowers, a ground lease and master lease structure, a condominium regime, as well as a third party hotel manager and franchisor.

Honors & Recognitions

Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, 2023-2025

Named to Los Angeles Times B2B "Banking & Finance Visionaries" List, 2024

Named to Los Angeles Business Journal's "Women of Influence Finance" List, 2024

Connect CRE New Generation Award, 2022

Los Angeles Times Inspiration Women Awards Nominee, 2022

Super Lawyers’ Up-and-Coming 50 Women Southern California, 2019-2020

Professional Affiliations

Orange County Bar Association

Commercial Real Estate Finance Council