Amy Carbins

Amy B. Carbins

Partner
Location Head, Washington, DC Real Estate practice
She has a terrific ability to negotiate firmly while keeping all parties engaged and moving forward.
Chambers USA
About

Amy Carbins is an accomplished real estate lawyer, experienced in structuring, negotiating, and executing complex commercial transactions. Known for her careful analysis and emphasis on risk mitigation, she finds practical solutions for her clients’ complex problems.

Amy advises lenders and borrowers in construction, bridge, and permanent financings. Her experience includes transactions involving office buildings, hotels and resorts, shopping centers, mixed-use projects, multi-family, senior independent and assisted living communities and industrial properties.

Amy’s finance experience includes multi-jurisdiction/multi-property portfolios, preferred equity and mezzanine debt, CMBS and syndicated debt arrangements and other structured finance transactions. She also advises clients on leasing and asset management matters for office, retail and industrial properties, including working with landlords and tenants on headquarters leases, single-tenant buildings, new construction leasing and representation of landlords owning large, multi-state portfolios.

Areas of FocusReal Estate
Bar admissionsCaliforniaDistrict of Columbia
She has a no-nonsense approach. She likes to cut through and get a deal, which is much appreciated in transaction mode.
— Chambers USA

REPRESENTATIVE TRANSACTIONS

  • On-going representation of private real estate company in acquisition, joint venture, mortgage and preferred equity financings and Sale of $1.3 billion multi-family portfolio
  • On-going representation of major national retailer in financing, dispositions and portfolio management of over 1,000 retail sites nationwide
  • Represented purchaser in acquisition of US$103 million office building in the San Francisco Bay Area
  • Represented owners of mixed-use development projects for anchor retail leases with major natural foods grocery tenant
  • Represented Am Law 100 law firm as anchor tenant in a 185,000 sf lease in a to-be-constructed trophy office building in Washington, DC
  • Represented international non-profit think-tank as tenant in a 90,000 sf lease for its new headquarters in Washington, DC
  • Represented international oil company in disposition of real estate and other assets including more than 800 individual retail properties in the Southwest to a single purchaser
  • Represented lender in foreclosure, leasing and disposition of a two- building office project, including single-tenant leases for each building
Education
  • J.D., Lewis & Clark Law School 2004
    cum laude
  • B.A., University of Oregon 2000

Awards

  • Chambers USA
    • Band 3, District of Columbia Real Estate (2022)
    • Band 4, District of Columbia Real Estate (2021)
      Chambers comments, "Amy Carbins is co-chair of the practice, and offers expertise in matters including acquisitions, leases and complex structuring financings." Clients say, "She has a no-nonsense approach. She likes to cut through and get a deal, which is much appreciated in transaction mode." "She's learned from the best and has a terrific ability to negotiate firmly while keeping all parties engaged and moving forward."
    • Up and Coming, District of Columbia Real Estate (2020)
  • The Legal 500 United States
    • Recommended, Real Estate (2020-2022)
  • Named Law360's MVPs of the Year award in the Real Estate (2020)
  • Honored in the Women of Influence Awards, CRE Legal Counsel category by GlobeSt. Real Estate Forum (2020)

Pro Bono

Amy received DLA Piper's National Pro Bono Award, recognizing her outstanding pro bono service, including launching a collaboration with community legal service organizations to provide emergency legal services to survivors of domestic violence in San Francisco. 

Seminars

  • Moderator, "Real Estate Investment:  Trends and Issues Driving the Region’s Commercial Real Estate Market and Economy," Washington, DC (January 24, 2023)

Media Mentions

Connect

Phone

+1 202 799 4518
(Work, Washington, DC)
+1 415 615 6196
(Work, San Francisco)