Dayna C. Finkelstein

Dayna C. Finkelstein
Partner
Real Estate

Biography

Dayna Finkelstein concentrates her practice in commercial real estate matters, including: 

  • Acquisitions
  • Dispositions
  • Leasing 
  • Borrower-side financing

She represents real estate owners, borrowers, developers, tenants, and stakeholders in both local and national transactions involving a wide range of asset classes, encompassing:

  • Retail
  • Office
  • Multifamily
  • Industrial properties

She has significant experience representing sophisticated national players in both single asset and multistate portfolio transactions. Dayna is known for being diligent, organized, and creative during multifaceted, complex transactions.

Dayna also counsels private equity firms and other sophisticated corporate clients on the real estate aspects of mergers, stock purchases, and other corporate transactions across a wide range of industries.

Following Dayna’s winning 2020 submission to Blank Rome’s internal Innovation Challenge, Dayna is the architect of the firm’s new flagship business development training program for senior associates, BR Next. The pilot program was rolled out to senior associates in the firm’s business department in 2022 and based on its success, will continue to be rolled out in 2024 to other firm departments. The idea and program was also recognized by The Legal Intelligencer, as Dayna was the recipient of a 2023 Professional Excellence award in the category of Law Firm Innovators. For more on BR Next: Law Firm Innovators 2023: Dayna Finkelstein | Blank Rome LLP

In addition, Dayna is frequently called upon to help train younger associates both within the real estate group and outside of it through various substantive presentations, panels, and lectures. Most recently, she gave a TEDx-style talk to incoming first year associates as part of the firm’s week-long orientation program.

While in law school, Dayna served as Comments Editor of the Penn State Law Review. She was also co-president of the Jewish Law Students Association, a member/case-writer for the Appellate Moot Court Board, and a member of the Woolsack Honor Society.

Outside the Firm

Dayna is a Philadelphia native and has truly been brought up at the firm; she started working at Blank Rome at age 19. Outside of the firm, she enjoys teaching and mentoring law students, dance, theater, and travel.

Experience

  • The portfolio acquisition of 81 industrial properties located across 17 U.S. markets.
  • The portfolio acquisition of industrial properties valuing more than one billion dollars located across 21 U.S. markets.
  • The acquisition, financing, and joint venture purchase of a large shopping center in Ventura County, California. The transaction involved collaboration with Blank Rome’s energy team with respect to the solar panel aspects of the property.
  • The portfolio acquisition, financing, and joint venture purchase of 15 shopping centers totaling 4.3 million square feet throughout Western New York, with assets featuring high-quality, national retail tenants.
  • The negotiation on behalf of a retailer as tenant of its 52,000-square-foot warehouse lease and related advice regarding transition periods between the existing and new leases.
  • The portfolio sale of 64 multifamily properties located throughout nine states and totaling more than 20,000 units to a global private equity firm.
  • The acquisition and financing of a 21-story, 443,338 square foot office tower and parking garage in Orlando, Florida.
  • The $352 million sale of a portfolio company that is a leading provider of vessel maintenance, repair, overhaul, and conversion services to government and commercial customers. The transaction involved the sale of over 500 acres of real estate located in Alabama and Florida.
  • The portfolio acquisition of 32 office properties located in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania.
  • The sale of one of the largest office buildings in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina.

News & Views

See all News and Views

Recognitions

  • 2023, Professional Excellence Awards, Innovation Award,by The Legal Intelligencer
  • 2022, "Best of the Bar: Real Estate," listed in the Philadelphia Business Journal
  • 2021, “Lawyer on the Fast Track,” by The Legal Intelligencer
  • 2021, Winner, Partner category, Blank Rome Firm-wide Innovation Challenge
  • 2018, Mrs. Isadore Kohn Young Leadership Award, by the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia

Affiliations

Memberships

  • American Bar Association
Professional Activities

For five semesters over a period of 5 years, Dayna served as an adjunct professor at the Thomas R. Kline School of Law at Drexel University, where she has created and taught a contract drafting course and a real estate transactions course, each to second- and third-year law students.

Dayna's probono work includes beinga member of two Compass consulting teams, where she provided 2 prominent local nonprofit organizations with analysis and advice related to the organization's funding strategy and board development strategy.

Dayna has also represented various pro bono clients through Philadelphia VIP.

She is also a member of Jewish Federation’s National Young Leadership Cabinet (a 7-year national leadership development program) and has held numerous leadership positions within Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, including as a board member of its Commission on Social Responsibility, a member of its Innovation Fund Committee, and Board of Trustees member. Most recently in 2023, she participated in National Young Leadership Cabinet's largest international study mission to date. Together with 175 other young leaders throughout North America, she visited and learned about the Jewish communities of Estonia, Latvia and Hungary.

Credentials

Admissions

  • Pennsylvania
  • New Jersey

Education

  • University of Pennsylvania, BA, magna cum laude
  • Penn State University, Dickinson School of Law, JD, magna cum laude

A description of the standard or methodology on which the accolades are based can be found here.

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