Recent News:
Daniel Hardwick, a member of Cozen O’Connor’s Real Estate Practice, discusses the proposed Real Estate LLC Transparency Amendment Act of 2018 in the Washington Business Journal.
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Cozen O’Connor has earned its place among the nation’s top-rated real estate firms over the last two decades. We are widely recognized for our ability to complete complex real estate transactions, utilize the most current and sophisticated deal structures, and achieve client success when the stakes are high.
Cozen O’Connor represents REITs and other public companies, regional and national developers, owners, builders, managers, private equity funds, institutional and private investors, banks, and governments in the acquisition, development, financing, leasing, ground leasing, management, and sale of real estate in every asset class. With a real estate practice group that includes more than 60 attorneys in 10 offices who are regularly supported by members of our corporate, litigation, tax, and environmental groups, Cozen O’Connor provides comprehensive, integrated service to some of the largest real estate organizations in the country.
Cozen O’Connor has strategically developed a full-service real estate practice. We know clients require access to a wide range of practice areas, and we believe our work in each area is enhanced by taking a multidisciplinary approach. Our lawyers regularly represent clients in the areas of:
Cozen O’Connor’s real estate team includes real estate practitioners who have been ranked by Chambers & Partners and recognized as “rising stars” and top regional dealmakers. They have previous experience as in-house counsel, government counsel, and real estate investors, which provides them with valuable insights into the needs and interests of both clients and regulators.
In every representation, Cozen O’Connor differentiates itself by a clear-eyed focus on client business objectives and marketplace realities. Rather than belaboring the “can’t-dos” and “better-nots,” the firm’s real estate attorneys find a way to get results.
SERVICES
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Lead acquisition and disposition of all real estate asset classes
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Counsel on development and construction of mixed-use, multi-phase projects
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Negotiate debt financing on behalf of borrowers and lenders
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Arrange joint venture and other equity investment transactions
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Lead public-private real estate projects
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Conduct commercial, industrial, and retail leasing for both landlords and tenants
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Structure tax-efficient real estate transactions
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Procure land use, zoning, special legislation, and other entitlements
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Negotiate workouts, restructurings, and acquisitions of distressed debt
CLIENTS
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Developers of and investors in residential, retail, office, and industrial properties
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Global corporations
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Hotel developers and investors
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Health care facilities
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Building management companies
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Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
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Pension funds and other institutional and private equity investors
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Banks, lending institutions, and real estate brokerage firms
TEAM
The Cozen O’Connor team is made up of noted real estate practitioners. Both the practice group and individual attorneys are ranked by Chambers & Partners USA. Moreover, many attorneys have previous experience as in-house counsel, government counsel, or corporate financial analysts, which means they are adept at seeing things from a client perspective.
During the last decade, many large law firms have made the decision to focus strictly on the finance side of the real estate industry. Cozen O’Connor has taken a markedly different approach. We continue to invest in building a full-service national real estate practice because we believe all participants in this sector deserve and demand the most sophisticated counsel. The recent recession has only served to underscore the centrality of real estate to our global economy. Where others may see limitations, we see opportunities.
April 24, 2018
Leni Cummins discusses Governor Cuomo's correction bill that applies BCL Section 727 to condominiums created pursuant to the New York Real Property Law.
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January 22, 2018
Tom Gallagher discusses how the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act may impact real estate professionals.
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January 01, 2018
Paul S. Rutter, a member of Cozen O’Connor’s Real Estate Practice Group, discusses important legal issues and considerations for future artistic, cultural, and entertainment projects in the Los Angeles region in The Practical Real Estate Lawyer magazine.
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December 06, 2017
Leni Morrison, a member of Cozen O’Connor’s Real Estate Practice Group, discusses if it is legal for homeowner association (HOA) board members to also serve on the board of directors of the property management company that the HOA hires and oversees in The Cooperator.
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December 05, 2017
Ken Fisher, a member of Cozen O’Connor’s Business Law Department, discusses the varying infrastructure priorities of New Yorkers Donald Trump, Andrew Cuomo, and Bill de Blasio, in New York Real Estate Journal.
