Bernadette Herward Davida

Bernadette Herward Davida’s practice focuses on all aspects of commercial real estate law, including corporate headquarters leasing on behalf of tenants and landlords; development and management of hotel, retail and golf course properties; private equity funds; loan and guaranty workouts and restructuring; acquisitions; partnerships and joint ventures; and financing.

Ms. Davida has a broad range of experience representing both lenders and borrowers in bank syndicate loans for office buildings, energy plants, hotels and resorts, mixed-use properties and portfolios. Her background also includes representation of clients in loan originations, syndications, securitizations, participations and mezzanine loans, debtor-in-possession financings and loan workouts, as well as equity investors in the acquisition of apartment, hotel and health care property portfolios and office buildings.

In the area of leasing, Ms. Davida has represented tenants in the leasing of corporate headquarters in the New York, Atlanta, Houston, San Francisco, Washington and London markets. In addition, as lead real estate counsel for a large New York-based hedge fund, Ms. Davida negotiates office leases and construction agreements in all of their major financial markets.

Ms. Davida has also acted as pro bono counsel to The New Museum For Contemporary Art, The Michael J. Fox Foundation, The Bronx Prep Charter School, The Arthritis Foundation of New York, The Regional Economic Community Action Program Inc. and The White House Project in dispositions, financings, and retail and office leasing transactions.

Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Davida held positions at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Dewey Ballantine LLP. She was also an Administrative Law Judge for the New York City Department of Finance.

Ms. Davida is a member of the American Bar Association, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, the Dutchess County Bar Association and the New York Criminal and Civil Courts Bar Association.

Ms. Davida is a member of the American Ireland Fund, serving on its New York Dinner Gala Committee and as a member of The Women’s Giving Circle.

Ms. Davida earned her Bachelor of Arts in political science and government administration, cum laude, from the University of Pittsburgh, where she was a Stouffer Foods Corporation National College Scholarship Recipient and a member of the Druids Honorary Society. She earned her Juris Doctor from the University at Buffalo Law School in 1987 where she received the Faculty of Law Distinguished Achievement Award in Constitutional Litigation and was listed in Who’s Who Among American Law Students (1987). She is admitted to practice in New York (1988) and before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (1991).