49-Year-Old Corporate Partner To Work Closely With Chairman H. Rodgin
Cohen
NEW YORK, February 16, 2006 – LAWFUEL – The Law News Network – Joseph Shenker, a well-known attorney who pioneered the field of real estate securitization and was the youngest partner ever named at Sullivan & Cromwell, has become the Firm’s vice
chairman, it was announced today by the Firm’s chairman, H. Rodgin
Cohen.
“This appointment reflects the huge role that Joe has played at our firm
since he joined in 1980 and the extraordinary impact that he has had,
both in serving our clients and in our own business operations,” Mr.
Cohen said. “The vice chairmanship further underscores his leadership
position in the Firm and provides for succession planning.”
Mr. Shenker’s new responsibilities will include working alongside Mr.
Cohen to provide counsel to chief executives of corporations, business
leaders and members of prominent families all over the world.
“Joe has become a trusted personal advisor to dozens of the world’s
most active and influential business figures,” said Mr. Cohen. “I look
forward to continuing to work closely with him to increase the value of
the broad-ranging, one-on-one counsel we offer from the senior
partnership of our Firm.”
The vice chairmanship adds to Mr. Shenker’s already considerable role at
Sullivan & Cromwell where in addition to heading its real estate
practice, he oversees the Firm’s financial and administrative affairs
and serves on the management committee. During the course of Mr.
Shenker’s career at the Firm, he has been recognized for helping invent
and popularize real estate securitization. He expanded the real estate
practice to the Firm’s other U.S. offices, as well as internationally,
transforming it from a traditional real estate orientation to a
broad-based, multi-disciplinary practice. Mr. Shenker’s extensive
experience includes negotiated mergers and acquisitions, domestic and
cross-border joint ventures, the representation of private equity
investors and family investment offices in the Americas, Europe and
Asia, securities offerings, private and public financings, real estate
developments, and related tax and estate planning. His clients include
numerous public real estate companies, including Vornado Realty Trust
and General Growth Properties; large real estate operating companies,
including the Goldman Sachs Whitehall Funds (worldwide); and other
private owners, developers and operators of real estate and other
assets, including members of the Tisch and Pritzker families and related
entities.
Mr. Shenker’s recent notable transactions include his representation of
the Tisch and Mara families (owners of the NY Football Giants) and the
New York Football Giants, Inc. in the new $1+ billion joint venture with
the NY Jets to develop a new football stadium and entertainment and
retail complex in the Meadowlands, NJ; and The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
in connection with its new 2.2 million square foot world headquarters to
be located on land leased from Battery Park City Authority in Lower
Manhattan.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Mr. Shenker is a graduate of the
City University of New York and Columbia Law School.
