Zach Swartz

The Grace Building
1114 Avenue of the Americas
32nd Floor
New York, New York 10036

Zach’s principal areas of practice are capital markets and securities law, private equity, fund and joint venture formation, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance matters. He has a particular focus on advising clients in the commercial real estate industry, including equity and mortgage real estate investment trusts (REITs).
Zach concentrates in private and public capital raising transactions, as well as public and private mergers, acquisitions, and other strategic transactions. He advises companies and their sponsors through the entire life cycle of their businesses from formation and early-stage capital raising through the sale, recapitalization, or initial public offering process and thereafter with respect to equity and debt capital markets transactions, mergers, acquisitions and other strategic transactions.
In addition to businesses focused on the real estate and mortgage industries, Zach also advises clients in a variety of other industries and has particular experience advising on corporate and securities transactions involving special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs). Zach also regularly provides general corporate, reporting, disclosure, compliance, securities, and corporate governance advice to private and public company clients in a variety of industries.
Zach is recognized nationwide in REITs by Chambers USA where reviewers note that “[he] is diligent, thoughtful and ahead of the curve.” Zach is also recognized as a New York Super Lawyers “Rising Star” in the securities & corporate finance practice area.
Experience Highlights
- TPG RE Finance Trust, Inc. in its $233 million initial public offering and multiple follow-on offerings 
- Undisclosed private vehicle that intends to elect REIT status, formed to originate CRE debt investments in the Southern U.S., in connection with multiple private offerings of common stock 
- Alpine Income Property Trust in its $142.5 million initial public offering and multiple follow-on offerings 
- Undisclosed sponsor in connection with structuring, formation and initial capitalization of a private vehicle that intends to elect REIT status, formed to originate CRE debt investments in the Southern U.S. 
- CTO Realty Growth in its REIT conversion and related transactions 
- Ellington Financial Inc. in its $154 million acquisition of Arlington Asset Investment Corp. for a combination of stock and cash consideration 
- Agriculture & Natural Solutions Acquisition Corporation, a SPAC sponsored by affiliates of Riverstone Holdings and Impact Ag, in its $510 million business combination with Australian Food & Agriculture Company Limited, a large-scale, diversified agricultural business located in New South Wales, Australia (pending) 
- Decarbonization Plus Acquisition Corporation IV, a SPAC sponsored by an affiliate of Riverstone Holdings, in its $1.39 billion business combination with Hammerhead Resources Inc., a Calgary-based energy company 
- TPG RE Finance Trust, Inc. in its $233 million initial public offering and multiple follow-on offerings 
- Undisclosed private vehicle that intends to elect REIT status, formed to originate CRE debt investments in the Southern U.S., in connection with multiple private offerings of common stock 
- Alpine Income Property Trust in its $142.5 million initial public offering and multiple follow-on offerings 
- CTO Realty Growth in multiple offerings of common and preferred stock 
- New York Mortgage Trust in multiple offerings of securities, including preferred stock and convertible notes 
- Initial purchasers in multiple offerings of senior secured notes by RLJ Lodging Trust 
- Ellington Financial Inc. in multiple offerings of securities, including common stock, preferred stock and senior unsecured notes 
- Ellington Residential Mortgage REIT in its public offerings of common shares 
- Underwriters to Urstadt Biddle Properties, Inc. in multiple offerings of securities, including common and preferred stock 
- Underwriters to Healthcare Trust of America, Inc. in multiple offerings of securities, including common stock and senior unsecured notes 
- Sales Agents to Four Corners Property Trust, Inc. in its $150 million ATM program 
- Cherry Hill Mortgage Investment Corporation in multiple offerings of securities, including common and preferred stock 
- Underwriters to Urban Edge Properties in its $194 million public offering of common stock 
- Underwriters to Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust in multiple offerings of preferred stock 
- Switchback Energy Acquisition Corporation, a SPAC, in its $300 million initial public offering 
- Live Oak Crestview Climate Acquisition Corp., an ESG-focused SPAC, in its $200 million initial public offering 
- First Reserve Sustainable Growth Corp., a SPAC, in its $222 million initial public offering 
- Live Oak Mobility Acquisition Corp., a SPAC, in its $253 million initial public offering 
- Kadem Sustainable Impact Corporation, a SPAC, in its $175 million initial public offering 
- Vantage Energy Acquisition Corp., a SPAC, in its $552 million initial public offering 
- Underwriters to Silver Run Acquisition Corporation II, a SPAC, in its $1.035 billion initial public offering 
- Undisclosed sponsor in connection with structuring, formation and initial capitalization of a private vehicle that intends to elect REIT status, formed to originate CRE debt investments in the Southern U.S. 
