Mile High CRE is excited to announce that October’s Mile High Climber is Zachary Siegel, associate/real estate attorney with Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck in Denver. Mile High Climbers are industry professionals who are new to their field or are in the early years of the profession. They innovate, inspire, collaborate, and take risks. They are future leaders and change-makers, and they deserve to be celebrated.
Zachary’s retail and development practice benefit from his broad understanding of the Colorado real estate landscape and municipal environments. In line with Brownstein’s all-encompassing development approach, Zach is adept at assisting real estate clients in complex transactions across real estate asset classes including retail, multi-family, office, and industrial. Specifically, Zach has experience working on large-scale, mixed-use development projects and national acquisitions. Zach helps navigate government requirements, negotiate and draft a variety of contracts and perform due diligence in all phases of real estate transactions such as title and survey.
1. How did you start your career in the AEC/CRE industry?
I began my career in the AEC/CRE industry as a summer associate at Brownstein. I was impressed with the high-profile projects the firm and Real Estate Department worked on including the historic redevelopment of Union Station. I wanted to work on projects like that.
2. How many years have you been in the industry?
I have been in real estate law for the past six years.
3. What have been some of your favorite/proudest projects or career accomplishments?
My work as an associate at Brownstein has afforded me many opportunities and some of my favorite projects include working on a master-planned residential development project, development assemblages, and large-scale acquisitions and dispositions (including many +$100 million transactions) across the country. I’m also proud of the pro bono work I’ve done outside of my real estate practice. This includes founding Brownstein’s monthly “Call 4 All” legal aid clinic in partnership with Colorado Legal Services, which provides free legal services to low-income residents in rural areas of Colorado.
4. What have been some of the biggest challenges in your career and how did you overcome them?
As a real estate attorney, I am tasked with understanding the interplay between risk mitigation and accomplishing a client’s business objective which can be challenging. I find the best way to overcome this is by dissecting our clients’ business models and fully understanding their business objectives.
5. What advice do you have for an emerging AEC/CRE professional?
If you are interested in the AEC/CRE profession, I recommend reading as much as you can about the field and the markets you work in. That’s what helped me. I start nearly every day reading about local projects so I know what is going on in our community. I also recommend developing relationships and finding mentors in the CRE space. Keep in mind, your mentors don’t necessarily need to do exactly what you do. I had a great mentoring relationship with a developer that helped me grow my perspective of the industry and better understand the business side of real estate.
6. What are some of your goals for the future?
My future goals are to continue to work on projects that positively impact our community here in Denver. I particularly enjoy working on infill projects that are mindful of sustainability and equitable development practices.
7. What trade associations or non-profits have you actively been involved with throughout your career?
Involvement in trade associations and nonprofits is a great way to give back to your community and expand your network. I’ve done a significant amount of pro bono work for JEWISHcolorado, have served as a board member for No Kid Hungry Colorado and I was a former member of the Roots & Branches Foundation with the Rose Community Foundation. I’m also a member of NAIOP and the Downtown Denver Partnership.
