Katherine Garavaglia

Katherine E. Garavaglia

(she/her/hers)

Associate

Katherine E. Garavaglia

(she/her/hers)

Associate

  • Overview

    Biography

    Katherine Garavaglia focuses her practice on real estate finance, acquisitions, sales, and complex title. She works with a variety of clients, including international, national and local lenders, hospitals, REITs, developers, municipalities, and grocery store chains. Her experience also includes working on affordable housing transactions and large-scale solar development projects. Katie is a member of the firm’s Real Estate + Development Group.

    With more than a decade of experience analyzing and resolving complex commercial and residential titles throughout the United States and U.S. territories, Katie assists clients with due diligence including review of title, survey, and zoning. Additionally, she has experience drafting and negotiating leases, commercial loans of all asset classes, purchase agreements, and various types of documentation for real estate transactions and financings. 

    Prior to joining Robinson+Cole, Katie held in-house positions as an Underwriting Counsel at a major commercial real estate firm and as Claims Counsel for a title insurance and underwriting services firm, both of which were based in Massachusetts. Katie is currently a member of the Somerville Zoning Board of Appeals.

  • Experience
    • Experience

      Experience

        Development Projects

      • Review of acquisition, loan documents, and ground leases for a 60-site, $150 million ground lease transaction throughout Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. *

      • Conducted diligence review and issued title insurance policies for a $405 million entity acquisition and real estate transaction of life science buildings in the Raleigh Durham research triangle. *

      • Conducted a $130 million mixed-use retail development project transaction in Salem, New Hampshire. *

      • Worked with parties in connection with the development of a mixed-use development in the seaport including consultation regarding air rights which required review and approval of conveyance documents and advised regarding potential tax implications; worked with parties for a first phase $18 million construction loan. *

      • Underwrote issuance of owner’s, lender’s, and leasehold policies of title insurance policies for the development of a hospital in Lancaster, NH for $30 million. The transaction was structured to take advantage of the new market tax credits. Advised the parties regarding mechanic’s lien coverage in light of the corporate structure and negotiated indemnities that allowed for mechanic’s lien coverage to be provided to the leasehold owner and the lender. Reviewed and approved all construction loan draws until the project was successfully completed in January 2020. *

      • Real Estate and Entity Acquisitions

      • Conducted $113 million sale of 1.8 million square feet of industrial warehouses covering nine sites under various stages of construction in four different states, and later added financing for the acquiring Real Estate Investment Trust. *

      • Conducted 26 site acquisition of gas-station convenience stores across 3 states; found creative solutions to issue title insurance policies despite numerous title matters including missing parcels; worked with the parties drafting easement agreements, licenses, and deeds from towns including advising on open meeting compliance regulations in connection with the sale of parcels of land from municipalities. *

      • Contentious Matters and Litigation Experience

      • Successfully negotiated an amendment to a Declaration of Covenants encumbering a shopping center in Florida. The Declaration included a provision that fast-food eateries were not allowed in the center. The Insured owner operated a Dunkin Donuts on the site, and there was no exception taken in the policy for the covenants. By locating the Assignee of the Declarant, and obtaining the consents of the other tenants in the shopping center to the amendment, a full policy pay out to the Insured was avoided, and the Insured was not left to navigate this problem on its own. *

      • Oversaw litigation for a commercial shopping center that was conveyed fraudulently during a bankruptcy stay on behalf of an Insured owner who was a bona fide purchaser for value down the chain of title. *

         

        * Attorney Garavaglia was counsel in these representative transactions prior to joining Robinson+Cole.

         

    • Honors + Awards

      Honors + Awards

      Selected by the New England Real Estate Journal to be featured in the publication’s 2023 “Ones to Watch Rising Stars” spotlight

    • Community Involvement

      Community Involvement

      Somerville, MA Zoning Board of Appeals
  • NEWS + PRESS
    • News

      R+C in the News

      • June 21, 2023

        Katie Garavaglia Featured in New England Real Estate Journal’s “2023 Ones to Watch Rising Stars” Spotlight

        • » more info
        • View article