Vanessa Moody is a retail, leasing and bankruptcy attorney

Biography

Overview

Vanessa Moody is a real estate lawyer focusing on complex commercial real estate transactions involving retail, office and mixed-use properties. Vanessa primarily counsels sophisticated real estate developers and institutional clients on the leasing of lifestyle centers, urban retail centers, hotels, restaurant space, power centers, outlet centers and enclosed malls, as well as related development matters, including the negotiation and interpretation of ground leases, master leases, reciprocal easement agreements and condominium documents. She also represents companies, including institutions (such as colleges/university and hospitals), retailers, and commercial businesses (including specialty medical care providers), as tenants in commercial leasing transactions.

In connection with her retail work, Vanessa represents landlords in the complex commercial bankruptcy cases of their tenants, which typically includes lease restructuring negotiations, bankruptcy auction/sale processes, bankruptcy-related litigation and out-of-court workouts. She also represents various national and international retailers in connection with acquisition transactions (both distressed and non-distressed) and national store roll-outs, as well as with branding/rebranding efforts.

Vanessa's practice has additionally included the representation of debtors and creditors’ committees in Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases, and lenders in leveraged buy-outs, secured financings and other debt transactions.

Vanessa is a regular speaker at the annual International Council on Shopping Centers (ICSC) Law Conference. Prior to her time at Goulston & Storrs, Vanessa was Law Clerk to Chief Judge (Ret.) Henry J. Boroff of the United States Bankruptcy Court, District of Massachusetts.

Accolades

  • Best Lawyers in America® (2023-2025): Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Real Estate Law
  • Massachusetts Super Lawyers "Rising Stars," 2009-2012

Affiliations

  • International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
  • Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Network (f/k/a NEWIRE)
  • Boston Bar Association
  • American Bankruptcy Institute

Admissions

  • Massachusetts

Education

  • Northeastern University School of Law  (J.D., 2005)
  • University of California, Santa Cruz  (B.A., 2000)