Brian L. Lewis

Brian chairs the firm’s Real Estate, Development & Finance practice group at Ryan Swanson. With more than two decades of commercial real estate experience, he represents developers, institutional investors, lenders, municipalities, homebuilders, and property owners in complex acquisitions, financing, development, leasing, and restructuring transactions throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Brian has served as lead counsel on many significant real estate projects in the Pacific Northwest. His representative work includes advising the City of Seattle on redevelopment of the Mercer Mega Block in South Lake Union, the sale and redevelopment of the former Public Safety Building site at Third & James, the disposition of the Pacific Place Garage, and the redevelopment of former Seattle City Light properties. He represented the developer of the Fifth & Columbia mixed-use tower in downtown Seattle, negotiating the project’s $255 million construction financing and a series of complex development agreements, and has handled financing for landmark residential projects including The Emerald condominium tower. He represented Cornish College of the Arts in its multi-year campus relocation to South Lake Union, including the acquisition, development, financing, and leasing of multiple properties, the negotiation of a 40-year ground lease for the Cornish Commons student housing project, and the college’s eventual asset combination with Seattle University. In addition, he advised on the $60 million redevelopment of The Lodge at Saint Edward State Park through the negotiation of a 62-year ground lease and exchange agreement with the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, and served as lender’s counsel for approximately $200 million in financing for the Woodinville Wine Villages mixed-use development.

In addition, Brian is widely recognized for his work in receiverships, creditors’ rights, and real estate insolvency. He was one of the principal drafters of the 2011 amendments to Washington’s Receivership Act and has represented lenders and investors in numerous distressed real estate matters, including major Chapter 11 restructurings, foreclosure proceedings, and deed-in-lieu transactions involving commercial properties throughout the Pacific Northwest.

A Fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, Brian is a past Chair of the Washington State Bar Association’s Real Property, Probate & Trust Section and a frequent author and speaker on commercial real estate law, financing, condominium development, and all types real estate transactions. Since 2015, he has helped Ryan Swanson clients close more than $1 billion in real estate transactions annually. He earned his J.D. and M.B.A. from the University of Arizona and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington.