Federman Steifman LLP announced today that Heath Esterak and Allison Bendele, commercial real estate lawyers with deep experience in complex transactions and particular expertise in industrial real estate nationwide, have joined the firm as Partner and Associate, respectively.
Mr. Esterak focuses his practice on industrial real estate involving logistics, distribution, and manufacturing facilities. His practice spans acquisitions, dispositions, leasing, and financing across multiple asset classes, and he regularly advises clients on transaction structuring and entity formation for real estate investments, corporate structuring, and financing arrangements, including sale-leasebacks.
Ms. Bendele represents clients in acquisitions and dispositions (including large portfolio and single-asset transactions), commercial leasing, and debt and equity financing. Ms. Bendele regularly provides counsel across the investment life cycle, from diligence and closing through asset management and disposition.
Prior to joining Federman, Mr. Esterak served for over 20 years as Managing Director, Legal at AIC Industrial, where he led the legal execution of the company’s real estate transactions, including the negotiation and documentation of debt and equity financing and the structuring and consummation of acquisition, disposition, and leasing transactions. His work routinely involved transactions with repeat institutional lenders and long-standing equity partners, and he provided strategic legal counsel throughout the full investment life cycle.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Esterak was a senior associate in the San Antonio office of Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P., maintaining a broad commercial real estate practice representing owners, developers, and lenders in connection with the acquisition, disposition, financing, development, leasing, and operation of commercial real property.
Prior to joining Federman, Ms. Bendele served as Associate Director, Legal at AIC Industrial, where she oversaw and executed real estate transactions and portfolio matters across the company’s national platform, partnering closely with business stakeholders on all phases of investment management.
“I’m thrilled to join Federman’s entrepreneurial and highly skilled real estate team,” said Heath Esterak. “The firm’s collaborative approach and deep bench will allow me to help clients execute sophisticated transactions efficiently, with a pragmatic, business-first mindset.”
“Heath brings exceptional judgment and decades of hands-on transactional leadership across the industrial real estate sector,” said Michael K. Federman, Managing Partner of Federman Steifman LLP. “His ability to simplify complex deals, align capital partners, and close on time is precisely the kind of practical, solution-oriented lawyering our clients value. We are equally excited to welcome Allison, whose sale-leaseback and industrial expertise will further strengthen our offerings to clients.”
Mr. Esterak was admitted to practice law in Texas in 1995. He earned his B.A., with honors, from The University of Texas at Austin, and his J.D. from The University of Texas School of Law.
Ms. Bendele was admitted to practice law in Texas in 2017. She earned her B.A. from Texas State University and her J.D. from The University of Texas School of Law.
For more information, visit www.federmansteifman.com.