Joshua S. Cole

Josh is co-chair of the Commercial Finance practice group.  He is an experienced and skilled commercial finance and commercial real estate attorney practicing in Connecticut and New York. Over the course of his career, Josh has successfully closed hundreds of secured and unsecured commercial finance transactions on both the borrower side and the lender side throughout Connecticut and New York, including mortgage loans, construction loans, term loans, lines of credit, asset based revolving credit facilities, equipment loans, mezzanine loans, letter of credit enhanced bond financings, loan purchases and loan sales.

On the lender side, Josh regularly represents large national institutional lenders, regional institutional lenders, community banks and private lenders.  Josh’s lender clients appreciate his keen ability to analyze risks that may become apparent during the course of a transaction and recommend practical solutions to mitigate the lender’s risk.

On the borrower side, Josh routinely works with middle market companies and closely held and family owned businesses in all types of industries including manufacturing, retail, food service, medical and professional services, developers, property management companies, real estate investors, educational institutions, not-for-profits, homeowner’s associations and unincorporated associations. Having been on the lender side of hundreds of commercial finance transactions during the course of his career, Josh is able to leverage that experience for his borrower clients and provide a high level of service and efficiency to help his clients successfully and timely complete their financing transactions.

A significant part of Josh’s practice also includes commercial real estate transactions including acquisitions, sales, and leasing. Josh regularly represents sellers, purchasers, landlords and tenants in connection with the sale, purchase and leasing of all types of properties located in Connecticut and New York including office, manufacturing, industrial, energy, education, retail, food service, and medical.

Prior to joining Pullman & Comley, Josh spent the first sixteen years of his career practicing with law firms located in Westchester County, New York.

Office

Professional Affiliations

Connecticut Bar Association

New York State Bar Association

Fairfield County Commercial Brokers Network

Real Estate Finance Association (REFA)

Westchester County Bankers Association

Community Involvement

Town of Wilton Board of Selectmen, July 2018 - present; Second Selectman, December 2021 - present

Town of Wilton Water Pollution Control Authority - board member, September 2020 - present

Wilton Chamber of Commerce - member of Board of Directors, September 2018 - present

Town of Wilton Zoning Board of Appeals, October 2014 - July 2018; chairman, December 2016 - July 2018; vice chairman, December 2015 - December 2016

Town of Wilton Board of Selectmen Subcommittee on Town Counsel Selection, October 2016 - December 2016

Wilton Republican Town Committee, January 2015 - present; vice chairman, March 2018 - March 2020

Connecticut Republican State Convention, delegate for Town of Wilton in 2016, 2018 and 2020

St. Margaret Shrine, Bridgeport - Finance Committee, January 2012 - April 2017

Honors & Recognitions

Named a Moffly Media Top Lawyer in Fairfield County, 2021, 2023 and 2024 - Real Estate

Lending

• Lender’s counsel for large regional institutional lender in connection with the closing of a $37 million portfolio mortgage loan made to six co-borrowers and secured by six separate multifamily apartment buildings located in Bronx, New York
• Lender’s counsel for large national institutional lender in connection with the closing of a $4.5 million commercial mortgage loan secured by a retail and office property located in Fairfield County, Connecticut
• Lender’s counsel for large regional institutional lender in connection with the closing of a $10 million commercial first mortgage loan and a $1,000,000 commercial second mortgage loan secured by a shopping center located in Westchester County, New York
• Lender’s counsel for a national non-institutional lender in connection with the closing of a $4 million commercial mortgage loan secured by properties located in Dutchess County, New York
• Lender's counsel for large regional institutional lender in connection with the closing of a $14,000,000 refinance of a retail shopping center in Suffolk County, New York
• Borrower's counsel for a large regional fuel company and its subsidiaries in connection with the closing of an $80,000,000 syndicated revolving credit facility with an international institutional lender
• Borrower’s counsel in connection with the $12 million financing of a commercial office park located in New Haven County, Connecticut with a national life insurance company
• Borrower’s counsel for a not-for-profit corporation in connection with $25 million aggregate financing of a commercial condominium unit located in New York City with an international institutional lender
• Borrower’s counsel for a not-for-profit corporation in connection with the $4.5 million financing of their office and programing property located in Westchester County, New York with a regional institutional lender
• Borrower’s counsel in connection with the financing of retail and apartment properties located in Hartford County, Connecticut with a regional institutional lender
• Borrower's counsel in connection with the closing of an $8,000,000 refinance of a medical office building located in Dutchess County, New York
• Borrower's counsel for a condominium owner's association in connection with the closing of a $1,200,000 capital improvement loan

Leasing

• Landlord’s counsel for large regional commercial landlord in connection with the preparation and negotiation of a pad lease for the ground up construction of a retail store in Litchfield County, Connecticut leased to a national retailer
• Landlord’s counsel for large regional commercial landlord in connection with the preparation and negotiation of a pad lease for the ground up construction of a retail store in Westchester County, New York leased to a national retailer
• Tenant’s counsel for artist cooperative in connection with the negotiation of a lease for the renovation and occupancy of a 34,000 square foot former factory building in Fairfield County, Connecticut to be used for artist studios and exhibition space

Real Estate

• Purchaser’s counsel for educational organization in connection with the acquisition, financing and renovation of a former school building located in Litchfield County, Connecticut to be used for educational programing
• Purchaser’s counsel for private school operator in connection with the acquisition of a campus of buildings located in New York State to be used as a school for children with special needs
• Purchaser’s counsel for a manufacturing company in connection with the acquisition, financing and renovation of an industrial building located in Westchester County, New York
• Purchaser's local Connecticut real estate counsel in connection with the acquisition and assemblage of nine separately owned parcels in connection with the development of a large scale solar project
• Purchaser's counsel to a non-profit in connection with the acquisition and construction financing for a former elementary school property in Litchfield County, Connecticut
• Purchaser's counsel to a non-profit in connection with the acquisition and construction financing for a former church property in Litchfield County, Connecticut
• Seller’s counsel to a family owned real estate company in connection with the sale of a retail shopping center in Westchester County, New York
• Seller’s counsel to a national REIT in connection with the sale of a commercial office building located in Westchester County, New York
• Purchaser's counsel for four tenant in common entities in connection with the acquisition of four industrial buildings located in New Haven County, Connecticut

Publications

Press Releases