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November 27, 2017
Leni Cummins discusses Local Law 147 that requires all residential buildings to establish and display a smoking policy that specifies where smoking is and is not permitted on the property.
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November 01, 2017
Matthew Weinstein, a member of Cozen O’Connor’s Real Estate Practice Group, discusses unique considerations in connection with expansions and relocations of breweries in Bar Business Magazine.
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October 27, 2017
Bob Careless, a member of Cozen O’Connor’s Zoning, Land Use, & Development and Tax Practice Groups, discusses zoning obstacles for medical marijuana operators after the passage of the Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Act (Act 16) in The Temple 10-Q.
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September 06, 2017
Adam Silverman, a member of Cozen O’Connor’s Real Estate Practice, addresses the questions developers need to ask their legal team when considering a mixed-use development in the Commercial Property Executive article, “Mixed Use: 5 Questions Every Lawyer Should Answer.”
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September 01, 2017
Adam Silverman, a member of Cozen O'Connor's Real Estate Practice, discusses the considerations for mixed-use developers and legal practitioners in a book published by the Philadelphia Bar Institute.
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July 01, 2017
Leni Morrison Cummins, a member of the firm's Real Estate Group, participates in a Q&A in The Cooperator, regarding whether a co-op owner can sue for water damages caused by a leaky roof.
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June 01, 2017
Ken Fisher discusses key current proposals that could set the stage for the next wave of growth in Brooklyn.
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April 19, 2017
David B. Lipner discusses the amendment to Pennsylvania’s Mechanics’ Lien Law of 1963 that allows for an online State Construction Notices Directory to provide notice to parties involved in projects costing a minimum of $1,500,000.
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March 15, 2017
Steven P. Katkov discusses a recent federal court decision in a case involving a landlord-tenant dispute regarding the Woolworth Building in St. Paul, Minn., in which Foot Locker Foot Locker was the tenant under a lease from 1920. The landlord claimed that Foot Locker failed to keep the building in good repair, and the court considered the measure of damages for the landlord’s claims.
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December 14, 2016
Ken Fisher discusses methods for Donald Trump’s business organization to avoid conflicts of interest in Crain’s New York Business.
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December 06, 2016
Ken Fisher discusses the potential impact of Donald Trump’s presidency on New York’s design professionals in the New York Real Estate Journal.
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November 02, 2016
Leni Morrison Cummins and Kelly S. Maharaj discuss Section 121 to the Multiple Dwelling Law (MDL) and Article 18 to Title 27 of the New York City Administrative Code that makes it unlawful for anyone to advertise the use or occupancy of apartments for purposes other than primary residence.
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June 09, 2016
Steven P. Katkov discusses a recent decision in Massachusetts Land Court that text messages between two real estate brokers regarding the purchase and sale of a commercial building may constitute a “writing” sufficient to meet the requirements of the Massachusetts Statute of Frauds.
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December 14, 2015
Leni Morrison Cummins, a member of Cozen O’Connor’s Real Estate practice, discusses how condominium boards can prevent undesirable purchasers, such as foreign investors, as well as undisclosed occupants.
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December 14, 2015
Menachem Kastner, a member of Cozen O’Connor’s Real Estate practice, discusses the recent decision in Artcorp Inc. v. Citireach Realty Corp. case.
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December 08, 2015
Ken Fisher, a member of the firm’s Business Law Department, discusses the forecast for New York City’s future infrastructure and development efforts. Ken addresses funding transportation and major infrastructure projects throughout the city, including the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), Tappan Zee Bridge and LaGuardia Airport.
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October 15, 2015
Under New York General Business Law § 352-e(2-b), sponsor-developers of new construction and gut-renovation condominiums are required to hold all deposits, down payments and advances made by buyers of residential units in a special escrow account pending delivery of the completed unit.
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May 01, 2015
Under Local Law 11, the New York City Department of Buildings requires owners of building that are six stories or greater to have exterior walls inspected once every five years. Building owners who did not comply by the most recent deadline have received a pardon, but are obligated to meet new requirements.
