New York, April 2, 2004 – Patterson, Belknap, Webb & Tyler LLP has
acquired a major real estate practice consisting of eleven lawyers,
including five partners, from Bingham McCutchen LLP. The partners moving
to Patterson Belknap include leading real estate lawyers Robert M. Safron,
Andrew L. Herz, Kenneth L. Sankin, and Rhonda E. Schwartz, as well as Hugh
J. Freund, whose practice includes representing individuals in business,
real estate and estate planning. Lawrence P. Lenzner and Russell G. Wohl
will join Patterson Belknap as Counsel in the real estate group. Kerri L.
Alessi, Heidi M. Flinn, Golda R. Poretsky and Angie M. Sullivan will
become associates in Patterson Belknap’s real estate group. “Patterson
Belknap will provide an excellent platform for our New York-based
practice,” said Safron.
Safron and Herz are both widely recognized real estate lawyers. Both are
selected members of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers and were
selected for inclusion in the 2004 Guide to the World’s Leading Real
Estate Lawyers. “The combination of this new practice group with our
existing real estate practice makes us a premier real estate firm in New
York,” said Rochelle Korman, Patterson Belknap’s Managing Partner. “Hugh
Freund’s extensive individual representation practice also enhances our
substantial and longstanding practice representing high net worth
individuals.”
The lawyers joining Patterson Belknap specialize in leasing, finance,
acquisitions and sales, complex condominium and cooperative issues, and
other transactional matters. The practice complements and significantly
expands Patterson Belknap’s real estate practice, enabling the combined
group to handle larger matters for a broader array of clients.
Hugh Freund graduated from New York University School of Law in 1970.
Freund has over thirty years of experience representing individuals in
their business, personal, investment, estate planning, real estate and
fiduciary matters. He also has a considerable art law practice which
includes the representation of private and public art galleries, dealers
in both primary and secondary art markets, visual artists and collectors.
He also has advised commercial real estate developers with respect to
agreements for several large-scale indoor and outdoor sculpture
commissions.
Andrew Herz graduated from Columbia Law School in 1971, where he was a
Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. He is a recognized authority and frequent
lecturer in the areas of commercial office leasing and mortgage financing.
His clients include commercial banks, investment banking firms, technology
providers, major real estate owners and developers, hospitals,
professional service companies and other law firms. Herz is the author of
numerous publications on real estate financing and has lectured on
financing and leasing.
Robert Safron graduated with a J.D. cum laude in 1969 from New York
University, where he was a member of the NYU Law Review and a Pomeroy
Scholar. Safron has almost thirty years of experience in a broad range of
commercial real estate matters and represents prominent lenders,
developers, owners and investors throughout the U.S. and abroad. He also
has represented many domestic and foreign banks, insurance companies,
investment houses and other institutions in a variety of real estate
financing and securitization matters and in restructuring troubled real
estate loans.
Kenneth Sankin graduated from New York University with a J.D. in 1978.
Sankin has more than twenty-five years of experience in real estate law.
His practice includes financing, leasing, acquisition, workouts, and
construction and development of commercial and residential properties, as
well as securities-related real estate syndications, cooperative and
condominium offerings, and limited partnerships. Sankin has extensive
experience representing both landlords and tenants in connection with the
leasing of office, retail and warehouse space.
Rhonda Schwartz graduated from Columbia Law School in 1988. Schwartz is a
real estate lawyer with broad experience in various real estate
transactions, including commercial leasing transactions, financings, sales
and acquisitions, construction contracts and joint ventures.
