Steven J. Levine
Partner
San Diego
steven.levine@lw.com
+1.858.523.5400
PRACTICES
- Banking
- Israel Practice
- Project Development & Finance
- Real Estate
INDUSTRIES
- Energy & Infrastructure
- Healthcare & Life Sciences
- Hospitality, Gaming & Leisure
- REITs
- Technology
EDUCATION
- JD, University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, 1990
- BA, University of California, Los Angeles, 1987
LANGUAGES SPOKEN
PROFILE
Steven Levine advises key industry players on a full range of complex real estate and project development and finance matters, including real estate and project purchases, as well as sales and leasing transactions.
Steven draws on his vast experience at the intersection of real estate and project finance to help clients successfully navigate their most significant business challenges. He delivers creative counsel to lenders, underwriters, and real estate and infrastructure project owners and developers on:
- Developing, constructing, and financing laboratory projects, office projects, and large infrastructure projects, including hotels, energy transition projects (including CCUS and hydrogen), casinos, sporting facilities, petrochemical projects, power projects, and water projects
- Leasing office, retail, gaming, hospitality, industrial, and laboratory projects
- Acquiring and disposing of raw land and office, retail, gaming, hospitality, industrial, and laboratory projects
- Ground leasing and land acquisition for hospitality, infrastructure, energy, and industrial projects
- Strategic advice on development and construction matters
- Sale-leaseback transactions for office, retail, gaming, hospitality, industrial, and laboratory projects
- Drafting and negotiating a variety of design, engineering, and construction agreements
He also advises biotechnology companies on real estate and product procurement issues.
EXPERIENCE
Steven's experience includes:
- Gaylord Pacific Project (RIDA Development) – Representing sponsor in connection with development and financing of approximately 1,600-room hotel and convention center in Chula Vista, California, as part of a public-private partnership
- Center for Novel Therapeutics (BioMed Realty Trust) – Represented sponsor in developing an office/laboratory complex on the UCSD campus as part of a public- private partnership, including negotiation of construction contracts
- Various Laboratory, Manufacturing, and Pilot Plant Projects (Impossible Foods) – Representing food tech company in connection with various leasing, manufacturing, and construction arrangements
- Illumina Laboratory Project (BioMed Realty Trust) – Represented sponsor in connection with development of laboratory project located in San Diego, California, including negotiation of construction contracts
- Lumière Place Casino and Hotels Sale (Caesars Entertainment) – Represented seller/lessee in sale and leaseback by Caesars Entertainment, Inc. of Lumière Place Casino and Hotels in St. Louis, Missouri
- Harrah’s Las Vegas (Caesars Entertainment) – Represented seller/lessee in connection with sale-leaseback of Harrah’s Las Vegas, Nevada casino/hotel
- Caesars Exchange (Caesars Entertainment) – Represented seller/lessee in exchange of real property in order to remove one hotel and casino property from a sale-leaseback structure and replace it with two different hotel and casino properties
- Caesars New Orleans (Caesars Entertainment) – Represented developer in connection with ground lease of casino and hotel sites in New Orleans
- Bally’s Chicago (Bally’s) – Represented developer in connection with ground lease of hotel and casino site in Chicago, Illinois
- LAFC Soccer Stadium (LAFC Sports) – Represented sponsor in connection with the development of a proposed MLS soccer stadium to be located in downtown Los Angeles for the Los Angeles Football Club
- Jack Casinos (Jack Ohio Finance) – Represented seller/lessee of casinos in connection with the sale and leaseback of two casinos
- del Lago Resort & Casino (Peninsula Pacific) – Represented sponsor in connection with development of casino-hotel located in upstate New York
- Alila Marea Beach Resort Encinitas (JMI Realty) – Represented sponsor in connection with development of hotel project located in Encinitas, California
- Barakah Nuclear Project (Emirates Nuclear Energy) – Represented sponsor in connection with development and financing of a 4,800-MW nuclear power project in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, including the development and negotiation of EPC contracts, operating and maintenance agreements, power purchase agreements, and long-term service agreements
- Mozambique LNG Facility (Anadarko Petroleum Company) – Acted as co-counsel for project financing in connection with an integrated upstream and midstream gas and LNG project in the Republic of Mozambique; this transaction was awarded Global Multilateral Deal of the Year by the Project Finance International Awards in 2020
- Confidential (Confidential) – Represented biotech company in connection with construction contracts for laboratory, GMP manufacturing, and headquarter space in Boston, Massachusetts
- Texas Central Railroad Project (Texas Central Partners) – Representing sponsor in negotiating construction, operations and procurement contracts for an approximately 240-mile high-speed rail line between Dallas and Houston, Texas
- 500 Fairview (BioMed Realty Trust) – Represented sponsor in connection with development of laboratory project, including representation relating to construction contract
- Energía Sierra Juárez Wind Farm (Sempra Energy) – Represented sponsor in connection with the development of the 155-MW first phase of the Energía Sierra Juárez Wind Farm in Mexico
- Ohio Petrochemical Complex (PTT Global Chemical) – Representing sponsor in connection with the development of a proposed petrochemical refinery complex to be located in Belmont County, Ohio
- Carlsbad Desalination Project (Poseidon Resources) – Acted as co-counsel in connection with development and financing of an industrial scale desalination facility in Carlsbad, California