Real Estate Journal — Executive Women in Business — October 28 - November 10, 2016 — 25A
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M id A tlantic
Executive Women in Business
hat was your most notable transac- tion in 2016? Senwan Akhtar, Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis LLP Work hard to become an expert by always learning & keeping abreast of new developments W Senwan Akhtar Counsel literature on law and business as possible and regularly at- tend continuing education seminars.
What qualities and/or per- sonality traits do you feel make you most successful? I am very responsive to my clients and work well in teams. I have developed good working re- lationships with the other attor- neys at my law firmwho provide expert advice in their areas, so I am able to give comprehensive legal advice to my clients. What challenges do you feel you needed to over- come to become successful? As everyone knows, commer- cial real estate is a male domi- nated industry. As women, I think we have to work harder to prove ourselves than men. I make sure that I read as much
I was lead counsel on a trans- action that I closed in July 2016 in which I represented the purchaser of a 300 unit luxury apartment complex consist- ing of 30 buildings located in Ocean County, New Jersey for a purchase price of $55 million. I negotiated complex financ- ing documents consisting of a mortgage loan and mezzanine loan, as well as a sophisticated joint venture agreement among the current property owners. How do you contribute to your company and/or the industry? I am a member of the Edito- rial Board of the New Jersey Lawyer Magazine, which is published by the New Jersey State Bar Association on a bi- monthly basis. Along with the other board members, I am responsible for identifying po- tential authors and article top- ics. I am also the Co-Chair of the Real Estate Committee of the Middlesex County Bar As- sociation where I organize and moderate real estate seminars. How do you manage the work/life balance? I have a very supportive hus- band who shares equally in the responsibility of raising our two young daughters. I also work efficiently during busi- ness hours so I can spend time withmy family in the evenings and on weekends. Technology is important because it allows me to connect to my law firm’s network and work outside of business hours. Whohasbeenthe strongest influence on your career? My parents immigrated to the United States over 50 years ago as undergraduate students. They taught me that education is the key to success, and they instilled in me a love of learning and the drive to succeed. What impact has social media/networking had on your business? Networking is crucial to suc- ceeding in the legal industry. Most ofmy newclients have been referred tome by colleagues who I developed relationships with at various legal and non-legal networking events. Tell us howandwhen you began your career in the profession you are in. My first job as lawyer was working as an attorney at a Wall Street law firm. I did not
Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis LLP Years with company/firm: 9
What word of advice would you give to a woman about to go into real estate? I would tell her that she can stand out and be success- ful in real estate if she works hard on becoming an expert in her field. She should be continually learning and keep- ing abreast of developments in the law. There are many experienced attorneys who would be happy to help guide her in her career and who can give her practical advice that cannot be learned in books. n
Years in field/real estate industry: 15 Organizations: Real Estate Committee of the Middlesex County Bar Associa- tion; LEED AP BD+C (USGBC)
enjoy it because at large New York law firms young attorneys do not handle transactions from start to finish. I left after a few months to join a sole practitioner. He introducedme
to the world of real estate and taught me all of the basics. To- gether, we ran a thriving real estate practice and title search company. From then on, I was hooked on real estate.
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