Real Estate

Attorneys in Cohen & Gresser’s Real Estate practice understand that each real estate project presents a unique set of opportunities and deserves tailored representation. That’s why we take the time to get to know our clients and their real estate and understand each objective and challenge.

Our attorneys are well-versed in solving complex real estate issues and are highly collaborative, agile, and efficient in optimizing clients’ outcomes.  We regularly advise on all aspects of real estate transactions, including issues involving tax, joint venture and operating agreements, mortgage and mezzanine loan financing, construction agreements, intellectual property/branding, and emerging technologies such as blockchain and digital currencies. We have represented borrowers and lenders in over $500 million of real estate based loans since 2010. We also have extensive experience representing clients with regard to breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, and other real estate disputes.

Our cross-border team is led by Nicholas Kaiser, a partner with 35 years of experience in the industry.  During his career, he has served as counsel in transactions involving most of the major commercial real estate owners in New York City and has deep expertise in the hotel industry, currently serving as outside general counsel to several of Manhattan’s largest boutique hotel owners.  During the last decade, he has been on the forefront of the redevelopment of the Williamsburg and Bushwick neighborhoods in Brooklyn. He has notably represented developers of four of the largest hotel and mixed use projects in Williamsburg, as well as the first ground-up speculative office building in Brooklyn since the 1950s, which is sited on a full square block of the Williamsburg waterfront.

We represent developers of hotels, large-scale commercial office buildings, and retail properties, as well as retail owners and tenants, private and institutional borrowers and lenders, and both domestic and international investors, including hedge fund managers, other alternative asset managers, and individuals. We advise clients throughout the life cycle of a project, including on:

  • Acquisitions and dispositions
  • Development
  • Construction
  • Financing, including advising lenders and borrowers on asset-based and project financing
  • Operating and shareholder agreements, including third party agreements
  • Leasing, including ongoing work for corporate tenants and individual owners
  • Lender-side work with respect to real estate loans
  • Ancillary issues, which include structuring tax-free 1031 exchanges, sponsor/investor operating agreements with complex waterfalls, and local and state tax, transfer tax, and mortgage recording tax matters

 

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Cohen & Gresser is pleased to announce that 29 of the firm's lawyers are included on the 2023 New York Metro Super Lawyers list and 11 lawyers are included on the 2023 New York Metro Rising Stars list across a range of practice areas.

Super Lawyers named C&G co­founder Mark S. Cohen one of the Top 10 lawyers in the New York metropolitan area. Partners Jonathan S. Abernethy and Karen H. Bromberg have also been named to the Super Lawyers list of the Top 100 lawyers in the New York metropolitan area. Additionally, Karen has been recognized as one of the Top 50 women lawyers within the same region.

Super Lawyers and Rising Stars are annual lists of outstanding lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Only 5 percent of the lawyers in each state are selected as Super Lawyers, and only 2.5 percent are selected as Rising Stars.

The C&G lawyers recognized on the New York Metro Super Lawyers list are:

The C&G lawyers recognized on the New York Metro Rising Stars list are:

Cohen & Gresser is pleased to announce that 37 of the firm's New York and Washington D.C.­based attorneys have been named to the 2021 Super Lawyers List across a wide range of practice areas. C&G co-­founder Mark S Cohen and partners Jonathan S Abernethy and Daniel H Tabak have also been named to the Super Lawyers list of the top 100 lawyers in the New York metropolitan area, and partner Karen H Bromberg has been recognized as one of the top 50 women lawyers in the New York metropolitan area.

Super Lawyers ranks outstanding lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Only five percent of the lawyers in each state are selected as Super Lawyers, and only 2.5 percent are selected as Rising Stars.

Super Lawyers

Jonathan S Abernethy: Criminal Defense: White Collar

Kwaku Andoh: Mergers & Acquisitions

Elizabeth Bernhardt: Business Litigation

Thomas E Bezanson: Personal Injury – Products: Defense

Colin C Bridge: Criminal Defense: White Collar

Karen H Bromberg: Intellectual Property

Jason Brown: Criminal Defense: White Collar

Joanna K Chan: Securities Litigation

Mark S Cohen: Business Litigation

S Gale Dick: Business Litigation

Christian R Everdell: Criminal Defense: White Collar

Lawrence T Gresser: Business Litigation

Oliver S Haker: Business Litigation

Johannes Jonas: Mergers & Acquisitions

Nicholas J Kaiser: Real Estate

Jeffrey I. Lang: Business Litigation

Melissa H Maxman: Antitrust Litigation

Ellen Paltiel: General Litigation

Nathaniel P T Read: Business Litigation

Bonnie J Roe: Securities & Corporate Finance

Stephen M Sinaiko: Business Litigation

C Evan Stewart: Securities Litigation

Daniel H Tabak: Business Litigation

Scott D Thomson: Business Litigation

Alexandra Wald: Business Litigation

Ronald F Wick: Antitrust Litigation

Rising Stars

Luke Appling: Civil Litigation

Sharon L Barbour: Criminal Defense: White Collar

Drew S Dean: General Litigation

William Kalema: Business Litigation

Sri Kuehnlenz: Civil Litigation

Winnifred A Lewis: Securities Litigation

Marvin J Lowenthal: Criminal Defense: White Collar

Barbara K Luse: Criminal Defense: White Collar

Matthew V Povolny: Business Litigation

Benjamin Zhu: Criminal Defense: White Collar

Cohen & Gresser is pleased to announce that 35 of the firm's New York and Washington D.C.­based attorneys have been named to the 2020 Super Lawyers List across a wide range of practice areas. C&G co-­founder Mark S Cohen and partners Jonathan S Abernethy and Daniel H Tabak have also been named to the Super Lawyers list of the top 100 lawyers in the New York metropolitan area, and partner Karen H Bromberg has been recognized as one of the top 50 women lawyers in the New York metropolitan area.
We are pleased to announce that 33 of our New York and Washington D.C.-based C&G attorneys have been recognized by Super Lawyers this year across a wide range of practice areas. Super Lawyers also selected C&G co-founder Mark S Cohen and partners Jonathan S Abernethy and Daniel H Tabak to its list of the top 100 lawyers in the New York metropolitan area, and partner Karen H Bromberg to its list of the top 50 women lawyers in the New York metropolitan area.