Chris Safarian is a Founder of Safarian Choi & Bolstad LLP, based in the firm’s downtown Los Angeles office. Mr. Safarian handles matters that arise in each of the firm’s practice groups, including Real Estate, Finance & Capital Markets, Corporate & Transactional and Dispute Resolution.
Mr. Safarian represents a wide array of clients in all aspects of real estate investment and finance, corporate and transactional matters and discreet dispute resolution concerns. He has extensive experience in the acquisition and disposition of commercial and high-end residential assets, as well as in asset financing, leasing, development, management and sales. Having spent many years honing his craft at two of the country’s most prestigious and established large firms, he has regularly represented originators of portfolio and securitized loans, loan servicers, private equity and opportunity funds, investment advisors, institutional developers, pension funds, REITS, joint ventures, partnerships, corporations, limited liability companies and individuals in both foreign and domestic transactions.
Prior to co-founding Safarian Choi & Bolstad LLP with Alex Choi in 2011, Mr. Safarian was a partner in the real estate group of Chambers-ranked firm Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP. While there, he fine-tuned his knowledge of complex financing and acquisition/disposition transactions, including bridge/permanent real estate and mixed-collateral financings, corporate credit facilities, lease financings, mezzanine and construction loans. His financing experience also extends to advising on portfolio decisions, workouts, restructurings and foreclosures, as well as the management of both performing and non-performing loan portfolios. Before joining Allen Matkins, Mr. Safarian was an associate in the Los Angeles office of Am Law 100 firm Mayer, Brown, Rowe and Maw LLP, handling similar real estate and finance matters, as well as general corporate and transactional matters.
A proud member of Los Angeles’ expansive Armenian community and fluent in the language, Mr. Safarian serves as a member of the Armenian Bar Association. He is also a member of the American Bar Association and Los Angeles County Bar Association, and has been selected as one of the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Outstanding Young Lawyers for Real Property.
Mr. Safarian has served as an Adjunct Professor in the Dollinger Master of Real Estate Development Program at USC’s Sol Price School of Public Policy, and regularly guest lectures at law schools throughout Southern California. Mr. Safarian also serves on the Planning Committee for USC Gould School of Law’s Real Estate Law and Business Forum, where he has also presented on numerous occasions.
Mr. Safarian is also committed to several civic, charitable and non-profit pursuits, including his contributions to the Board of Director of AGBU’s Western District and the Board of Directors of Children’s Music Fund, and his service on the Board of Directors of the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council.
A graduate of the University of California at Los Angeles for both undergraduate and law school, he received his B.A. in International Relations with magna cum laude honors in 1996, and his J.D. in 1999.
Mr. Safarian represents a wide array of clients in all aspects of real estate investment and finance, corporate and transactional matters and discreet dispute resolution concerns. He has extensive experience in the acquisition and disposition of commercial and high-end residential assets, as well as in asset financing, leasing, development, management and sales. Having spent many years honing his craft at two of the country’s most prestigious and established large firms, he has regularly represented originators of portfolio and securitized loans, loan servicers, private equity and opportunity funds, investment advisors, institutional developers, pension funds, REITS, joint ventures, partnerships, corporations, limited liability companies and individuals in both foreign and domestic transactions.
Prior to co-founding Safarian Choi & Bolstad LLP with Alex Choi in 2011, Mr. Safarian was a partner in the real estate group of Chambers-ranked firm Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP. While there, he fine-tuned his knowledge of complex financing and acquisition/disposition transactions, including bridge/permanent real estate and mixed-collateral financings, corporate credit facilities, lease financings, mezzanine and construction loans. His financing experience also extends to advising on portfolio decisions, workouts, restructurings and foreclosures, as well as the management of both performing and non-performing loan portfolios. Before joining Allen Matkins, Mr. Safarian was an associate in the Los Angeles office of Am Law 100 firm Mayer, Brown, Rowe and Maw LLP, handling similar real estate and finance matters, as well as general corporate and transactional matters.
A proud member of Los Angeles’ expansive Armenian community and fluent in the language, Mr. Safarian serves as a member of the Armenian Bar Association. He is also a member of the American Bar Association and Los Angeles County Bar Association, and has been selected as one of the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Outstanding Young Lawyers for Real Property.
Mr. Safarian has served as an Adjunct Professor in the Dollinger Master of Real Estate Development Program at USC’s Sol Price School of Public Policy, and regularly guest lectures at law schools throughout Southern California. Mr. Safarian also serves on the Planning Committee for USC Gould School of Law’s Real Estate Law and Business Forum, where he has also presented on numerous occasions.
Mr. Safarian is also committed to several civic, charitable and non-profit pursuits, including his contributions to the Board of Director of AGBU’s Western District and the Board of Directors of Children’s Music Fund, and his service on the Board of Directors of the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council.
A graduate of the University of California at Los Angeles for both undergraduate and law school, he received his B.A. in International Relations with magna cum laude honors in 1996, and his J.D. in 1999.