LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Top boutique law firm Sklar Kirsh LLP announced today that it has strengthened its Real Estate practice with the addition of Mark A. Hikin.

"Throughout his legal career, Mark has led a broad spectrum of real estate transactions and has been instrumental in a number of high-profile deals,” said Andrew Kirsh, who chairs the firm’s Real Estate group. “His experience at both an Am Law 100 law firm and as a former general counsel gives him the distinctive understanding and ability to anticipate clients’ needs while delivering highly effective and practical legal counsel. We are fortunate that he has joined our team."

Hikin represents financial institutions, private equity funds, institutional investors, and owners in connection with complex real estate financing transactions, acquisitions and dispositions, and leasing transactions. He works with clients across various asset classes including multifamily, office, retail, shopping centers, hotels, and industrial projects.

“Sklar Kirsh has one of the top real estate practices in California. The firm has an excellent reputation for providing full-service representation with the sophistication and talent of a large firm and all the advantages of a boutique firm,” said Hikin. “I’ve known Andrew for nearly a decade, and I am really looking forward to joining this team of highly competent and skilled professionals.”

Prior to joining Sklar Kirsh, Hikin worked in the Real Estate and Capital Markets practices at national law firm Ballard Spahr LLP. Before that, Hikin was General Counsel of a Los Angeles-based commercial real estate company and in-house counsel to a publicly traded real estate investment trust. Mark provided strategic legal advice to ownership and management on commercial real estate transactions and corporate governance issues. He oversaw enforcement and compliance with various company policies and was responsible for the financial underwriting divisions of each of those companies.

A Los Angeles native, Hikin attended the University of California, Berkeley where he earned a B.A. in Legal Studies. He attended Washington University in St. Louis where he concurrently earned an M.B.A. at the Olin Business School and a J.D. at the School of Law. For the last eight years, Hikin has been involved in and currently serves on the board of Happy Trails for Kids, a nonprofit organization providing overnight summer camps and other year-round outdoor adventures for youth in the Southern California foster care system. Hikin enjoys coordinating sports camps, playing sports and he lives in West Los Angeles with his wife and 11-month-old son.

About Sklar Kirsh

Sklar Kirsh LLP is a California boutique law firm that provides sophisticated and expert advice in the areas of corporate, real estate, bankruptcy and entertainment law as well as commercial, real estate and entertainment litigation. For more information, visit www.SklarKirsh.com.