Driven by Challenge

Day Pitney partner Marie Bertrand didn't speak English fluently until kindergarten.

Since her earliest memories growing up in suburban New York and later, Pennsylvania, Bertrand's background has shaped her career as an attorney.

She credits being the child of immigrants with developing her ability to relate to people with diverse perspectives and backgrounds. Bertrand uses these skills each day to bring people from different sides of the table together in commercial real estate deals. In her work in the Corporate and Business Law department at Day Pitney, she strives to help people and businesses achieve their objectives.

Bertrand recalls fondly the first time she negotiated a joint venture with a client and opposing counsel on her own, which she found exhilarating. "From there, I started to look for opportunities to take the lead," Bertrand said.

Since joining Day Pitney in 2012, Bertrand has handled complex real estate finance, development, and purchase and sale transactions. She represented a lender in connection with a $390 million construction loan financing of two luxury residential towers to be developed in New York City, and represented the lead investor on the acquisition and construction financing of an $86 million development project of a ground leased site in downtown Miami.

She has also represented lenders in numerous financings (including construction financing) in New York City for office, retail, hotel, multifamily and condominium projects.

One of those clients is Barings LLC (formerly Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers) in Hartford. William J. Jordan, Vice President and Senior Counsel of Legal Services for the company, said Bertrand possesses "the complete package" of what they look for in an outside counsel.

"She's very smart, knowledgeable, responsive and kind, and she works very hard to advance our business interests and get deals closed," Jordan said. "She makes our jobs easier."

Bertrand says her ability to work collaboratively with attorneys representing other parties in real estate transactions is almost second nature. Clients say her acute understanding of different cultures and perspectives is a unique asset in the complex real estate transactions she handles.

When not working with clients, Bertrand is advancing opportunities for attorneys of color as Vice President of the Connecticut Hispanic Bar Association (CHBA), as the CHBA liaison to the board of the Lawyers Collaborative for Diversity (LCD) and as a member of the Associates Advisory Committee for LCD. She is also part of the leadership of the Day Pitney Attorneys of Color Network, which promotes diversity in the legal profession.

Bertrand has been selected for inclusion on the list of Connecticut Super Lawyers Rising Stars (Thomson Reuters) for the years 2014 through 2016, and the Connecticut Law Tribune's New Leaders of the Law (ALM Media Properties, LLC) in 2015.

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE AND DEVELOPMENT TRANSACTIONS

American University Washington College School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 2007

University of Pittsburgh, B.S.B.A., summa cum laude, 2004

Admissions: Connecticut, New York