Current Employment Position(s)

Director

Lawyer Overview

Ms. Lebowitz, a Director of the firm, concentrates her practice in the commercial area, focusing on transactions involving complex real estate issues. She assists her clients in real estate transfers, leasing and financing. Ms. Lebowitz has represented companies in the purchase and sale of multi-site telecommunication facilities. She also counsels private, state and national land conservation organizations in connection with acquisitions and sales of properties, conservation easements, organizational issues and tax exempt status. She also represents landowners involved in granting conservation easements.

Ms. Lebowitz also represents banks and secured lenders in real estate and asset based financing transactions. She has extensive experience in loan origination and restructuring. Ms. Lebowitz was the principal drafter of the form documents used by one of Vermont's largest banks for its real estate based commercial loans. She also helped develop form documents for cash management services. She provides advice to banks and other lenders regarding doing business in Vermont and laws affecting lending activities in Vermont.

Ms. Lebowitz is lead counsel to a private operating foundation dedicated to land conservation work in critical watershed areas of Vermont and New York. See www.castaneafoundation.org. She also represented a private donor in a transaction involving a charitable donation of over 1,000 acres of valuable agricultural and forest land in northern Vermont together with the establishment of a charitable fund of $5.5 million to maintain the land and support other charitable purposes.

Ms. Lebowitz also regularly represents several large banking organizations in the financing of complex real estate construction and term loans, including ground lease financings, construction loans for hotels, office buildings and residential condominiums and low income housing tax credit deals. She represented the largest health care provider in Vermont (Fletcher Allen Health Care) in connection with its ground lease to the American Cancer Society for construction of a new Hope Lodge Facility as well as in several other leasing transactions.

In addition to her law practice, Ms. Lebowitz and her husband have started Vermont's first grape vineyard and winery, Snow Farm Vineyard, in South Hero. Through the start-up of her own family business, Ms. Lebowitz has experience in the multi-disciplines required for start-up companies. Her work with Snow Farm has involved the private placement of securities, the raising of venture capital, ongoing work involving compliance with federal and state liquor regulatory laws, immigration work, trademark filings and choice of entity for start-up companies.

Prior to moving to Vermont in 1990, Ms. Lebowitz practiced with Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal in New York City. While at Sonnenschein, Ms. Lebowitz represented some of the country's largest commercial lenders in a number of real estate based transactions, including several involving the purchase, sale and financing of anchor stores located in shopping centers throughout the country.

Areas of Practice

• Commercial
• Real Estate Transactions

West Practice Categories

Business & Commercial Law, Real Estate Law

Bar Admissions

• Vermont, 1990
• New York, 1987
• U.S. District Court District of Vermont, 1990

Professional Associations and Memberships

• South Hero Land Trust, 2001 (Capital Drive Team)
• South Hero Land Trust, 2002 - 2006 (Board of Directors)
• Vermont Community Development Venture Capital Fund Advisory Board, 1998 - 1999
• Dartmouth Lawyers Association, 1997 (Leadership Champlain Graduate)
• Dartmouth Lawyers Association, 1997 - 2001 (Member, Board of Directors )

Honors and Awards

• Fellow, State Chair and Board of Regents, American College of Mortgage Attorneys

Pro Bono Activities

• Certified Ashtanga Yoga Instructor

Education

• New York University School of Law, New York, New York, 1986
  J.D.
• Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, 1983
  A.B.
  Honors: magna cum laude
  Honors: Phi Beta Kappa

Address

P.O. Box 988
209 Battery Street
Burlington, VT 05402-0988

Phones

(802) 864-5751

Faxes

(802) 862-6409

Emails

Contact Us

Websites

http://www.dinse.com