Global law firm Hogan Lovells confirmed that a group of lateral partners from Stroock & Stroock & Lavan are joining the firm. The group of confirmed partners are joining the firm in its New York, Washington, D.C., Miami, and Los Angeles offices.
Hogan Lovells CEO Miguel Zaldivar stated: “We are extremely happy to welcome this group to Hogan Lovells. They are an exceptionally talented group of lawyers, who will help us to grow our practices in key areas including real estate, commercial litigation, and corporate and transactional work.
“Adding this group from Stroock aligns with our focus on growing in strategic markets such as New York by bringing in high-performing lateral groups who recognize Hogan Lovells as a destination for talent.”
The group from Stroock includes market-leading real estate lawyers with a strong national presence and leading position in New York City in virtually every aspect of commercial real estate.
In addition, this group significantly strengthens Hogan Lovells’ commercial litigation services in New York with lawyers who have represented leading financial services, professional services, and other companies and clients in a wide range of high stakes disputes, including commercial and securities litigation, class actions, antitrust, and state AG matters.
The group also includes highly regarded transactional lawyers who have structured some of the largest and most complex transactions in history in areas involving commodities, derivatives, and energy transactions.
James Bernard, who has served as head of Stroock’s General Litigation Practice Group, said: “I am thrilled to be joining Hogan Lovells, a firm with a strong national footprint in commercial litigation, and which represents so many leading global brands in complex and multidistrict disputes around the world. Our clients will only benefit from the deep bench of experience and skills Hogan Lovells provides, and I look forward to continuing to represent them from this exceptional platform.”
Partners joining Hogan Lovells on Nov. 15 are listed below:
Corporate & Finance Practice Group:
Jeffrey R. Keitelman, Washington, D.C./New York (Real Estate) - Jeff Keitelman served as Co-Managing Partner of Stroock and Co-Chair of its national Real Estate Group. He has been the lead lawyer on some of the country’s largest and most high-profile commercial real estate transactions, including advising The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in the redevelopment of the World Trade Center. Jeff founded Stroock’s Government Real Estate practice, which focuses on advising owners who dealwith government entities in connection with leasing, purchase/sale, lending, compliance, operations, protests and other claims. He also led Stroock’s Corporate Real Estate practice, representing major occupiers of space in leasing, purchase/sale, and other transactional matters. Jeff has been recognized as a Chambers “Eminent Practitioner,” Law360 MVP and as a Washingtonian magazine “Top Lawyer, Lifetime Lawyer Achievement recipient, and member of the publication’s Top Lawyers Hall of Fame.
Brian Diamond, New York (Real Estate) - Brian Diamond served as Co-Chair of Stroock’s Real Estate Group and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. He advises institutional investors, real estate opportunity funds, and investment advisers, serving as lead counsel in many of the nation’s most significant and complex real estate transactions. Brian represents managers of public and private pension funds in acquisitions, joint ventures, development transactions, financings, and dispositions, and is well versed in the tax and ERISA rules that govern the behavior of tax-exempt investors. Additionally, he handles issues that affect the performance of real estate assets, including environmental issues, bankruptcy, tax issues, casualties, condemnation, litigation, and land use restrictions.
Trevor T. Adler, New York (Real Estate) - Trevor Adler counsels clients in commercial real estate matters and has industry-leading experience in complex leasing and condominium transactions for office, retail, co-working, nonprofit, and educational space in New York City and nationally on behalf of major landlords, tenants, purchasers, and sellers. Trevor has recently closed some of the largest lease transactions in Manhattan, including a 120,000 square foot office deal for The Durst Organization, a 300,000 square foot educational deal as leasehold condominium counsel for Rudin Management, a 300,000 square foot healthcare deal for George Comfort & Sons, and other high-profile transactions for The New York Times, Edward J. Minskoff Equities, Vornado Realty Trust, Empire State Realty Trust, BLDG Management, Scholastic, Hudson’s Bay Company/Saks Fifth Avenue, VNS Health, CUNY, EHS, Pace and Barnard. He is the lead pro bono real estate counsel to the New York Bar Foundation and the vice chair of the board of directors of Broadway Housing Communities, an affordable housing nonprofit.
