BOSTON – Paul J. Ayoub, a Nutter partner, has commenced his term as president of the Real Estate Finance Association (REFA), a commercial real estate business association and division of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board (GBREB), effective January 1.
In his role, Ayoub will preside over a board consisting of industry professionals who oversee and help to organize a wide range of high-quality educational, networking, mentoring, and community service programs intended to promote the exchange of information between professionals in the real estate finance community and positively impact the broader community in which members live and work.
“I appreciate the opportunity to serve as REFA Board President on behalf of the several hundred members, nearly 100 corporate sponsors, and our distinguished Board,” said Ayoub. “We have a great year planned with several impactful new initiatives as we work together to continue the momentum of the past few years, building strength-upon-strength, as REFA enters its 30th year. The programs we provide and, most especially, the relationships we develop through our involvement are what bring meaning and significance to our mission of learning from each other, networking with each other, and investing in each other.”
Ayoub’s leadership role at REFA is in keeping with his longstanding commitment to industry, the Boston business community, and community service. He is vice-chair and on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, for which he is General Counsel as well as co-chair of the Regional Real Estate Development Leadership Council. Additionally, he is a member of the Board of Incorporators of the Boston Local Development Corporation and chairs the Building Committee of the Board of Trustees of Noble and Greenough School in Dedham, Massachusetts. He is a former co-chair of the Real Estate Finance and Workout/Foreclosure Section of the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Real Estate Section.
Ayoub is the immediate past chair of the national Board of Directors of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Recently, he and his daughter published Inspire Me! A father-daughter book of quotations to motivate, teach and inspire, an Amazon best seller, the profits from which are being donated entirely to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Ayoub is a partner in Nutter’s Real Estate Department and Nonprofit and Social Impact practice group. He represents clients in the financing and development of commercial real estate projects. He has extensive experience representing local and national lending institutions, as well as private lenders, in construction, permanent and mezzanine loans throughout the country. Included in this experience are syndicated loans and intercreditor agreements. Ayoub advises lenders on financing structure alternatives, including preferred equity, joint venture and partnership arrangements. He also has vast experience representing lenders in complex debt reorganizations. In addition, Ayoub represents developers in the acquisition, sale, permitting and leasing of all property types. He also advises nonprofit and for-profit organizations in the area of corporate governance.
Nutter’s Real Estate Department represents clients in sophisticated real estate transactions, counseling industry leaders on flagship projects in Boston, throughout the Northeast, and across the country, including owners, operators, developers and brokers, lenders, and institutional investors. U.S. News – Best Lawyers regularly recognizes Nutter for excellence in real estate and land use and zoning law in its “Best Law Firms” survey.
The Real Estate Finance Association (REFA), a division of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board (GBREB), is a commercial real estate business association providing members with high quality networking and educational opportunities. REFA strives to maintain its reputation for excellence by promoting the exchange of information between professionals in the real estate finance community, and fostering a platform for growth and development for its Emerging Leader membership.
Nutter is a Boston-based law firm that provides legal counsel to industry-leading companies, early stage entrepreneurs, institutions, foundations, and families, across the country and around the world. The firm’s lawyers are known for their client-centric approach and extensive experience in business and finance, intellectual property, litigation, real estate and land use, labor and employment, tax, and trusts and estates.