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February 01, 2015
Leni Morrison Cummins, a member in the firm's Real Estate Group, answers a question discussing parking garage issues in an apartment building.
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December 08, 2014
Ken Fisher, a member in the firm's Business Law Department, discusses New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo impact on infrastructure and real estate development in New York City.
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October 01, 2014
Leni Morrison Cummins, a member in the firm's Real Estate Group, discusses sponsors of condominium conversions and the ownership and funding of reserve funds.
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October 01, 2014
Paul Rutter, a member of Cozen O'Connor's Real Estate Practice, discusses crowdfunding in the UCLA Economic Letter.
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September 01, 2014
Leni Morrison Cummins, a member in the firm's Real Estate Group, discusses housing development fund corporations under New York Mayor Bill de Blasio.
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June 25, 2014
Richard Close, a member of Cozen O'Connor's Real Estate Practice Group, discusses mobile home parks in Western Real Estate Business.
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October 21, 2013
Ordinance No. 120428-A requires owners or managers of large commercial buildings to annually report data regarding energy and water usage as well as other building characteristics, including the year in which the building was constructed, the building’s use, and building’s gross floor area. The benchmarking requirements apply to owners of commercial buildings with an indoor floor space of at least 50,000 square feet or mixed-use buildings where an indoor floor space of at least 50,000 square feet is devoted to commercial space. The time has come for owners to comply with the new benchmarking requirements.
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September 19, 2013
Members of New York City’s Congressional delegation, long relegated to the sidelines of local politics, are increasingly filling the void left by the declining influence of political party apparatchiks.
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July 22, 2013
On July 10, 2013, the Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) issued draft regulations filling in the compliance requirements of Philadelphia’s mandatory energy and water disclosure ordinance (the Disclosure Ordinance) that was enacted in June 2012. The draft regulations will become final on August 2, 2013.
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April 18, 2013
The voluntary payment doctrine has been long applied to prevent tenants from recovering payments made to the landlord which were tendered “voluntarily”—to wit, without dispute or inquiry—over a lengthy period of time. For example: a tenant tenders payment of real estate taxes to the landlord for over 10 years pursuant to what the tenant later claims to be an erroneous method of calculation, resulting in an overbilling. With this newfound knowledge, the tenant brings suit against the landlord to recover the amounts overpaid. By virtue of the voluntary payment doctrine, under this scenario, the tenant is, in essence, out of luck.
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January 23, 2013
This whitepaper provides an overview of construction related issues potentially raised by storm damage, including delay claims, areas of responsibility of municipalities and design professionals, environmental concerns and other topical matters.
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January 07, 2013
Besides extending the lower tax rates for millions of Americans, as well as avoiding across the board federal budget cuts, the eleventh-hour legislative compromise reinstated two business and personal tax credits applicable to energy efficiency residences and appliances. Contractors or developers of homes or low-rise multi-family projects, as well as individuals considering energy efficient renovations or appliance purchases, should consider the availability of these tax credits.
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December 14, 2012
In August 2012, the mayor of Philadelphia signed into law Bill 120428-A, which establishes new energy benchmarking requirements for owners of certain large commercial and mixed-use buildings. The energy benchmarking bill requires owners of “covered buildings” to report and disclose data annually related to energy and water usage and other building characteristics.1 Covered buildings include any commercial
building with at least 50,000 square feet, and all commercial portions of any mixed-use building where at least 50,000 square feet of the building is devoted to commercial use.
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April 01, 2012
Leni Morrison Cummins, a member in the firm's Real Estate Group, answers a Q&A from a reader about who pays for a water leak in a residence.
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June 01, 2011
Donald Nanney and Duane Montgomery discuss this topic in Korek Land Company, Inc's Commentaries & Bulletins.
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April 01, 2011
Paul Rutter, a member of Cozen O'Connor's Real Estate Practice, discusses a lender's right to waive in Korek Land Company, Inc's Commentaries & Bulletins.
