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Rhys W. Hefta

Rhys Hefta is a partner in the firm's Real Estate practice. He advises clients on purchases, sales and financing of real estate assets, including office, hospitality, retail, multifamily and senior housing properties. His finance experience includes a wide range of financing structures, including commercial mortgage backed securities, senior and subordinate notes, second mortgage and mezzanine debt and preferred equity. He has represented commercial real estate lenders ranging from Wall Street investment banks, governmental agencies, life insurance companies, foreign lending institutions and their domestic branches and other institutional lenders in all aspects of loan originations, structuring, purchases and sales, securitization and syndications, as well as workouts and restructurings. He has experience in both construction and permanent financing as well as distressed debt financing.

Rhys has represented clients in sophisticated joint venture transactions. He also has experience in commercial leasing, as well as representing owners in the negotiation of asset and property management agreements and franchise agreements.

After several years of developing his practice in New York with another leading international law firm, Mr. Hefta joined the Seattle office of K&L Gates in 2010.

  • Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® for Real Estate Law, 2023 and 2024
  • Recognized by Chambers USA for Real Estate in Washington, 2022 and 2023
  • Named to the Washington Super Lawyers Rising Stars list, 2016
  • Fellow, American College of Real Estate Lawyers
  • WSBA Real Property Probate and Trust Quarterly Newsletter, Editor (2015-16)
  • Real Property Council member of the WSBA Real Property, Probate and Trust Section Executive Committee
  • Major Components of a Washington Loan - WSBA CLE - Annual Real Property Spring CLE: A Practice Guide to Real Estate Lending in Washington, April 24, 2020
  • Co-chair of WSBA CLE – Annual Fall Real Property Seminar, December 7, 2017
  • Co-chair of WSBA CLE – Rapidly Developing Changes in Real Estate Litigation, April 7, 2017
  • Co-chair of WSBA CLE - Ethical Issues in the Practice of Real Property Law, December 16, 2016
Additional Thought Leadership Pages
  • Update for Washington State Property Owners: The New Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy and Resiliency (C-PACER) Program, Probate and Property, March/April 2021
  • Real Property Practice Tip: Don’t Let your Client Overpay Real Estate Excise Tax when Conveying Improved Ground Leased Property, WSBA Real Property Probate & Trust, Spring 2015
  • Collateral Agents in a Post-BAIN World: A Brief Exploration of the Common Law of Agency, WSBA Real Property Probate & Trust, Summer 2013
  • Real Property Practice Tip: Reviewing Real Estate Loan Documents for Washington Law Compliance, WSBA Real Property Probate & Trust, Fall 2012
  • Roommates (the potential use of joint ventures as an alternative to traditional seller financing), The Deal; Judgment Call, March 8, 2010 (primary author)
  • The Joint Ventures as an Alternative Source of Capital, New York Law Journal, January 12, 2009 (co-author)
Additional News & Event Pages
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