Krasnow and Poorvu to be honored by at REFA gala

Jordan Krasnow, director at Goulston & Storrs, P.C., has been selected by the Real Estate Finance Association (REFA) to receive its annual Robert S. Swain Jr., Distinguished Service Award at the 21st Annual REFA Gala, to be held Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at the Sheraton Boston Hotel. The annual REFA Gala will honor Krasnow for his contributions to the real estate industry and to the Greater Boston community. 2009 REFA president William Tanski, Outlook Capital Partners, and REFA Gala co-chairs David Henderson, Allstate Investments, LLC and Janet Krolman, Holliday Fenoglio Fowler L.P., will present Krasnow with the award. "Jordan Krasnow is the 'go to' attorney for many of Boston's top lenders and developers. Jordan has advised his clients on many large, complex and often politically sensitive transactions using his extraordinary combination of legal expertise, interpersonal skills and business acumen," said Henderson. Krasnow has more than 35 years of commercial real estate legal experience focusing on real estate acquisitions and dispositions in all major markets of the U.S., real estate financing and real estate development. In addition to the Swain Award, the 21st Annual REFA Gala will honor William Poorvu, class of 1961 adjunct professor in entrepreneurship, emeritus at Harvard Business School, where he taught the real estate courses for 35 years, with a special award: the REFA Industry Appreciation Award. The award reflects the esteem in which Poovu is held by his students and colleagues in the real estate finance industry. This award has been given only once before, in 2003 to Massachusetts Housing Investment Corp. "Over the course of his career as a successful real estate investor, entrepreneur, philanthropist, educator and author, Bill Poorvu has contributed to our industry and community in many ways," said Tanski. "That Bill is the first individual recipient of the Industry Appreciation Award reflects the unique nature of his achievements and contributions," said Tanski. The Real Estate Finance Association (REFA), a division of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board (GBREB) is a trade association formed to provide informative programs for real estate finance professionals throughout the Greater Boston area. Real estate professionals from a variety of institutions join REFA to exchange ideas and promote the exchange of information between professionals in the real estate finance community, while fostering a platform for growth and education. About the Robert S. Swain, Jr. Distinguished Service Award The Robert S. Swain, Jr. Distinguished Service Award is named in honor of the late Robert S. Swain, Jr. Mr. Swain gained respect and admiration of his colleagues throughout the real estate finance industry during his 33-year career in the profession. He was a valued member of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board and was an active member and leader of the Mortgage Finance Committee, which developed into the present Real Estate Finance Association. The award is an annual recognition of an outstanding contribution made to the real estate industry either by lifetime example or specific achievement.