December 11, 2025
David Drewes, Co-Chair of Willkie’s Real Estate Department, has been profiled by Law360 as a 2025 Real Estate MVP.
A respected adviser to clients and co-leader of Willkie’s real estate practice, Dave is an experienced practitioner who regularly guides clients through significant transactions across all real estate asset classes. He is recognized for the second time by Law360 as one of the top attorneys in real estate law. He previously won MVP honors in 2015.
In a Q&A profile, Dave discussed his work this past year, which included Mutual of America’s sale of a stake in 320 Park Avenue, Saks Global's $2.7 billion acquisition of Neiman Marcus Group, and Henry Crown & Company's $3.5 billion Rockefeller Center refinancing. He also discussed the team’s growth, his career path and what motivates him.
Dave noted his biggest accomplishment this year was expanding the real estate department, which saw the addition in March of a six-attorney real estate team in Dallas. He emphasized the importance he places on creating a team environment and helping guide people to work well together.
“I think what's critically important in this field is having people who have relationships where you want to work together and support each other in furtherance of clients' goals," he said.
Dave said that he was initially drawn to real estate in part because the work involved negotiating and collaborating, which are strengths for him. That same passion for collaborative work also drives him every day to achieve successful results for clients.
"I feel very gratified when I'm in a position to use my judgment for the benefit of a client, to help them solve a problem or get to a closing of a transaction that's important for them for one reason or another," he noted.
Law360 selected Dave as a 2025 MVP from a competitive pool of nearly 900 nominations, naming him one of five honorees in the Real Estate category.
Read his full profile here.
A respected adviser to clients and co-leader of Willkie’s real estate practice, Dave is an experienced practitioner who regularly guides clients through significant transactions across all real estate asset classes. He is recognized for the second time by Law360 as one of the top attorneys in real estate law. He previously won MVP honors in 2015.
In a Q&A profile, Dave discussed his work this past year, which included Mutual of America’s sale of a stake in 320 Park Avenue, Saks Global's $2.7 billion acquisition of Neiman Marcus Group, and Henry Crown & Company's $3.5 billion Rockefeller Center refinancing. He also discussed the team’s growth, his career path and what motivates him.
Dave noted his biggest accomplishment this year was expanding the real estate department, which saw the addition in March of a six-attorney real estate team in Dallas. He emphasized the importance he places on creating a team environment and helping guide people to work well together.
“I think what's critically important in this field is having people who have relationships where you want to work together and support each other in furtherance of clients' goals," he said.
Dave said that he was initially drawn to real estate in part because the work involved negotiating and collaborating, which are strengths for him. That same passion for collaborative work also drives him every day to achieve successful results for clients.
"I feel very gratified when I'm in a position to use my judgment for the benefit of a client, to help them solve a problem or get to a closing of a transaction that's important for them for one reason or another," he noted.
Law360 selected Dave as a 2025 MVP from a competitive pool of nearly 900 nominations, naming him one of five honorees in the Real Estate category.
Read his full profile here.
