Becker & Poliakoff
Contact Us  Careers  Terms & Conditions  Client Login   Search    
Attorneys
Biography
Jennifer Bales Drake


Office
3111 Stirling Road
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33312-6525
Tel: 954.985.4113
Fax 954.985.4176

Practice Group

Real Estate
Land Use & Zoning

Areas of Emphasis
Developer Representation
Commercial Lending
Commercial and Residential Transactions
Interstate Land Sales Act Registrations
Environmental Permitting


Jennifer Bales Drake (Shareholder)
jdrake@becker-poliakoff.com


Professional Experience
Ms. Drake is the chair of the Real Estate Practice Group for the firm. She has over twenty years of experience in commercial transactions with a focus on planned project development, real estate contract negotiations, mortgage and asset based financing, land leases, preparation and filing with Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) of Interstate Land Sales Act filings, condominium conversions, real estate workouts and liquidation of real estate owned (REO) properties for financial institutions. Her clients include real estate investors, real estate investment trusts, institutional and private owners and developers, national and statewide financial institutions, and national automotive financial institutions. Ms. Drake is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell Directory, which is the highest professional rating based upon years of experience and endorsement by Florida lawyers in the areas of professional ability, ethics and conduct. Her practice is statewide.

Ms. Drake’s practice emphasizes handling all aspects of planned project development (including the acquisition stage, which may entail negotiation of purchase contract, DRI, zoning issues, and environmental due diligence); the planning stage of the project, the drafting of the project documents, filing of Interstate Land Sales Act filings, as necessary, State registrations as necessary, supervising the closings on the sale of the end units, the representation of the developer-controlled boards and representation of developer through turnover of control of the association. Ms. Drake’s real estate experience also includes purchase and sale of fractured condominiums, negotiation of land leases with municipalities for the development of commercial sites, the representation of major development companies in complex, multi-party transactions with issues related to financing, land-use, zoning and in the formation of DRIs before State, County and local governmental entities. Ms. Drake also represents national financial institutions in the areas of loan workouts and documentation for both mortgage and asset based financing and in the restructuring of multi-million dollar loan transactions, as well as disposition of REO properties. Ms. Drake’s experience also includes representation of national automotive companies in their mortgage and asset based lending.

Activities & Memberships
Ms. Drake is a member of REOMAC, and regular speaker at International Management Network (IMN) conferences and REOMAC meetings, the American Bar Association, the Florida Bar, Tennessee Bar and The Real Property, Probate and Trust Sections of both the Florida Bar and the American Bar Association and the International Council of Shopping Centers (“ICSC”) for ten years. Ms. Drake has also been named to the Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers in Legal Ability and Ethical Standards as well as being AV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell. Ms. Drake is past President of Leadership Broward Foundation, sits on the Advisory Board of the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, and is a proud member of Cancer Research Network. She has also served on the Board of Directors for Plantation United Methodist Preschool, Kids Crusaders for Abused Children, and One Room Schoolhouse.

Articles, Publications and Media
Liabilities in Purchasing Condo Developments, Counsel to Counsel
Fox Business Interview: Leasing & Foreclosures
August 21, 2009

Bar Admissions
Florida
Tennessee

Education
J.D., University of Tennessee
B.A., University of Tennessee (Summa Cum Laud)