Attorney Spotlight: Caroline Liset, Kandace Rayos & Allison Underwood

DOING GOOD AND DOING WELL

Caroline Liset, Kandace Rayos and Allison Underwood feel fortunate to have the opportunity to do work that benefits the community, while also enjoying the training, resources and advantages of working at a top notch international law firm.

These three associates are part of Sheppard Mullin's real estate finance practice group, specializing in representing large institutional lenders in the financing of affordable housing construction projects.  Past projects have included residential apartment homes for low-income families, senior apartment complexes and homes for transitioning youths.  The group also represents lenders in tax-exempt bond financings and other real-estate secured construction loans. 

For Caroline, one of the most rewarding parts of her job has been taking  projects from start to finish. "Not only do I get to be involved in the deals, I also work on each step of the process - from the initial drafting of documents to the closing of the transaction," she says.  "I have also really enjoyed seeing some of the projects I have worked on literally go from holes in the ground through construction to the finished structures, providing much needed housing right in my neighborhood. I feel happy at the end of the day going home knowing that I've done something to help my community, while also getting some of the best hands-on training I could have hoped for as a young attorney."

Kandace states, "Affordable housing finance work is somewhat of a niche practice, and we encounter many of the same developers, investors, bond issuers and counsel from transaction to transaction.  Over the years, our firm has built a reputation in this relatively close-knit community of players, and I feel very privileged to be part of this work.  Beyond the normal exhilaration of successfully closing a transaction, there is a special satisfaction that comes from knowing that, as a result of your efforts, a tangible benefit -- affordable homes for people -- has been achieved for the community."

Allison adds that "As a first-year associate, I've been given a lot of responsibility for drafting documents and interacting with our clients and other counsel.  My friends at other firms are often surprised when I tell them what I've been doing each day!  There's a steep learning curve in the transition from law student to lawyer, but I take a great deal of pride in the type of work we're doing."