Overview

Vivian de las Cuevas-Diaz is an attorney in Holland & Knight's Miami office and serves as the firmwide deputy section leader of the Real Estate Section, assisting in managing the firm's nationwide real estate practice.

Ms. de las Cuevas-Diaz's practice is supplemented by her bilingual and multicultural team that facilitates her U.S.-based and international clients' needs in their U.S.-bound projects.

Real Estate Transactions: Development, Acquisitions, Dispositions

Ms. de las Cuevas-Diaz is called to assist in developing solutions for various complex real estate transactions for her U.S.-based and international clients.

Her clients include those with business focused in the areas of multifamily housing, industrial projects, hospitality, retail, residential development and office buildings. Within her residential practice, Ms. de las Cuevas-Diaz has also represented clients in high-end homes. Her experience with this wide range of real estate clients includes acquisitions and dispositions, development and construction, acquisition and construction financing, corporate structuring and joint venture negotiations.

Within her development practice, Ms. de las Cuevas-Diaz is experienced in representing developers in a range of projects, including raw land development, construction of or already built multifamily, industrial and single family development, condominium, office and hotels.

Joint Ventures

Ms. de las Cuevas-Diaz is experienced in handling real estate joint ventures focused on acquisition as well as development for her U.S.-based and international clients. Ms. de las Cuevas-Diaz works closely with a bench of land use and zoning lawyers in Holland & Knight's various offices across the U.S.

Holland & Knight's Joint Venture Group has vast experience in all relevant areas necessary for structuring, drafting negotiation and implementing joint venture real estate projects. She works hand in hand with the firm's corporate and tax teams to structure the joint ventures for various real estate developments and the proper corporate and tax structure for such development projects.

Leasing: Landlord and Tenant Matters

Ms. de las Cuevas-Diaz represents landlords and tenants in retail, commercial, hotel and warehouse leasing agreements. This experience includes negotiations of defaults, deferrals and amendments to leases as a result of COVID-19.

Finance

In her finance experience, Ms. de las Cuevas-Diaz represents borrowers and lenders.

Ms. de las Cuevas-Diaz has extensive experience in complex financial transactions for national and international institutional lenders in commercial lending for various types of projects and developments as well as asset-based loans secured by real estate, inventory, equipment receivables and securities.

In her representation of the borrower, she handles real estate asset-based lending for acquisition, construction and development projects These projects include industrial, multifamily and single family development, condominium and hotels.

Workouts

Ms. de las Cuevas-Diaz focuses on guiding institutional lenders toward resolutions for troubled loans and complex workouts.

Ms. de las Cuevas-Diaz's special assets experience includes representation of lenders and developers across the U.S. with respect to forbearance, negotiation of loan modifications, restructuring and workouts on behalf of lenders and borrowers for various types of loans, deeds-in-lieu of foreclosure, note purchase, and sales and foreclosures affecting numerous commercial properties located throughout the state and nation.

Credentials

Education
  • Tulane University Law School, J.D.
  • Florida State University, B.S.
Bar Admissions/Licenses
  • Florida
Memberships
  • Urban Land Institute (ULI) Southeast Florida/Caribbean Advisory Board, Member
  • Women's Hispanic Executive Association, Secretary, 2022
  • Florida State University, Board of Trustees, 2021
  • Florida State University, Real Estate Foundation Board, 2021
  • Tulane University Law School, Board of Directors, 2020
  • Coral Gables Community Foundation, Board Member
  • Beacon Council, Board Member
  • Cuban American Bar Association, Past President, Foundation Board Member
  • Urban Land Institute
  • Florida Federal Judicial Nominating Commission - Southern District
  • Leadership Florida, Class XXXIV
  • Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) of Miami
  • Latin Builders Association
Honors & Awards
  • The Best Lawyers in America guide, Real Estate Law, 2021-2025
  • Chambers USA – America's Leading Business Lawyers guide, Real Estate (South), 2021-2024
  • The Legal 500 USA, Real Estate, 2017-2022; Leading Lawyer, Real Estate, 2023, 2024; Real Estate – Land Use/Zoning, 2020, 2022-2024; Real Estate – Finance, 2023, 2024
  • Lawyers in Real Estate Awards, Florida & Gulf Coast, Connect CRE, 2023
  • Inspire Award, Florida State University (FSU) Alumni Association, 2023
  • Highly Regarded, Real Estate, IFLR1000, 2023
  • Real Estate Lawyer of the Year, Euromoney Legal Media Group Women in Business Law Americas Awards, 2023
  • 23 in '23 Miami Women in Real Estate, Kayo Conference Series, 2023
  • Inspire Honoree, Florida State University Alumni Association, 2023
  • Woman of Influence, Commercial Real Estate, GlobeSt.com, 2021
  • Distinguished Leaders in Law Honoree, Daily Business Review, 2019
  • American Red Cross UHealth Red Cross Service Award, American Red Cross 25th Annual Sarah Hopkins Woodruff Spectrum Awards for Women, 2018
  • Top Influential Business Women, South Florida Business Journal, 2016
  • Top 20 "Women in Law," Daily Business Review, 2015
  • Top Lawyer, South Florida Legal Guide, 2015-2021
  • Top Up and Comer, South Florida Legal Guide, 2013, 2014
  • Rising Star, Florida Super Lawyers magazine, 2010-2016
  • Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) Rainmaker, 2014
  • Latin America's Legal Rising Stars, Latin Business Chronicle, 2013
  • Florida Legal Elite "Up and Comer," Florida Trend magazine, 2006-2009, 2011
  • Florida Super Lawyers, Law & Politics magazine, 2010, 2012
  • 20 Under 40, Miami Herald
  • 40 Under 40, South Florida Business Journal
  • 40 Under 40 Outstanding Lawyers of Miami-Dade County, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
  • Hispanic Women of Distinction, Bank of America and Latin Style Magazine
  • Key Partners Award, Real Estate Law Finalist, South Florida Business Journal
Spoken Languages
  • English
  • Spanish

Publications

Speaking Engagements

News