Robinson+Cole has hired 11 public finance employees as part of its mid-Atlantic expansion efforts.
The Connecticut-based firm has been trying to strengthen its operations in the region. All four new partners specialize in multifamily affordable housing.
The new hires include partners Ryan George, Ethan Ostrow, Catherine Woltering and Tina Bhanshali; associates Cassandra Perea, Victor Carlo and Matthew Hood; paralegals Isabelle Yourick, Rosaura Fox and Grace Burt; and legal administrative assistant Nancy Parada.
"We have been collaborating with members of the team for over 25 years," Andrew L. Kramer, co-chair of Robinson+Cole's affordable housing and finance team, said in a press release. "This transition formalizes that longstanding partnership with the added enhancements that the entire team will provide to both our practice and to the core public finance practice."
George and Ostrow will work in the firm's Washington, D.C., office and Woltering will work in the firm's New York office. Bhanshali joins its Los Angeles office.
George has nearly 25 years of experience as a lender's and underwriter's counsel. His work has centered on private-activity bonds for affordable multifamily rental housing, student housing and healthcare facilities, according to the press release.
"George has played a pivotal role in structuring transactions and programs for banking clients," the release said, "including the nation's largest bank-sponsored tax-exempt bond and loan conduit private placement program for affordable multifamily rental projects."
Ostrow has worked with credit providers including the Federal Housing Administration, Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. He helped develop the structure and documentation for Fannie Mae's MBS as Tax-Exempt Bond Collateral program.
Woltering has more than 15 years of experience and a background in litigation, securities and bankruptcy. She was part of the legal team representing the SIPA trustee in the liquidation of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities, according to the press release.
Bhanshali "primarily represents loan servicers in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac conventional and affordable, securitized and non-securitized, multifamily housing loan transactions," the release said.
This is Robinson+Cole's first big addition of staff since 2023, when the firm added six lawyers and six professional staff
Three of those lawyers are now on Robinson+Cole's affordable housing team; this expansion "builds on the momentum we established" in 2023, Kramer said.
"This team brings an exceptional depth of experience in public finance that not only complements and strengthens our existing capabilities, but also aligns with our strategic goals," Keisha S. Palmer, chair of the firm's public finance group, said in the press release. "Their collaborative approach and national perspective make them a powerful addition to our already robust public finance group."