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November 01, 2008
Donald Nanney, a member of Cozen O'Connor's Real Estate Practice Group, discusses environmental insurance and policies in California Real Property Journal.
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January 01, 2008
Donald Nanney, a member of Cozen O'Connor's Real Estate Practice Group, authored an article titled, "Anthropogenic Global Warming: Believe it or Not, it's Here" in Real Estate Southern California.
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January 01, 2006
Donald Nanney, a member of Cozen O'Connor's Real Estate Practice Group, authored an article titled, "The Lawsuit Trigger: Closing the Gap in Environmental Insurance" in Brownfield News.
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January 01, 2004
Donald Nanney, a member of Cozen O'Connor's Real Estate Practice Group, co-authored an article titled, "Brownfields: Consider Aggravating & Mitigating Factors " in Valuation magazine.
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January 01, 2004
Donald Nanney, a member of Cozen O'Connor's Real Estate Practice Group, authored an article titled, "Benjamin S. Crocker Symposium Embarks on New Era" in Real Property Section Review.
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January 01, 2003
Donald Nanney, a member of Cozen O'Connor's Real Estate Practice Group, authored an article titled, "Appraising Brownfield Sites" in Brownfield News.
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October 01, 2001
Donald Nanney, a member of Cozen O'Connor's Real Estate Practice Group, discusses environmental risks in today's market in Real Estate Issues.
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January 01, 2000
Donald Nanney, a member of Cozen O'Connor's Real Estate Practice Group, authored an article titled, "Ninth Circuit Also Rules that Voluntary Remedial Action May be "Necessary" under CERCLA" in Real Property Section Review.
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January 01, 1998
Donald Nanney, a member of Cozen O'Connor's Real Estate Practice Group, authored an article titled, "Getting All Your Ducks in a ROW: Right-of-Way Portfolio Management" in American Gas magazine.
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January 01, 1997
Donald Nanney, a member of Cozen O'Connor's Real Estate Practice Group, authored an article titled, "Environmental Insurance is Finally Catching On" in Real Property Section Review.
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January 01, 1996
Donald Nanney, a member of Cozen O'Connor's Real Estate Practice Group, authored an article titled, "Asbestos Inspection, Disclosure by Building Owners and Employers" in California Real Property Journal.
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January 01, 1996
Donald Nanney, a member of Cozen O'Connor's Real Estate Practice Group, authored an article titled, "Manage Mess" in California Law Business.
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January 01, 1995
Donald Nanney, a member of Cozen O'Connor's Real Estate Practice Group, authored an article titled, "New OSHA Asbestos Standards: A New Chapter in an Old Controversy" in Environmental Liability Enforcement and Penalties Reporter.
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January 01, 1995
Donald Nanney, a member of Cozen O'Connor's Real Estate Practice Group, authored an article titled, "New OSHA Asbestos Regulation Expand Duties of Employers and Building Owners and Tenants" in Journal of Environmental Regulation.
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December 01, 1994
Donald Nanney, a member of Cozen O'Connor's Real Estate Practice Group, authored an article titled, "New Asbestos Regulations Create Expanded Duties" in The Corporate Counselor.
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January 01, 1994
Donald Nanney, a member of Cozen O'Connor's Real Estate Practice Group, authored an article titled, "Hazardous Materials Disaster Management" in Environmental Manager.
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January 01, 1993
Donald Nanney, a member of Cozen O'Connor's Real Estate Practice Group, authored an article titled, "ASTM Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments" in Environmental Liability, Enforcement and Penalties Reporter .
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January 01, 1993
Donald Nanney, a member of Cozen O'Connor's Real Estate Practice Group, authored an article titled, "Trustee and Fiduciary Liability Under CERCLA: What Did the Trustee Know and When Did the Trustee Know It?" in Probate Law Journal of Ohio.
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January 01, 1900
Donald Nanney, a member of Cozen O'Connor's Real Estate Practice Group, co-authored an article titled, "Mitigating Factors in Appraisal and Valuation of Contaminated Real Property" in Counselors of Real Estate.
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