Overview
Elizabeth Dryden is a real estate partner in Glaser Weil’s Century City office, where she advises clients on complex acquisitions, dispositions and financings of commercial real estate assets. She represents property owners and developers, private equity sponsors, lenders and high-net-worth investors in transactions involving both stabilized and transitional assets across all major asset classes.
With a strong background in finance, Elizabeth focuses on structuring and negotiating sophisticated real estate finance transactions across the capital stack. She primarily represents sponsors, borrowers and investors in connection with preferred equity investments, mezzanine and other subordinate debt, joint venture capital structures, including co-GP arrangements and programmatic ventures, syndicated credit facilities, and bridge, construction and permanent financings.
Elizabeth is a creative and commercially focused advisor known for her ability to bridge legal and business considerations. She works closely with clients to structure efficient, risk-managed solutions while navigating complex transactions and advancing broader strategic objectives.
Her practice primarily focuses on:
- Acquisitions and dispositions of commercial real estate assets, including portfolio transactions
- Real estate finance, including preferred equity, bridge, construction, mezzanine and permanent financings
- Joint venture structuring and negotiation
- Real estate syndications
Prior to joining Glaser Weil, Elizabeth practiced at a Beverly Hills-based full-service law firm, where she advanced from of counsel to partner, as well as at several Am Law 100 firms with nationally recognized finance and transactional practices. Across these roles, she developed extensive experience representing lenders and borrowers in sophisticated real estate and corporate finance transactions.
Elizabeth earned her J.D. from New York University School of Law, where she served as Senior Production Editor of the Journal of Law & Business. While in law school, she volunteered with Sanctuary for Families, advocating for abused spouses in uncontested divorce proceedings. She received her undergraduate degree in economics and philosophy from Columbia University. As an undergraduate, she volunteered as an Emergency Medical Technician with the university ambulance corps, serving as a Crew Chief and member of the Medical Board.
Results
Elizabeth’s notable experience includes her representation of:
- An owner-operator in a $52.5 million refinance of a 170-unit multifamily property in Fremont, California.
- A sponsor in a $13 million refinance of an 81-unit multifamily property, including a $2 million preferred equity investment.
- An owner-operator in a $23.5 million refinance of a 78-unit multifamily property and a related joint venture arrangement.
- TIC sellers in the $41 million sale of a 227-unit multifamily property, including affordable housing units, in Moreno Valley, California.
- A real estate sponsor in the $61.5 million acquisition of an office building in Dallas, Texas, including $52.6 million in acquisition financing and related investor structuring.
Insights
News
Quoted, “Stay Alive Until ‘25’: LA Capital Markets Pros Trying to Hang on in Market Minefield,” Bisnow, May 2023
Speaking Engagements
Moderator, “High Rates, Higher Stakes: Capital Markets, Debt Financing, and Deal Flow in a Volatile Market,” Bisnow’s Multifamily Annual Conference West, November 2025
Moderator, Bisnow’s National Repositions & Adaptive Reuse Webinar, August 2024
Moderator, “Sourcing Debt: Where Is the Money Flowing?,” Bisnow’s Finance and Deal-Making Conference & Cocktail, May 2024
Moderator, “Creating Extreme Value & Unleashing Investment Potential: Diversifying Portfolios, Building a Brand for Your Development and Positioning Assets for Growth to Lease Ahead of Delivery,” Bisnow’s Los Angeles Multifamily Conference, February 2024
Moderator, “Keynote Conversation with Christopher Rising, Rising Realty, Investment Strategies & Principles of Underwriting,” Bisnow’s Capital Markets & Deal Making Conference & Cocktail, May 2023
Moderator, “Finance & Investment Landscape: Getting Pipelines Funded, Aggregating Capital & Moving the Needle,” Bisnow’s Los Angeles Multifamily Conference West, February 2023
Co-presenter, “Real Estate Syndications: Navigating Minefields for the Unwary,” Beverly Hills Bar Association, Virtual Seminar, February 2023
Moderator, “Finance & Investment Landscape: Access to Capital & Getting Deals Done in an Unpredictable Market”, Bisnow’s Multifamily Annual Conference West, November 2022
Co-Presenter, “Commercial Leases: Common Pitfalls and How to Sidestep Them,” Beverly Hills Bar Association, Virtual Seminar, September 2022
Moderator, “The Effect of the Pandemic on LA’s Historically Strong Multifamily Asset Class,” Bisnow Digital Summit, State of Los Angeles Multifamily, June 2021
Moderator, “An Update on Tech/Streaming Headquarters, Transit & Development,” Bisnow Digital Summit, Culver City State of The Market, April 2021
Moderator, “How Are Multifamily Owners and Investors Moving Forward?,” Bisnow Webinar, State of Los Angeles Multifamily, May 2020
Speaker, “Getting Deals Done Amid Coronavirus: How Are Transactions in LA Being Impacted by the Global Pandemic,” Bisnow Webinar, April 2020
Awards and Recognition
Awards and Recognition
Leaders of Influence: Thriving in Their 40s, Los Angeles Business Journal, 2025
Bisnow’s Power Women Leading Real Estate, 2024
Inspirational Women Forum & Leadership Awards, Los Angeles Times B2B Publishing, 2023
One to Watch & Women in Law, Best Lawyers in America, 2021-23
Commercial Real Estate Visionaries, L.A. Times, 2022
Super Lawyers: Southern California Super Lawyers, 2025-26
Super Lawyers: Southern California Rising Stars, 2017-21
Leadership and Community
Member, Beverly Hills Bar Association, Real Estate Section Co-Chair
Member, Los Angeles’ Westside Urban Forum
Industries
Education
New York University School of Law, J.D., 2009
Columbia University, B.A., 2004, economics and philosophy
Admissions
- California
