Awards and Rankings
November 15, 2022

DIANA BRUMMER AND JOHN FERGUSON NAMED 2022 NOTABLE LEADERS IN REAL ESTATE BY CRAIN’S NEW YORK BUSINESS

Goodwin partners and Global Real Estate Industry co-chairs Diana Brummer and John Ferguson have been recognized by Crain’s New York Business as 2022 Notable Leaders in Real Estate for their accomplishments in the New York City real estate market and continued involvement in mentorship, philanthropy and community service. All of the real estate professionals recognized by this year’s list were selected for their role in helping to transform the New York City real estate industry through groundbreaking achievements following the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brummer’s experience spans the full spectrum of real estate transactions with a particular emphasis on complex joint ventures, senior, construction and mezzanine financings (for both lenders and borrowers), acquisitions and dispositions, loan workouts, and real estate recapitalizations. She represents a wide variety of client types, including institutional investors, pension funds, private real estate funds and public and private REITs, as well as their investment advisers. She also regularly counsels her clients on all aspects of managing distressed real estate assets.

In addition to her practice, Brummer spent many years as co-chair of Women@Goodwin New York, part of the firm-wide affinity group supporting the firm’s goals of recruiting, retaining, developing, and advancing women throughout their career. She is also active in pro bono matters, including working with the Oliver Scholars, an organization that prepares Black and Latino students from underserved NYC communities for success at top schools. In addition to this honor, she has been named a leading lawyer by Chambers USA, The Legal 500 United States, and Best Lawyers in America.  

Ferguson represents a wide range of clients across the real estate sector, and formerly served as co-chair of Goodwin’s Private Investment Funds practice. He possesses extensive experience advising clients on the formation of private investment funds, partnerships, joint ventures and other transaction structures, and in acquisition, financing, restructuring and disposition transactions. His experience in the private investment fund area includes debt and credit, infrastructure, real estate, asset-backed securities, private equity and hedge funds and funds-of-funds. 

Ferguson is former co-chair and one of the leaders behind the Real Estate Capital Markets Conference (RECM), which for 15 years has been co-sponsored annually by Goodwin and Columbia University Business School’s Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate. He is also a member of the New York Executive Leadership Council for Autism Speaks, an autism advocacy organization and the largest autism research organization in the United States. He has previously been named a leading lawyer by Chambers USA, The Legal 500 United States, IFLR1000, and Connect CRE.

Goodwin’s highly-acclaimed Real Estate Industry practice, with more than 200 lawyers across the U.S., Europe and Asia, offers deep market insights and practical approaches to help both private and public clients make the most of every investment decision. With experience across the wide array of real estate specialty areas, Goodwin has the ability to represent clients through the complete life cycle of a real estate investment. From private fund formation and all types of real estate transactions to REITs and real estate M&A, Goodwin is fully-equipped with the knowledge necessary to help companies structure, raise and deploy capital.