- CTO Realty Growth in its REIT conversion and related transactions 
- Ellington Financial Inc. in its $154 million acquisition of Arlington Asset Investment Corp. for a combination of stock and cash consideration 
- Agriculture & Natural Solutions Acquisition Corporation, a SPAC sponsored by affiliates of Riverstone Holdings and Impact Ag, in its $510 million business combination with Australian Food & Agriculture Company Limited, a large-scale, diversified agricultural business located in New South Wales, Australia (pending) 
- Decarbonization Plus Acquisition Corporation IV, a SPAC sponsored by an affiliate of Riverstone Holdings, in its $1.39 billion business combination with Hammerhead Resources Inc., a Calgary-based energy company 
- Decarbonization Plus Acquisition Corporation III, a SPAC sponsored by an affiliate of Riverstone Holdings, in its $1.2 billion business combination with Solid Power, an all-solid-state electric vehicle battery producer 
- Live Oak Acquisition Corp. II, a SPAC, in its $1.4 billion business combination with Navitas Semiconductor 
- Switchback Energy Acquisition Corporation, a SPAC sponsored by an affiliate of NGP Energy Capital Management, in its $2.4 billion business combination with ChargePoint 
Credentials
- The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, J.D. summa cum laude, 2012 (Staff Editor, Catholic University Law Review)
- Juniata College, B.S., Education and Politics, 2008 (Dean’s List; Calvert Ellis Scholarship Recipient)
- Chambers USA, REITs (Nationwide), 2022-2025; “Up and Coming” in REITs (Nationwide), 2022
- Selected to the New York Rising Stars list, Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters), 2024
- Legal 500 U.S., Real Estate: REITs, 2022; Finance: Capital Markets: Equity Offerings, 2023
- Selected to the Virginia Rising Stars list, Super Lawyers® (Thomson Reuters), 2022 and 2023
- The Best Lawyers in America© (BL Rankings, LLC), “Ones to Watch,” Real Estate Law (Richmond), 2021 and 2022
- Member: CUA Law Alumni Council
- New York
- Pennsylvania
- District of Columbia
- Virginia
-  Media CoverageOctober 13, 2025Published by IPO Edge 
-  Deals & CasesOctober 9, 2025
-  Event RecapSeptember 30, 2025
-  Rankings & AwardsJune 5, 2025
-  InsightMay 8, 2025Published by CorpGov.com 
-  Deals & CasesApril 8, 2025
-  Rankings & AwardsNovember 1, 2024
-  Event RecapSeptember 19, 2024
-  Deals & CasesAugust 29, 2024
-  InsightJune 26, 2024V&E Capital Markets Update 
-  Rankings & AwardsJune 6, 2024
-  Deals & CasesApril 11, 2024
-  InsightApril 3, 2024V&E REIT Update 
-  InsightJanuary 25, 2024V&E SEC Update 
-  InsightSeptember 25, 2023V&E SEC Update 
-  InsightSeptember 20, 2023Published by CorpGov.com 
-  InsightJuly 5, 2023Published by CorpGov 
-  Deals & CasesJuly 3, 2023
-  Rankings & AwardsJune 12, 2023
-  Rankings & AwardsJune 1, 2023
-  Deals & CasesMay 30, 2023
-  InsightMay 9, 2023V&E REIT Update 
-  Rankings & AwardsApril 28, 2023
-  InsightApril 25, 2023Published by CorpGov.com 
-  Deals & CasesFebruary 6, 2023
-  Event RecapMay 11, 2022
-  Deals & CasesSeptember 15, 2021
- “New Directive on Quarterly Reports: Vinson & Elkins Partner Zach Swartz, Live at NYSE,” IPO Edge, October 1, 2025
- “SPACs: An Alternative to the Traditional IPO for REITs and Other Real Estate Companies,” V&E New York Office, October 30, 2019 (presenter)
News & Insights
Published by IPO Edge