CHICAGO—Jones Day has added two attorneys to the global law firm's real estate finance team. Both John Rafkin, who is joining as a partner in the real estate practice, and David Woods, who joins as a partner in the banking and finance practice, were formerly partners with Sidley Austin LLP in Chicago.

“We believe that many real estate lenders benefit greatly from an integrated, comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to financings, workouts and restructurings,” says Bob Lee, a Chicago-based leader of Jones Day's global real estate practice. "We've institutionalized that in our global real estate finance team, and we know that John and Dave will make an important contribution to that effort.”

Rafkin brings the firm more than 25 years' experience in representing individual lenders, bank groups and borrowers in single- and multi-asset financings of commercial real estate. He has handled financings ranging from subordinated debt to CMBS, With a strong background in all asset classes, he's especially experienced in hospitality financing, and also has extensive experience in workouts of troubled loans.

Woods has 10 years' experience in corporate and institutional real estate financing, including hospitality and construction industry loans. Along with his real estate finance background, Woods' experience also runs to commercial leasing, acquisitions and dispositions and sale-leasebacks. Further, he has handled the sale, leasing, and financing of cellular towers and real property owned, leased and financed by not-for-profit entities.

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Paul Bubny

Paul Bubny is managing editor of Real Estate Forum and GlobeSt.com. He has been reporting on business since 1988 and on commercial real estate since 2007. He is based at ALM Real Estate Media Group's offices in New York City.