Elizabeth M. Akerman, New York (Real Estate) - Elizabeth Akerman advises institutional and non-institutional owners, operators, investment managers, and developers on real estate investment and development transactions. She provides comprehensive guidance throughout the full life cycle of all types of commercial real estate transactions, particularly in the formation of joint ventures and financings, including mortgage, mezzanine and construction loans, developments, acquisitions, dispositions, and restructurings.
Joseph Giminaro, New York (Real Estate) - Joseph Giminaro served as head of Stroock’s Tax Certiorari practice, managing major real estate tax cases before the New York City Tax Commission. Joe’s experience working as chief real estate tax counsel to the NYC Department of Finance has provided him deep insights into the City’s assessment appeal process and preparation of tax projections. Joe serves as President and member of the Board of Trustees to the Real Estate Tax Review Bar Association.
Danielle A. Grunwald, New York (Real Estate) - Danielle Grunwald provides comprehensive guidance throughout the full life cycle of commercial real estate transactions, advising institutional owners, operators, investment managers, and developers on joint ventures, financings, developments, acquisitions, dispositions, and restructurings with respect to real estate assets throughout the U.S. She recently advised on the formation of a joint venture for the development and financing of a 350,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art life sciences building in Manhattan; the disposition of a corporate campus containing over 800,000 square feet of office space outside of Boston; and the formation of a joint venture and negotiation of construction financing for the development of a multifamily residential complex in Boca Raton, Florida.
Ross F. Moskowitz, New York (Real Estate) - Ross Moskowitz serves as a strategic advisor to leading real estate development clients with an emphasis on land use, zoning, public-private partnerships, environmental, and tax abatement and exemption issues. He regularly appears before governmental agencies, including the New York City Planning Commission, the Board of Standards and Appeals, and the Landmarks Preservation Commission on behalf of private developers, institutional investors, investment management groups, and not-for-profit institutions seeking discretionary zoning approval. Ross holds a long list of recognitions, including rankings in Chambers USA, Law360 Real Estate MVPs, Commercial Observer’s Leading Legals: New York’s Most Powerful Real Estate Attorneys and Crain’s New York Business Notable Leader in Real Estate. Ross also served on Stroock’s Executive Committee and Chaired the firm’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Council, receiving Chambers USA’s Diversity and Inclusion “Outstanding Ally” award in 2019 and the John E. Higgins Diversity Trailblazer Award from the NYSBA’s Committee on DEI.
Steven P. Moskowitz, New York (Real Estate) - Steven Moskowitz practices in all areas of commercial real estate, including acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, financing, and leasing, with an emphasis on representing institutional investors, pension funds, REITs, and foreign investors. He has worked on a number of high-profile real estate transactions, including the acquisition, development and disposition of St. John’s Terminal and the recapitalization of 10 Hudson Yards in New York; the acquisition, financing, and redevelopment of the Washington Post site in Washington, D.C.; the acquisition, financing, and recapitalization of Century Plaza Towers and 2000 Avenue of the Stars in Los Angeles; and the acquisition, privatization, and recapitalization of an NYSE-listed REIT on behalf of a pension fund. Steven also has significant experience in counseling investment advisers and is well versed in the tax and ERISA issues applicable to tax exempt and foreign investors.
Karen Scanna, New York (Real Estate) - Karen Scanna has worked on several of the most complex and high-profile real estate transactions in New York City’s history, including representing Delancey Street Associates in its winning bid for the Essex Crossing development. In addition to handling traditional real estate transactions, Karen has deep experience in deals involving public private partnerships with City and State instrumentalities as well as non-profit institutions. A significant part of her practice has involved the negotiation of joint venture agreements, representing the developer/operator partner as well as the capital partner and/or preferred equity holder. Karen devotes significant time to mentoring young women starting their careers in commercial real estate and is an active member of WX-New York Women Executives in Real Estate, an organization focused on the advancement of women in the industry.
