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Maura O'Connor

- Partner
Contact
Practice Areas
- Real Estate
- Commercial Real Estate Purchases and Sales
- Commercial Real Estate Leasing Programs
- Financing Transactions
- Workouts, Distressed Assets and Foreclosures
Biography
Maura built and chaired the California real estate departments for two major national law firms before launching O’Connor Cochran LLP. She was the first woman chair of the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation’s Board of Directors and continues to serve on its Executive Committee. Maura was named one of the top 10 real estate lawyers in Southern California by Real Estate Southern California.
Maura’s specialties include all kinds of commercial real estate financings, commercial leasing, large-scale distressed real estate asset management, workout and disposition programs, and direct foreign investment in West Coast businesses. She has extensive experience in real estate financing, loan enforcement, acquisitions, development and leasing, most often representing special servicers, lenders and retail chains. She has designed and implemented large-scale systematized and scalable programs to deliver cost-effective legal services in real estate matters, frequently on a fixed fee basis. She created and implemented several of the largest site acquisitions programs for retailers on the West Coast, including a recent multinational retailer that resulted in the successful acquisition of more than 150 sites totaling in value over $1.2 Billion over 18 months. Most recently Ms. O’Connor has developed and implemented predictable-pricing legal service systems for enforcing portfolios commercial real estate loans.
Ms. O’Connor has extensive experience in complex real estate financing transactions, workouts and foreclosures, dating back to the late 1980s. She has also handled many purchases and sales of environmentally contaminated properties. She has served as lead counsel for myriad senior and mezzanine loans, lease financings, securitized transactions, ground leases and equity investments for a wide variety of investors, banks, insurance companies and others. Ms. O’Connor also successfully handled the acquisition, entitlement, and development of major industrial, manufacturing, infrastructure, warehouse and distribution facilities, including an industrial land transfer and boundary change between the two principal shipping port authorities in Los Angeles County.
Ms. O’Connor has significant experience in handling foreign direct investment transactions by new entrants into the US and California markets and serving as outside general counsel for such companies. Her clients have included lenders, retailers, servicers, insurance companies, banks, manufacturers, pharmacies, grocery chains, borrowers, hotel chains, shopping center owners, pharmaceutical companies, medical office complexes and ports. She is a fellow of the American College of Mortgage Attorneys.
Education
- University of Minnesota Law School, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- J.D. - 1988
- Honors: cum laude
- Carleton College, Northfield, MN
- B.A. - 1981
Bar Admissions
- California, 1988
- U.S. Supreme Court, 1995
Professional Associations
- American College of Mortgage Attorneys, Fellow
- Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC), Director and Member of Executive Committee
- Southern California Development Forum, Former Director
- City of Hope Los Angeles Real Estate/Construction Council, Former Director
- Southern California Association of Governments Global Land Use Council
- American Counsel Association, Former Director
- American Bar Association
- L.A. Mortgage Association, Affiliate Member
- CRE Finance Council
Published Works
- Co-Author, “Securitized Mortgage Loans,” in CEB California Real Estate Finance Practice, Chapter 10 (2006 - 2025; updated annually)
- Co-author, Structuring and Enforcing Commercial Real Estate Loans in California: A Practical Guide (March 2024) [privately published]
- Co-author, “Structuring Enforceable Guaranties of California Commercial Real Estate Loans: Avoiding 'Fault' and 'No Fault' Sham Guaranties and Other Lender Traps,” Business Law News (March 2018)
- Co-author, “California Receivership and Foreclosure,” in Trigild Deskbook: Guide to Receivership and Foreclosure (7th ed. 2023, 6th ed. 2017 and 5th ed. 2013; updated periodically)
- Co-author, “Structuring Enforceable Guaranties of California Commercial Real Estate Loans,” The Practical Real Estate Lawyer (July 2017)
- Co-author, “Enforcing Defaulted CMBS Loans through Receivership Sales: Risks and Rewards of the Modification, Sale and Assumption Transaction under California’s ‘One Action’ Rule,” CRE Finance World (January 2011)
- Author, “Overview of Commercial Loan Workouts” in The Commercial Real Estate Tsunami: A Survival Guide for Lenders, Owners, Buyers, and Brokers by Tony Wood (Wiley Finance, May 2010)
- Co-author, “Take It to the Bank,” 32 Los Angeles Lawyer 31 (October 2009)
- Co-author, “Turning Paper into Cash: Frequently asked Questions about Making and Enforcing California Real Estate Loans,” a publication of Seyfarth Shaw LLP (2009)
