King & Spalding announced today that Danna Horton, a real estate lawyer with extensive experience serving the commercial real estate and financial services industries, has joined the firm as a partner in its Corporate, Finance and Investments (CFI) practice group. Horton is based in the firm’s Chicago office. Horton joins the firm from Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP in Chicago.

Horton counsels lenders and borrowers in real estate finance transactions, including first mortgage loans, mezzanine loans, construction loans and loan sales. She also advises investors in real estate joint ventures, acquisitions, dispositions and long-term ground leases.

“Danna is an accomplished real estate finance lawyer with a strong client-service orientation and an extensive track record handling the types of sophisticated transactions that our clients consistently turn to us for,” said Mark Thigpen, head of the firm’s Real Estate team. “Welcoming her to our team adds critical bench strength to our transactional practice and is an exciting step in the ongoing expansion of our real estate footprint worldwide.”

Horton was most recently a partner at Katten Muchin Rosenman in Chicago. She earned her J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law, cum laude, and her undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University, summa cum laude.

“Danna’s real estate finance experience adds a new dimension to our Chicago transactional offering that will play an important role in our continued growth here,” said Zach Fardon, managing partner of the firm’s Chicago office. “She is a great fit for our Chicago team.”

“I’ve been impressed by King & Spalding’s strategic vision and the growth trajectory of the CFI team and Chicago office,” said Horton. “The opportunity to expand my practice here and to contribute to the firm’s overall growth is really compelling, and I’m very excited to dig in.”