Drinker Biddle Expands Real Estate Practice in Dallas With Addition of Allen Dickey
Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP today announced that Allen J. Dickey has joined the Dallas office as a partner in the Real Estate group. Dickey comes to the firm from Polsinelli. He is the 28th partner to join Drinker Biddle this year.
Dickey is a real estate transactional lawyer with experience leading a wide range of complex deals. He works with lenders, developers, investors and business owners on all aspects of real estate transactions, including franchise lending; mortgage and mezzanine loan origination and enforcement; commercial mortgage-backed securities lending; mortgage-backed securitization; development and construction finance; acquisitions and dispositions; leasing, loan workouts, modifications and extensions; property management; property tax incentives; real and personal property foreclosures; and deeds in lieu of foreclosure and resale of collateral following foreclosure.
“Allen’s finance perspective and high-level experience in the commercial real estate space will provide immediate value to our clients in Texas and across the country,” said Andrew C. Kassner, Drinker Biddle’s chairman and CEO. “His ability to help clients strategically navigate complex transactions further strengthens our national Real Estate group and growing Dallas office. We are pleased to welcome Allen to the firm.”
Dickey advises financial institutions providing debtors-in-possession financing in Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases, provides non-consolidation and true sale opinions on behalf of borrowers, and reviews opinions for lenders and trustees in structured finance and asset securitization transactions.
Before graduating from law school, he worked for a number of years as a commercial real estate broker, and as such is well connected in the Dallas real estate community.
“Allen’s background as both a real estate finance lawyer and commercial real estate broker give him a pragmatic, client-centric approach to structuring deals,” said David A. Ebby, chair of the firm’s Real Estate group. “His broad capabilities, particularly in the growing mezzanine finance arena, and proven track record of success make him an ideal fit for our thriving national team.”
Dickey earned both his B.A. and J.D. degrees from Southern Methodist University. While an undergraduate, he was selected as a University Scholar. In law school, he served as editor-in-chief of the NAFTA Law & Business Review of the Americas.
Recognized as a leading law firm for real estate law by Chambers USA, Drinker Biddle’s national team is well-known for handling sophisticated real estate transactions. With more than 40 lawyers across the country, the group has the breadth to handle projects of any scale or complexity, as well as the depth of location-specific experience necessary for success in key real estate markets.