Singer and McSharry win 2001 REBNY finance award.

Andrew J. Singer, chairman and CEO of the Singer & Bassuk Organization, and Kathleen McSharry, the firm's senior managing director, were winners of the Most Ingenious Deal of the Year Award at the Real Estate Board of New York's annual gathering on April 18, 2001. The award was presented on behalf of the finance committee by Jeffrey Bijur, its program chairperson, for the pair's efforts in arranging the Kaufman Portfolio financing, a group of loans totaling $205 Million, on four class "A," Manhattan office buildings, containing more than 2,225,000 SF. The properties included 437 Madison Ave., 747 Third Ave., 777 Third Ave., and 77 Water St. All are owned by partnerships related to the Kaufman family and St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company.

Mr. Singer and Ms. McSharry were presented with plaques which said "... for ...achievement in putting together a highly professional and complex deal involving multiple locations thus setting a worthy standard for ... colleagues which will benefit both the real estate market and mortgage brokerage practice in Manhattan ..."

In his acceptance speech Mr. Singer thanked Melvyn and Robert Kaufman, principals of the William Kaufman Organization, for having faith in his and Ms. McSharry's ability to complete this transaction. He went on to note the particularly valuable contributions of Steve Ridulfo and Iris Sutz from The Kaufman Organization, Arthur Rosner and Tom Dee of the, law firm of Nixon Peabody, Adam Raboy of Credit Suisse First Boston, and Jeffrey Moroch of the Singer & Bassuk Organization.

Two of the three deals nominated for the award were arranged by SBO. The second transaction was a $70,000,000 loan arranged by Scott A. Singer and Andrew J. Singer on behalf of affiliates of Jack Resnick & Sons on the 600,000 SF office building known as Two Chase Manhattan Plaza.