Fried Frank Real Estate Dept. together with Project Destined launch real estate law and development training program

Manhattan, NY Fried Frank’s Real Estate Department is partnering with Project Destined, a leading social impact platform that provides students with training in financial literacy, entrepreneurship and real estate, to launch a multiweek, virtual program on September 10, 2024, that will introduce 15 diverse undergraduate students to career opportunities in real estate law and development.

The program, titled the Real Estate Law and Development Bridge Program, will connect students to Fried Frank’s real estate partners and the firm’s industry-leading clients, as well as provide participants with a corresponding curriculum led by graduate school professors. Students can apply here to participate in the program up until August 1, 2024.

The Real Estate Law and Development Bridge Program will include an Executive Speakers Series comprised of four 60-minute live Q&A-style panels led by partners in Fried Frank’s Real Estate Department and the firm’s notable real estate clients. The series will cover topics such as “Buying and Selling Real Estate,” “Art of Land Use and Zoning,” “Financing the Transfer of Real Estate” and “Joint Ventures.” The program will also include a six-week curriculum called “Real Property Law & Development,” which will be led by graduate school professors with experience in real estate law.

“As leaders in the real estate industry, it is our duty to give back to the community and share our knowledge with the next generation of leaders,” said Jonathan Mechanic, partner and chairman of Fried Frank’s Real Estate Department. “We are incredibly excited to partner with Project Destined to launch this comprehensive program that will build relationships across generations and open doors for future real estate attorneys.”

Fried Frank previously partnered with Project Destined in 2018 to support the launch of its successful Bronx program, which was a multiday curriculum that taught students financial literacy and leadership development through mentorship from top-tier experts in the real estate investment field, including bankers, brokers, architects, celebrities and attorneys from Fried Frank’s Real Estate Department. As part of the program, students competed in a “Shark Tank”-style pitch competition where they presented live deals to a panel of industry leaders. As a result, Fried Frank’s sponsored team won the competition and received $10,000 in scholarship funding. Click here to view CNBC’s coverage of the program.

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Fried Frank again to launch our first Real Estate Law and Development Bridge Program,” said Cedric Bobo, co-founder of Project Destined. “Fried Frank’s partnership with Project Destined is a testament to their ongoing commitment to giving back to the real estate community and we cannot wait to connect our students with their astounding attorneys and clients with this program.”

“We couldn’t be happier to team up with Project Destined again to give back to our community and create opportunities for the next generation of real estate attorneys and leaders,” said Laurinda Martins, partner and deputy co-chair of Fried Frank’s Real Estate Department. Both Martins and her deputy co-chair, Fried Frank real estate partner Michael Werner, will lead separate segments of the Executive Speakers Series in the program, along with Mechanic, who will kick-off the program and welcome the students with the first Q&A panel.

Project Destined is a leading social impact platform, partnering with more than 250 leading firms and more than 2,000 academic institutions to develop the next generation of commercial real estate leaders and owners. Since launching in 2016, Project Destined has trained more than 10,000 students, who have benefitted from training, mentoring and access to early career opportunities through live deal case competitions, more than 15 graduate professor-led courses and more than 30 specialized “Early ID” bridge programs. The organization’s programs focus on partnering with firms to attract, hire and retain pre-screened talent.

Fried Frank’s Real Estate Department is the top in its field. With broad experience in all aspects of commercial real estate law, the team regularly represents clients in all facets of commercial real estate transactions.