Elsa A. Ben Shimon, New York (Real Estate) - Elsa Ben Shimon represents institutional investors, including REITs, in joint ventures, acquisitions and dispositions, and financings of large-scale commercial real estate projects, including office buildings, shopping centers, industrial complexes, condominium properties, and multifamily residential projects throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. She also represents major Israeli institutions investing in U.S. real estate assets on the debt and equity side. An Israeli national, Elsa also assists leading U.S. institutions and real estate companies in navigating the Israeli capital markets.
Michael S. Kosmas, Washington, D.C. (Real Estate) - Michael Kosmas led Stroock’s Hospitality & Leisure practice. Over the past thirty years he has represented some of the orld’s largest and most sophisticated hotel owners, brand manages and hotel operators in connection with the development, acquisition, disposition, and financing of more than 750 hotel and resort properties on six continents around the globe. He has particular experience in drafting and negotiating complex franchise and management contracts between hotel owners, hotel brands and operators, and has also led the legal team for the development of numerous mixed-use projects with hotel and branded residences components, as well as public private partnership deals. He has devoted a significant part of his pro bono service to addressing the real estate and other needs of charitable organizations in the Washington, DC area. Prior to private practice, Michael served for nearly a decade as a senior Congressional aide to the late U.S. Congresswoman Helen Delich Bentley, namesake of the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore.
Kim Pagotto, Washington, D.C. (Real Estate) - Kim Pagotto practices in commercial real estate, including leasing, acquisitions, dispositions, development, and finance. She handles major transactions for top developers, Fortune 500 clients, and private individuals and has significant experience with office, retail, industrial, federal and state agency, telecommunications, utility, and multifamily residential projects. Kim has a highly specialized area of her practice representing U.S. owners and developers of government leased space, representing U.S. clients in responding to expressions of interest, requests for proposals, Automated Advanced Acquisition Program submissions, lease negotiations, lease administration, audit responses, compliance, and acquisitions, dispositions, and financings of individual and portfolio properties with a local, state or federal government component. Kim has dedicated significant pro bono contributions to the Board of Directors and Leadership Council for Miriam’s Kitchen, a Washington, D.C. nonprofit working on ending chronic homelessness for veterans in the District.
Timothy P. DeKeyser, Miami (Real Estate) - Timothy DeKeyser represents investors, domestic and international real estate companies, funds, lenders, government-sponsored entities, and other entities in complex real estate matters ranging from acquisitions, financing, and leasing to construction transactions and development of raw or underdeveloped land. Tim has assisted clients in transactions related to a wide variety of real estate asset classes, including office buildings, senior housing, hospitality, residential or multi-family use buildings, industrial, and specialized-use facilities. Tim frequently represents companies in their most critical real estate transactions, including Paramount Group in connection with the restructuring of its real estate portfolio as part of its REIT IPO, which was the largest ever in the U.S. at the time of its consummation.
Ira K. Teicher, Miami (Real Estate) - Ira Teicher represents developers and institutional and non-institutional investors in the acquisition, disposition, development, financing, and management of commercial and residential assets. He has represented hedge funds, pension funds, and other real estate opportunity funds in joint ventures with countless first-tier operators. Ira is Chambers-ranked and recognized by Legal500 USA and Best Lawyers as a top attorney in his field.
Loryn Dunn Arkow, Los Angeles (Real Estate) - Loryn Dunn Arkow has extensive experience handling acquisition, disposition, and development transactions; joint ventures and preferred equity, capital raises, lending, and other finance transactions; recapitalizations; and workouts. Her client list includes large public pension funds, institutional investment advisors, private equity funds and other investors, sponsors, and developers in sectors including multifamily, office, industrial, studio real estate, retail, medical, homebuilding, and mixed-use projects. She represented a television network in the US$750 million M&A-style sale of an iconic twenty-five acre studio in the heart of Los Angeles together with its operating studio business; a foreign institutional asset manager in a platform venture to invest in industrial and multifamily properties across the United States, and a pension fund advisor in the negotiation and documentation of joint venture and debt financing with a luxury developer of high-rise apartments and condominiums in Southern California.
