Armando Batastini

Practice Areas

Armando Batastini is a commercial and real estate litigator and is leader of the Distressed Commercial Debt Litigation team. He represents businesses and owners in a wide variety of contractual, shareholder and commercial realty disputes. He devotes a large portion of his practice to representing holders of commercial debt in all aspects of work-outs, foreclosures, receiverships and guaranty enforcement actions.

I focus my practice on the following areas:

DISTRESSED COMMERCIAL DEBT

I represent special servicers, balance sheet lenders and purchasers with respect to every aspect of distressed commercial debt, from sale and acquisition to work-out, foreclosure, receivership, and associated guaranty and lender liability litigation. I successfully sought the first federal receiver for CMBS debt in New England and represent holders in federal and state receivership proceedings throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.

REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS AND LITIGATION

I represent parties in the sale and acquisition of commercial real estate and have broad experience in negotiating commercial leases, including retail, office and industrial. I also represent commercial realty owners in title, boundary, easement, restrictive covenant, adverse possession, partition, and leasing disputes.

SHAREHOLDER DISPUTES

I represent closely held businesses and their owners in ownership, fiduciary, and oppression claims in a variety of industries.

TRUST AND ESTATES DISPUTES

I represent fiduciaries and beneficiaries in complicated trust and estates disputes.

ELECTION LAW

Every cycle, I advise and represent candidates before the Rhode Island Board of Elections, Rhode Island Supreme Court, Federal Court for the District of Rhode Island, and First Circuit Court of Appeals with respect to election challenges and other election law issues including ballot access disputes.

Inevitable rising interest rates and the persisting decline in retail and office demand will affect the ability of maturing loans to refinance, particularly given more stringent underwriting and the reset in realty values.

Career

Roger Williams University, J.D., magna cum laude, class valedictorian

United States Naval Academy, B.S.

Professional Memberships

Armando Batastini is past president of the Rhode Island Bar Association; is an active participant in the Bar Association Volunteer Lawyer Program, Elderly Pro Bono Program and Armed Services Legal Project; and is the Secretary and vice-chairman of the Finance Committee of the Rhode Island Bar Foundation. He is also a board member for the Boston/Providence Service Academy Business Network, and a member of the Justinian Law Society of Rhode Island. He is the recipient of the 2008 Rhode Island Bar Association Pro Bono Publico Award.