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Mike Gilman

Of Counsel
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Profile

Michael is a seasoned attorney and deal maker who advises Portale Randazzo's Real Estate, Finance, Securities, and Corporate practice areas.

Previous Experience

As a former in-house counsel at Wall St. investment banks, Michael has experience providing counsel across a wide range of practice areas ranging from regulatory investigations to contract review and negotiation

Prior to joining Portale Randazzo, Michael was the Head of Legal and Portfolio Management at EasyKnock, a Series B real estate prop-tech company led By Blumberg Capital and QED Investors, where he pioneered nationwide real estate sale-leaseback structures, oversaw a $250 million+ property portfolio and advised on legal matters related to the company and multistate real estate matters.

Michael has served in legal and/or compliance functions in various capacities including Assistant General Counsel on Wall St. at powerhouses such as Cantor Fitzgerald, Deutsche Bank, and Bank of America, where he advised origination, lending, and trading business lines and successfully represented these banks in various regulatory and enforcement investigations.

Michael also currently serves as the Managing Principal at Cross Mountain Capital, a vertically integrated real estate sponsor, investor, and manager.

Representative Experience

  • Acted as General Counsel to a fintech startup across all business lines and handled day-to-day legal issues across a wide range of practice areas including: information security and privacy, vendor agreements, real estate, finance, and corporate.
  • Represented investment banks in litigation and regulatory investigations by FINRA, the SEC, and CFTC.
  • Represented investment banks and broker-dealers throughout SEC and FINRA examinations.
  • Handled and prepared substantial written responses to regulatory inquiries and examination reports and resolved cases through AWCs and reductions of fines, as well as resolution of matters to Cautionary Actions
  • Oversaw the legal and compliance function at a venture capital-backed real estate technology startup, providing the first nationwide residential sale-leaseback product, and successfully helped achieve a $25 million Series B capital raise from institutional investors. Advised on legal matters across every business function including but not limited to the following areas of law: real estate, corporate, capital raising, litigation, commercial agreements, and joint ventures.
  • Developed novel structures for residential sale-leaseback transactions and developed custom real estate leases, purchase and sale agreements, and real estate option agreements to establish a multistate transaction document library enabling the company to transact nationwide
  • Negotiated credit facilities, including structured credit facilities and forward flow agreements totaling over $500 million in lender commitments.
  • Drafted and reviewed contracts including but not limited to vendors, advertising, electronic services, referrals, and marketing
  • Provided primary real-time compliance advisory for origination, trading, and lending businesses including: ABS Banking (CLOs, warehouse lending, and securitizations), Distressed, Credit and Rates Trading (including credit and rates-based swaps), and Credit Solutions (special situations financing). Provided secondary compliance coverage for the Commercial Real Estate platform (balance sheet and conduit lending). Scope of regulatory coverage includes the '33 and '34 Act, Investment Advisers Act, Dodd-Frank, SEC, CFTC, SRO rules (FINRA, NFA, CME), as well as Federal Reserve and Fair Lending regulations.
  • Reviewed and performed due diligence on compliance programs of investment funds.
  • Served as subject matter expert in coordinating written responses to regulatory inquiries, exams, and audits.
  • Advised on and drafted all offering documents in connection with private placements for real estate sponsors.
  • Oversaw an Investment Bank's broker-dealer related regulatory matters across multiple lines of business including but not limited to Equities and Fixed Income Sales and Trading, Investment Banking, and Research.

Education & Personal Life

Michael holds a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School, where he was a Carswell Scholar. Michael had held Series 7, 24, and 57 licenses while in the securities industry. Michael is also a licensed NYS real estate broker.

When he isn't working, Michael is spending time with his family or pursuing one of his many hobbies related to the outdoors, including but not limited to skiing, trail running, mountaineering, obstacle course races, and continuing his training in disciplines such as Krav Maga, Tae-Kown Do, and the Wim Hof Method. Michael is an avid supporter of environmental causes and a member of POW (Protect Our Winters). Michael is an avid reader and his favorite books are War and Peace, Crime and Punishment, the Glass Bead Game, and the Art of War.

  • American Institute Best Law Firm
  • Super Lawyers 2020
  • American Institute of Trial Lawyers
  • The National Trial Lawyers - Top 100 Trial Lawyers
  • Lawyers of Distinction
  • 10 Best Client Satisfaction
  • BBB A+ Rating
  • New Yrok State Academy of Trial Lawyers
  • United States District Court Eastern District of New York
  • New York State Defenders Association
  • Westchester County Bar Association
  • NYSACDL
  • NYSTLA
  • Columbian Lawyers Association
  • Avvo Client's Choice 2014
  • Nationally Ranked Superior DUI Attorney 2015

Client Testimonials

There for Our Clients Every Step of The Way
  • I would recommend them to anyone!

    “I am rarely impressed with "most" law firms. I am extremely impressed with Portale Randozza, LLP. Rich Portale and Kenny Calvey handled and resolved my case expeditiously and professionally every step ...”

    - Katherine
  • A million thank you's could NEVER be enough

    “I had met Richard 16 years ago while he was visiting another client never realizing that one day I would have to actually put his number to use and have to hire him for my children. He has worked with ...”

    - Anonymous
  • "The best of the best"

    “Richard and Hannah fought for my son who was charged with a crime he did not commit. They believed in my son and obtained the necessary evidence to make a motion to dismiss the case. They filed the ...”

    - Ted E. N.
  • He took the time to explain how the legal system works and its process, which helped us understand what was going on.

    “I would highly recommend Richard Portale of the law firm – Portale Randazzo for any criminal or legal issues you may have. He was very knowledgeable and informative. He took the time to explain how ...”

    - FC
  • Richard became more than our attorney, Richard is a family friend

    “When my teen son was arrested for attempted murder and possession of a firearm, I felt our family was faced with the deepest and most painful experience life could offer. I felt hopeless and powerless ...”

    - Anonymous
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Proven Results

Real Cases
  • Acquittal on All Counts The Usual Suspect Criminal
  • No Jail Time Arson / Theft / Grand Larceny – Arson Charge
  • All Charges Dismissed Assault / Attempted Murder / CPW – Mount Vernon Dad Shoots Assailant
  • All Charges Dismissed Assault / Criminal Trespass / Harassment – Confrontation With Police Chief
  • All Charges Dismissed Assault / Reckless Driving / Leaving the Scene – Auto Accident
  • Plea Deal Assault / Reckless Endangerment / Reckless Driving / Resisting Arrest – Police High Speed Car Chase Defense
  • Acquittal Attempted Murder
  • Released from Prison Pending Appeal Conspiracy and Criminal Sale of a Narcotic Drug
  • All Charges Dismissed CPW / Menacing – Teenage Actor Cornered by Thugs – Acts in Self-Defense
  • All Charges Dismissed CPW / Violation of Parole – Possession of an Illegal Weapon Dropped
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Why Choose Us?

See What Sets Us Apart
  • Individualized Representation
  • Focused on Achieving the Most Favorable Result Possible for You
  • All Former Prosecutors for Westchester County
  • Proven Track Record with an Incredibly High Success Rate
  • Backed by Over 100 Years of Combined Experience

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