- Editor and contributing author, “How to Do Business in LA County,” a joint publication of the LAEDC, the Los Angeles-Long Beach World Trade Center Association and Seyfarth Shaw LLP (2009)
- Author, “Streamline Your Lease Process,” Real Estate Southern California (May 2008)
- Author, “Making Permanent Financing Work,” Real Estate Southern California (January 2004)
- Co-Author, “Caveat Lender,” cover story for 18th Annual Real Estate Law issue, 25 Los Angeles Lawyer 26 (January 2003); reprinted with permission in Vol. 16, No. 4, Minnesota Real Estate Law Journal 56 (July/August 2003)
- Author, “Due Diligence in Real Estate Transactions,” 18 Real Estate Finance Journal 44 (West Group, 2002)
- Co-author, “Securitizable vs. Traditional Mortgage Loans,” 17 The Review of Banking and Financial Services 269A (Standard & Poor’s, 2001)
- Author, “Ten Commandments for Lenders Reviewing Leases,” in The Commercial Property Lease, Vol. III, Ch. 5 , Prof. P. Randolph, ed. (ABA, 2000)
Honors
- Named one of the Top Ten Real Estate Lawyers in Southern California by Real Estate Southern California
- Named a "Woman of Influence" by Real Estate Southern California
- Named one of the Distinguished Alumni of the University of Minnesota Law School
Classes & Seminars
- Moderator, “Non-Traditional Solutions to Get Deals Done When Capital Markets are Weird,” American College of Mortgage Attorneys Annual Meeting (September 2023)
- Moderator, “Seventh Inning Stretch: Issues to Watch Out For in a Late Stage Lending Market,” American College of Mortgage Attorneys Annual Meeting (September 2022)
- Moderator, “Real Estate Remedies Potpourri,” American College of Mortgage Attorneys Annual Meeting (September 2021)
- Panelist, “Ethics Showdown,” Trigild Spring Lender Conference (April 2019)
- Panelist, “Hot Legal Issues Impacting Loan Servicing,” Trigild Fall Lender Conference (October 2017)
- Panelist, “Upgrading LA County’s Multifamily Housing Stock,” Arixa Lender/Borrower Conference (May 2017)
- Panelist, “Market Disrupters – Looking Ahead,” Trigild Spring Lender Conference (April 2017)
- Panelist, “Legal Roundtable,” Trigild Spring Lender Conference (April 2016)
- Panelist, “Receiverships,” Trigild Spring Lender Conference (April 2014)
- Moderator, “Where’s the Money?,” Crittenden Real Estate Conference (April 2013)
- Moderator, “The Real World: Case Histories of Resolutions by Special Servicers,” Trigild Fall Lender Conference (October 2012)
- Moderator, “How to Get the Resolutions that Lenders Want,” Trigild Fall Lender Conference (October 2011)
- Panelist, “Real Estate Issues for Corporate Transactional Attorneys,” Real Property Law Section, California State Bar Annual Meeting (September 2011)
- Panelist, “Selling Distressed Commercial Real Estate Through Receiverships,” ALI-ABA Webinar, December 2010
- Panelist, “Current Trends in Distressed Real Estate Workouts, Foreclosures and Note Sales,” AREAA/NAHREP Real Estate and Marketing Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada, October 2010
- Panelist, “Distressed Real Estate Note Enforcement and Sales,” Mission National Bank Annual Investors Meeting, August 2010
- Panelist, “The Lender Liquidation Process,” Orange County’s ULI Capital Markets Forum, July 2010
- Moderator, “The Upside of the Downturn: Overcoming Challenges and Seizing Opportunities within the Mess of the Distressed Loan Market,” Real Estate and Construction Division of the Jewish Federation, June 2010
- Speaker, “Legal Aspects of Doing Business in Los Angeles County,” private gathering sponsored by regional government of Catalonia, Spain for trade group delegation
- Panelist, “The Coming Commercial Real Estate Tsunami, and How to Survive It,” CCIM/ULI joint meeting, San Francisco, May 2010
- Speaker, “Distressed REO and Distressed Note Purchases: What’s Happening Now,” CCIM – Greater Southern California Chapter, Orange County, April 2010
- Speaker, “How to Do Business in LA County,” Netherlands America Business Club, April 2010
- Co-Moderator, “Loan Workouts and Restructuring” roundtable, LA ULI’s Urban Marketplace Forum, March 2010
- Speaker, “Judicial Response to SPE Structures” and “When Will Commercial Real Estate Come Back, and What Will It Look Like?,” PLI Commercial Real Estate Financing 2010, San Francisco March, 2010
- Speaker, “Distressed Loan Enforcement in California: The One-Action Rule and Beyond,” private event, Business Partners LLC, March 2010
- Moderator, “A Practical, Legal and Tax Perspective on Buying and Selling Distressed Real Estate and Debt in California,” Green Pearl Distressed Real Estate Summit: California, Los Angeles, February 2010
- Panelist, “Real Estate Issues in Los Angeles County That Affect International Business,” invitation only event for the Los Angeles County Consular Corps, January 2010
- Panelist, “Lender Landmines,” Trigild Lender Conference, San Diego, November 2009
Pro-Bono Activities
- Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, Chairman, 2010-2011
- Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, Vice Chairman, 2009-2010
- City Garage Theatre, Santa Monica, Former Director
- Southern California Development Forum, Former Director