Biography
Candace Cunningham practices commercial real estate finance law, with an emphasis on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Delegated Underwriting and Servicing (DUS) lender financing for apartments, senior housing, and affordable housing nationwide. She is a member of the firm’s Real Estate + Development Group. Candace is Chair of the Agency Lending Practice at Robinson+Cole.
Real Estate Financing
Candace represents commercial and institutional lenders, and private financiers in complex structured financings of multifamily properties and affordable housing loan programs with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) executions. She handles a range of loan structures, including fixed and floating rate debt, tax-exempt bonds, affordable forwards, and credit facilities. She has been practicing in this specialty for 22 years.
Candace has handled several multi-million dollar loans in connection with projects nationwide. She represented a national bank, which was construction and permanent lender, for a $100 million transit-oriented affordable housing project in Florida, and a $64 million affordable housing redevelopment project in Colorado. In 2021, Candace closed an aggregate of $294 million in loans, which financed 2,636 apartment units.
Before joining the firm, Candace represented and advised various commercial and institutional lenders regarding commercial real estate, asset-based finance; corporate, workout, and restructuring issues; revolving credit; term, demand, and commercial construction loans; and corporate finance. She also has negotiated and structured commercial leases for a national retailer at shopping malls throughout the United States.
Pro Bono
Candace has done pro bono work on behalf of non-profit and professional organizations. She assisted the Connecticut Rivers Alliance and the American Institute of Architects with lease negotiations. She currently represents the Connecticut Community Economic Development Fund, for which she is providing post-closing escrow dispute mediation services. Candace is involved in coordinating firm service teams at a local soup kitchen on a revolving basis.