Christopher J. Doyle, New York (M&A) - Christopher Doyle served as Chair of Stroock’s Corporate Practice Group. He has broad corporate experience, with a particular focus on mergers and acquisitions and advising public companies and boards of directors on corporate governance and securities law compliance. Chris also has extensive expertise in complex, multijurisdictional commodities financings, including those involving environmental credits and allowances. Prior to joining Stroock, Chris worked at National Westminster Bank in Mergers and Acquisitions and Corporate Finance.
Bradley G. Kulman, New York (M&A) - Bradley Kulman practices corporate and securities law, with a particular focus on M&A and private equity. He has extensive experience representing buyers and sellers of investment management businesses and represents several prominent family offices in their investments and succession planning. Brad regularly counsels clients involved in general corporate and securities transactions, including venture capital and other public and private offerings of debt and equity securities. He has served as outside general counsel for a number of portfolio companies of private equity firms and real estate development and management companies. Brad represents numerous pro bono clients, including NYC Kids RISE, an innovative college scholarship and savings platform in New York City.
Marvin J. Goldstein, New York (Infrastructure, Energy, Resources and Projects) - Marvin Goldstein concentrates his practice in commodities and derivatives law as well as in corporate and energy law. He represents dealers and participants in the commodities (including energy and metals) and derivatives markets, advising them on various legal aspects of their trading activities. Marvin advises clients on structuring transactions involving renewable sources of energy, hydrogen, and carbon capture, as well as the trading and implementation of carbon, emissions, and environmental credits and allowances. Marvin has experience with a wide range of transactions, including physical commodity transactions, traditional and bespoke finance structures, intermediations in energy and metals, swaps, options, cash-settled hybrid securities, and derivatives.
Brayton Dresser, New York (PE & Funds) - Brayton Dresser guides investment management firms in all aspects of their business, with a particular focus on real estate investment firms. His advice includes investment fund formation, strategic relationships, capital raising, investment fund financings, regulatory compliance, and executing private equity and joint venture transactions. Brayton assists clients with issues arising under the Securities Act, Exchange Act, Investment Company Act, and Investment Advisers Act.
Richard Madris, New York (PE & Funds) - Richard Madris served as head of the Infrastructure Funds Practice Group at Stroock, advising on fund formation and investments – of note, Richard developed and structured JPMorgan’s Infrastructure Investments Fund, a leading open-end global infrastructure fund. Richard’s experience includes the formation of multiple open-end and closed-end real asset funds, including for infrastructure, energy, real estate, and private equity; the creation of social infrastructure funds and funds for renewables and carbon credits; the formation of distribution funds on behalf of Citibank; counseling multiple asset managers with respect to platform issues; counseling multiple acquisitions and financings of infrastructure assets on behalf of JPMorgan IIF and other asset managers; subscription line and fund financings; management team compensation matters; fund restructurings and GP-led transactions; and structuring investments and joint ventures for renewables portfolios, transportation, and water assets. He has advised a variety of LPs and investors in their investment strategies, fund investments, direct investments, and co-investments. He also structures complicated cross-border investments with fund consortium members from multiple countries.
David C. Olstein, New York (Tax) - David Olstein’s practice focuses on the fiduciary responsibility provisions of ERISA and the prohibited transaction excise tax provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. He advises financial institutions, plan sponsors, and investment committees on ERISA matters, including compliance with ERISA’s fiduciary duty and prohibited transaction rules in connection with the investment of pension plan assets. Additionally, David advises fund sponsors on the application of ERISA’s “plan asset” rules as they relate to the establishment and operation of private investment funds. David is an active member of the ABA’s Section of Taxation and the New York City Bar Association’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Committee.
Steven R. Schneider, Washington, D.C. (Tax) - Steven Schneider’s practice focuses on complex transactional tax matters. He has significant tax experience in mergers & acquisitions, private equity and real estate funds, qualified opportunity zone funds, bioscience, cross-border tax, partnerships, real estate, REITs, international investors (including sovereigns), and S corporations. Steven also previously chaired the ABA Partnership Tax Committee. He has taught an advanced tax course on drafting partnership and LLC agreements at Georgetown University Law Center since 2005 and is a regular speaker at national tax venues.
