Olesya Bakar Headshot
Olesya Bakar
202.469.5220

Overview

Olesya Bakar is a corporate attorney in Holland & Knight's Washington, D.C., office and is the head of the firm's Real Estate Fund Formation practice. Ms. Bakar has more than 23 years of experience advising and representing global emerging and mature private and public companies in an array of corporate matters within a variety of industries covering all corners of the globe.

The core of Ms. Bakar's practice is in the real estate industry – she understands the nuances of real estate investment structuring and guides clients through their complexities. She provides advice to help her clients succeed, whether it be in a high-profile, multibillion-dollar transaction or to first-time fund managers. Her primary focus is the representation of issuers/sponsors and investors in private investment fund formation and capital-raising activities, including private equity and debt financing, as well as early- and expansion-stage venture capital financing, joint venture and strategic alliances. Ms. Bakar's experience advising fund sponsors, as well as institutional and high-net-worth investors, provides her with a holistic perspective of the market and its latest trends, awareness of the unique sensitivities of the parties and the ability to find positive solutions for clients.

On the regulatory side, Ms. Bakar advises clients on aspects of compliance with the Investment Company Act, Investment Advisers Act and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Ms. Bakar's clients include private investment fund sponsors, global corporations and international organizations.

Beyond her real estate focus, Ms. Bakar also advises domestic and international clients operating in a variety of industries, including financial technology (FinTech), clean energy and technology, aviation and aerospace, and life sciences, as well as agriculture.

Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Ms. Bakar served as co-lead of the Real Estate Funds practice for a global law firm working with sponsors and investors in the real estate sector.

Representative Experience

  • Represented FCP (formerly Federal Capital Partners), a privately held real estate investment sponsor focused on residential and commercial assets throughout the United States, in the successful formation of its investment vehicles, including:
    • Fund I, which closed with $240 million in capital commitments in 2008
    • Fund II, which closed with more than $529 million in capital commitments in 2012
    • Fund III, which closed with more than $510 million in capital commitments in 2016
    • Fund IV, which closed with $755 million in capital commitments in 2018
    • Fund V, which closed with $1.188 billion in capital commitments in 2021
    • Fund V Co-Invest, which closed with approximately $360 million in capital commitments in 2021
  • JBG SMITH (NYSE: JBGS), a leading owner and developer of high-quality, mixed-use properties in the Washington, D.C., market, in connection with a variety of matters, including:
    • the formation of its nine private equity real estate opportunity funds and corresponding vehicles prior to its going public transaction
    • a recapitalization transaction into a programmatic joint venture prior to its going public transaction
    • a roll-up transaction in connection with taking JBG SMITH public
    • the formation of The Impact Pool (Washington Housing Initiative Impact Pool), an investment vehicle that provides financing for the acquisition or development of affordable workforce housing and the creation or stabilization of inclusive communities
  • Represented Horizon Land Co., a real estate fund sponsor focused on creating and maintaining affordable land-leased neighborhoods, in the successful formation of its investment vehicles as well as other corporate matters, including:
    • Fund I, which closed with $106 million in capital commitments in 2015
    • Fund II, which closed with approximately $200 million in capital commitments in 2018
    • Fund II Co-Invest vehicle, which closed with more than $250 million in equity in 2021
  • Represented an investment firm focused on multifamily real estate, in its internal organizational restructuring and related matters
  • Represented a Texas-based private equity real estate manager pursuing a value-added strategy, in the formation of a private real estate investment trust (REIT)

Credentials

Education
  • University of Georgia School of Law, J.D., cum laude
  • University of Georgia, B.B.A., summa cum laude
Bar Admissions/Licenses
  • District of Columbia
  • Georgia
Memberships
  • American Bar Association
Honors & Awards

Speaking Engagements

News