Catherine co-founded DRB in 2014. Catherine represents the firm’s clients in a broad range of corporate transactions, construction and development projects, and labor, regulatory and corporate governance matters.

In her real estate practice, she works closely with clients throughout the life cycle of investments across all product sectors and layers of the capital stack. She structures and negotiates joint venture equity deals, acquisition and construction financings (representing both borrower and lender), preferred equity investments and mezzanine financings. She assists her clients with leasing and property and asset management issues, marketing efforts, dispositions, recapitalizations and workouts.

A significant portion of Catherine’s practice centers on construction and development, with a particular focus on complex multi-phase, mixed-use development projects. She negotiates construction, design, engineering and development agreements. She is closely involved in risk mitigation and dispute resolution when casualties, claims and disputes arise. Catherine also focuses on labor considerations effecting construction and development projects, including project labor agreements, neutrality agreements, responsible contractor policies, and pension fund considerations.

Catherine works closely with her clients’ General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, as well as SEC and ERISA regulatory counsel, to address compliance and regulatory matters faced by clients of the firm. She served as acting Chief Compliance Officer of the firm’s core investment advisor client from 2017 to 2018, reporting to the client’s Board of Directors in that role.

Representative Transactions

• Represented the NFLPA in 2020 Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations regarding stadium construction financing capital obligations.

• Lead counsel representing investors and developers in 20+ year multi-phase reconstruction and redevelopment of 4.8-acre site in Boston entitled for 2.3 Million square feet of mixed-use atop and integrated with complex transportation infrastructure.

• Structured complex multi-level commercial condominium regime to enable integrated site development. Closed multiple joint ventures, as well as debt financings including a $250 Million debt facility capitalizing a rental and condominium apartment tower; a $180 Million debt facility capitalizing the partial demolition, redevelopment and ongoing operation of Boston’s largest parking garage; and a $570 Million syndicated construction loan financing construction of a 1 Million square foot trophy office tower leased by State Street Bank as its global headquarters commencing in 2023.

• Represented investors and developers in joint venture structuring, construction financing, and development of a 3.05+ acre site in SW Washington, DC, planned for 900,000 square feet of mixed-use residential, office, retail and hospitality uses. Financings included $367 Million in construction financing.

• Represented investors and developers acquiring and developing four-parcel 5.1-acre site in Philadelphia, including joint venture equity investment, cross-collateralized $21 Million acquisition loan, and $120M construction loan capitalizing first phase of construction.

Professional Background

Prior to beginning her current role representing the firm’s core clients in 2005, Catherine practiced in the San Francisco and Washington, DC offices of Latham & Watkins where she represented private and public companies in large-scale, international mergers and acquisitions. She also spent a year on the business side of M&A, marketing and structuring portfolio-wise risk management programs and insuring M&A related risk.

Community Engagement

Catherine provides pro bono counsel to and has served on the boards of a number of local schools, youth education and mentoring organizations, and a local non-profit business association. Catherine founded the Montgomery County chapter of Decoding Dyslexia (MD).