Crystal Lofing

Last year, Lofing stepped up to the plate for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

She played a key role in preparing covenants for the cooperative use of Dodgers Stadium and parking lots, while assisting partner and mentor Tony Natsis in representing Frank McCourt on his $2.15 billion sale of the team to Guggenheim Baseball Management last May.

"That was a very unique experience," Lofing said. "It took a lot of elbow grease, understanding the stadium and parking lots, and how the properties work together, while preserving the ability of the parking lot owner to develop the parking lots in the future. It was a very challenging transaction."

Her job was to keep track of all the details, including drafting and tracking a large number of documents. There were many players involved.

"I've never dealt with so many lawyers on a transaction in my life," she said. "It was a 14-hour-a-day job toward the end."

Among her significant matters, Lofing was lead associate on the separate dispositions of industrial portfolios in Southern California for Kilroy Realty Corp. for an aggregate of $355 million; the acquisitions of Key Center in Bellevue, Wash., for Kilroy, valued at $217 million; and Nordhoff & Tampa Plazas in Northridge for CorAmerica Capital for $88.4 million.

Many of Lofing's real estate clients, she said, had the fortitude to weather the economic downturn with enough cash and market power to make deals.

In fact, she said, "Most of our clients are buying everything for cash. I close more deals without financing than with financing."

As for the future, Lofing said, "I expect 2013 to be a very busy year."

- PAT BRODERICK