Manhattan, NY According to Savanna, a New York City-based real estate investment manager, owner/operator and developer, its general counsel and chief compliance officer Valerie Kitay was named General Counsel of the Year at Lexology Global’s 12th annual Global Counsel Awards. The coveted award recognizes the best in-house lawyers worldwide across the full spectrum of in-house responsibilities. 

Kitay was recently honored at the annual gala event that celebrated the achievements of in-house counsel recognized by their peers as excelling in their chosen fields. This year’s event was attended by 300 senior lawyers from across the world, including in-house counsel from more than 100 companies. 

“We are extremely proud of Val and are honored to have her as a member of the Savanna family,” said Nick Bienstock, co-managing partner of Savanna. “Val’s expertise has been immensely valuable to our vertically integrated platform. This award speaks to her dedication and commitment to being the best in her field.”

Kitay joined Savanna as general counsel in 2015. She is responsible for providing and supervising all of Savanna’s legal activities, including ensuring that all investment vehicles and transactions are structured and documented appropriately, with particular attention to business objectives. She also provides legal support and guidance with respect to fundraising, investor relations and corporate governance matters. Additionally, Ms. Kitay serves as the firm’s Chief Compliance Officer.  

To identify the winners, the research team at Lexology conducted in-depth analysis of in-house lawyers and legal departments worldwide, receiving more than 4,000 nominations globally. Respondents were asked to focus on criteria such as effective communication, legal understanding, commercial awareness, depth and strength of team and management skills.