Jeffrey D. Uffner, New York (Tax) - Jeffrey Uffner served as Chair of Stroock’s Tax Practice for many years. He represents prominent securities, real estate, distressed debt and infrastructure fund sponsors, and global, national, and regional private funds, and has extensive experience in a wide range of transactional and commercial tax matters, including highly complex, tax-efficient investment platforms for taxable and tax-exempt institutions, high net worth individuals, and non-U.S. investors. He advises clients on the taxation of partnership entities; real estate investment trusts; qualified opportunity zone funds; cross-border acquisitions and investments; mergers and acquisitions; structured and derivative products; investment and energy tax credits; real estate investment and exchanges; and the investment activities of pension plans, tax-exempt organizations, venture capital funds, and non-U.S. investors such as sovereign and sovereign wealth funds.
Disputes:
James L. Bernard, New York (Commercial Litigation) - James Bernard served as the head of Stroock’s General Litigation Practice Group. He focuses on financial services and general commercial litigation, including securities and consumer class actions, audit malpractice and related issues and on representing clients before the New York State Attorney General’s Office and other Attorney General multi-state investigations. James has served as president of the Federal Bar Foundation and as co-chair of the New York State-Federal Judicial Council Advisory Group. He also was named the National Law Journal’s “Litigation Trailblazer” in 2017 for leading a team that obtained what is considered to be the largest civil forfeiture in history on behalf of victims of Iran-sponsored terrorism.
David M. Cheifetz, New York (Commercial Litigation) - David Cheifetz has nearly two decades of experience litigating all aspects of complex commercial cases for professional services firms and other business entities. His practice focuses principally on defending major accounting and consulting organizations from claims alleging up to billions of dollars in damages for professional malpractice, securities fraud, and other alleged misconduct. In addition to litigation, David also assists those clients in responding to regulatory inquiries, complying with professional standards, and mitigating risk. Of note, David frequently defends high-profile lawsuits brought against his professional services firm clients by trustees, foreign liquidators, and receivers following large-scale corporate frauds or bankruptcies, and he has been at the forefront of the development of defenses like in pari delicto, which preclude a corporation or its insolvency representatives from suing its outside professional advisors to recover for a fraud committed by the corporation’s own managers. Most recently, David has also been one of the lead attorneys defending McKinsey & Co. in opioid-related multidistrict litigation.
Francis C. Healy, New York (Commercial Litigation) - Francis “Chip” Healy is a commercial litigator with extensive experience in complex commercial disputes relating to, among other areas, physical commodities and related derivatives products, securities, and reinsurance. He represents major financial institutions, including banks, trading and marketing firms, and insurance companies, in Federal and State Courts and domestic and international arbitrations. Francis also routinely advises and represents clients in investigations and proceedings before government regulatory agencies, including the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Patrick N. Petrocelli, New York (Commercial Litigation) - Patrick Petrocelli is an experienced trial lawyer who regularly represents companies and individuals in all phases of litigation. His practice focuses on accountants’ liability, securities litigation, class action defense, and complex real estate disputes. He also has extensive experience enforcing judgments, with a particular focus on sovereign immunity issues. Patrick’s clients include global and national accounting and consulting firms, financial institutions, investment firms, real estate owners and developers, and individuals. He also maintains an active prisoner rights pro bono practice. Prior to entering private practice, Patrick served as a law clerk to the Honorable Brian M. Cogan of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
Claude G. Szyfer, New York (Commercial Litigation) - Claude Szyfer’s diverse practice involves handling complex antitrust, real estate litigation and counseling, commodities and derivatives law, and general litigation matters. He represents private equity and trading firms, major real estate developers, and trade associations. In particular, Claude has been counsel to the Real Estate Board of New York, Inc., for the last 20 years. His real estate litigation clients include the Board of Manager of 443 Greenwich Street Condominium in their litigation against the Sponsors and Architects; Vornado Realty Trust in connection with their major developments throughout the New York City area; and numerous developers in connection with major projects throughout New York City opposite the NYC Economic Development Corporation, among others. Additionally, Claude founded and co-chaired Stroock’s eDiscovery and Information Governance Practice Group.