K&L Gates Deepens Real Estate Practice with California Partner Addition

San Francisco and Los Angeles - Global law firm K&L Gates LLP welcomes Kenneth A. Kecskes as a real estate partner in the San Francisco and Los Angeles offices. He joins the firm from Fox Rothschild LLP.

Kecskes advises national and international clients on a wide variety of real estate-related transactions, such as acquisitions, dispositions, leasing, real estate secured and mezzanine financings, equity investments, and capital stack structuring in relation to residential, commercial, retail, industrial, hospitality, mixed use, and sports venue projects.

He assists real estate developers along the full life cycle of a development, including due diligence, political strategy, California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) reviews, and public and private sector negotiations, as well as other regulatory matters involving federal, state, and local agencies. Kecskes also serves Asia-based clients pursuing investments in United States real estate ventures.

“Ken’s recruitment is another strategic hire for the firm as we expand our real estate capabilities in the Bay Area and California legal markets,” said Matt Norton, a leader for K&L Gates’ global real estate practice and partner in the firm’s New York and Charleston offices. “In addition to Ken comfortably covering northern and southern California, his extensive experience in a broad range of real estate, development, and finance matters makes him a tremendous addition to our firmwide real estate practice. Our clients will benefit greatly having him on our global platform.”

Matt Mangan, managing partner of K&L Gates’ San Francisco office, commented: “We’re excited to have Ken join the firm; his practice will enhance our growing real estate group at the state, national, and international levels. His addition to our San Francisco and Los Angeles offices also supports our overall strategic growth plan in California.”

Kecskes is an active member of the Urban Land Institute, where he serves as a member of one of its national product councils devoted to community development and volunteers as a member of the UrbanPlan program in Bay Area high schools. He is Vice Chair for Sustainable Development on the American Bar Association’s Section on Climate Change, Sustainable Development and Ecosystems.

“K&L Gates offers an outstanding footprint for international investors in U.S. real estate,” Kecskes stated. “The depth of the firm’s real estate practice along with the deep bench of private equity and tax professionals worldwide make K&L Gates the preferred law firm for sophisticated real estate fund managers and institutional grade investors seeking real property opportunities in the United States. I am excited to be joining the team.”

Kecskes’s arrival follows the recent real estate additions of Randall Gerkens in Melbourne and Jody Saltzman in Newark.

With more than 135 lawyers, K&L Gates has one of the largest, most diversified real estate practices of any global law firm, advising clients in a variety of real estate investment, land use, planning and zoning, development and construction, financing, leasing, tax, and litigation matters.