Agnesine (Nesa) Amamoo

Ms. Amamoo regularly counsels clients on private equity, corporate real estate and M&A transactions, as well as providing distressed and strategic advice to large portfolio companies. She is the attorney development partner for Skadden’s real estate practice in New York.

Ms. Amamoo is experienced in a wide range of transactions. With respect to private equity, she has advised sponsor and investor clients in the formation, operation and capitalization of a broad range of U.S. and offshore private funds, and related financing, acquisition and disposition transactions, including sovereign wealth funds, Aquarian Holdings, Brookfield Asset Management, Las Vegas Sands Corp., Silverstein Properties, BlackRock, DigitalBridge, RREEF America, Fortress Investment Group and Fir Tree Capital. In the area of real estate finance, she has represented real estate operating companies, private equity platforms and financial institutions in the origination, structuring and sale of a wide range of debt instruments, including traditional mortgage loans, securitized real estate loans, single-and multi-tiered mezzanine loans, construction loans, ground lease financings and unsecured revolving credit facilities. Ms. Amamoo also represents REITs and other public and private real estate and infrastructure companies in mergers and acquisitions, as well as in financings and joint venture arrangements globally.

Ms. Amamoo’s representations include acting for:

• Korea Zinc in connection with the acquisition and construction and project financing for Crucible Zinc’s $7.4 billion critical minerals smelting and processing complex in Clarksville, Tennessee, one of the largest critical minerals investments in the United States. The facility, to be developed in strategic partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense, will be designed to produce zinc, copper, lead and 11 government-designated critical minerals essential to U.S. energy, technology and defense supply chains. Ms. Amamoo’s representation encompasses the completed acquisition of the Nyrstar USA smelter site and ongoing construction and project financing
• Aquarian Holdings in the formation of Aquarian Real Estate Partners (AREP), a newly established real estate investment and asset management platform, including fund structuring, governance, regulatory framework and operational infrastructure, and ongoing representation as primary outside real estate counsel in connection with AREP’s initial capital deployment across real estate equity acquisitions, mortgage loan platform investments and structured financing transactions across U.S. and international markets
• Brookfield Asset Management in its $11.4 billion acquisition of Forest City Realty Trust, a publicly traded U.S. real estate operating company with a nationwide portfolio
• Las Vegas Sands in numerous transactions, including its:
  • $6.25 billion bifurcated sale separating its Las Vegas real estate from operating assets
  • pursuit of a downstate New York gaming license and proposed development of a multi-billion-dollar integrated resort and casino on Long Island
  • acquisition of Nassau Coliseum
• The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in numerous transactions, including:
  • its $13 billion plan to redesign John F. Kennedy International Airport (Terminal One; Terminals 6 & 7)
  • the largest real estate land swap in New York City in over two decades, involving 225 acres at Staten Island’s Howland Hook Marine Terminal
  • its redevelopment of New York Stewart International Airport and various other marine terminal, financing and redevelopment transactions
• Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) in connection with certain redevelopments of at Logan Airport and related transactions
• Empire State Development in connection with the $3 billion+ Moynihan Train Hall/Farley Post Office development, creating a new LIRR/Amtrak facility and expanding Penn Station capacity by 50%
• Silverstein Properties in numerous transactions, including:
  • equity, financing and JV structuring for one of NYC’s largest office-to-residential conversions at 55 Broad Street
  • the formation of Metro Fund LLC with California State Teachers’ Retirement System to acquire properties in the New York metropolitan area
  • an affiliate of Silverstein Properties, Inc. in numerous debt fund transactions
• a sovereign wealth fund in connection with a $100 million co-investment in Brooklyn Strategic Real Estate Partners IV, a U.S. logistics development program with approximately $800 million in total capitalization
• BlackRock in its $12.5 billion acquisition of Global Infrastructure Partners, one of the largest acquisitions of a private asset manager and BlackRock’s biggest takeover since 2009
• Colony Capital in its $657.5 million consolidation of real estate investment management businesses into a public-company structure, and Colony Realty Partners II REIT in the Chapter 11 restructuring of its multi-asset real estate portfolio
• Holiday Acquisition Holdings in $1.4 billion+ concurrent multi-property sale-leaseback transactions with public REITs, and NorthStar Realty Finance / Formation Capital in a $1.05 billion sale and joint-venture acquisition of senior housing and skilled nursing facilities
• USQ Capital in $385 million+ across multiple sale-leaseback acquisitions involving ground leases (including Brookfield-affiliated lessors) and institutional financings
• Diameter Capital in connection with fund structuring, REIT-compliant investments and various real estate financings
• Life Time Fitness in its $4 billion+ take-private by Leonard Green & TPG, including exploration of a REIT conversion of owned real estate assets
• The We Company in its $850 million acquisition of the Lord & Taylor Building, a flagship Manhattan office property
• a pharmaceutical company in connection with the purchase and financing of a campus
Amherst Holdings, BlackRock Realty Advisers, Inc., Colony Capital, Colony Realty Partners, Dune Capital, Fir Tree Capital, Fortress Investment Group, Tishman Speyer and Deutsche Bank in the establishment of various real estate investment funds
• numerous sovereign wealth funds and family offices investing in and financing real estate

In addition, Ms. Amamoo is active in pro bono work, representing, among others, the nonprofit contemporary art organization The Swiss Institute. Ms. Amamoo also serves as co-president of the Skadden Foundation.

In recognition of her work, Ms. Amamoo has been named a Dealmaker of the Year by the New York Law Journal and selected for inclusion in Chambers USA. She has been repeatedly chosen as one of Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Global Real Estate Lawyers and 500 Leading Dealmakers in America. She was also honored as one of GlobeSt. Real Estate Forum’s 2023 Women of Influence and a Real Estate MVP by Law360. In addition, Crains’ New York Business recognized Ms. Amamoo among its 2024 Notable Real Estate Leaders and 2022 Notable Women in Law. Previously, she was included on Crains’ Rising Stars in Real Estate and GlobeSt.’s Fifty Under 40 lists. Ms. Amamoo has also been named an Empire State Counsel Honoree by the New York State Bar Association.