Jeffrey A. Horwitz is a partner at Proskauer in the Corporate Department, where he co-heads the Private Equity Real Estate practice and leads the firm’s Hospitality, Gaming & Leisure Group. With broad-based expertise in mergers and acquisitions, cross-border transactions, and joint ventures, Jeff advises boards, management teams, family offices, institutions, and investors on strategic business matters, from transactions to litigation and personnel issues. He frequently serves as outside general counsel, representing major financial institutions, sovereign wealth funds, private equity, and family offices.
Jeff’s career spans deals worth nearly $200 billion, including tender offers, going-private transactions, IPOs, restructurings, and mergers across a range of industries from biotechnology to aerospace. His experience extends globally, handling transactions in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, Australia, and more. As head of the Private Equity Real Estate group, Jeff leads a team of 75 lawyers advising on high-profile real estate transactions, particularly in the hotel industry. He has been involved in deals for nearly 4,000 hotels worldwide, valued at over $15 billion, working with prominent brands like Fairmont, Raffles, and Motel 6, as well as strategic investments in Huazhu, Faena, and others.
Jeff is also active in the entertainment industry, advising The Broadway League, the Tony Awards®, and other joint venture productions. His work extends to the media sector, where he has advised on acquisitions of television, radio, and print properties. In addition, he represents rights holders such as The Leonard Bernstein Office and The George Balanchine Trusts. He leads the representation of TSG Entertainment in film-slate financing deals.
In the technology space, Jeff represents start-up and development-stage companies, assisting with venture capital placements, restructuring, and mergers and acquisitions. He has company-side and investor-side experience in a wide range of online and tech ventures. A frequent speaker at major hospitality and real estate conferences, Jeff has presented at Cornell’s Nolan School of Hotel Administration, NYU’s Tisch Center of Hospitality, and major investment forums worldwide.
Jeff is a member of various industry organizations, including the AHLA Hospitality Investment Roundtable, and has served on boards such as the Cornell Center for Real Estate and Finance and The New York Hospitality Council. He has been involved with numerous non-profit organizations, including serving as Chairman of Building for the Arts and the American Playwriting Foundation, and as a director of StreetSquash and the Labyrinth Theater Company. He has also served as a Vice Chair for The Legal Aid Society and as an officer of the Henry Kaufmann Foundation. Jeff has spent his entire career at Proskauer and resides in Manhattan and Connecticut.
