Biography
Overview
Brian M. Cohen counsels investors, lenders, developers, owners, family offices and entrepreneurs in all aspects of sophisticated commercial real estate transactions and developments, with a focus on financings, acquisitions, sales, site assemblages, joint ventures, leases, restructurings and workouts for office, multifamily, retail, industrial and hospitality properties and portfolios in New York City and throughout the country. As one of New York City’s leading real estate lawyers, Brian has played an integral role in helping advance the legal and business goals of clients ranging from private equity and debt funds, institutional investors and family offices to public and private REITs, foreign investors and high-net-worth individuals. As a trusted advisor to his clients, Brian is particularly distinguished for his deep understanding of the New York City real estate ecosystem, and for his unique ability to develop highly creative solutions to complex problems, which range from using litigation tools to restructure real estate loans and projects, to helping negotiate and collaboratively resolve partnership disputes. His market-leading practice also entails representation of entrepreneurs and family offices in a spectrum of investment activities, transactions and agreements designed to help clients accumulate, manage, transfer and protect private wealth, including: real estate transactions; co-investment deals; and debt and equity investments.
Notably, Brian has represented: a family office in the site assemblage, development and financing of 520 Park Avenue; investors in the acquisition of common and preferred equity interests in 237 Park Avenue; Brause Realty in the site assemblage and financings of a 272-unit apartment building in Long Island City, and the development of a QOZ mixed-use property in New Rochelle; a family office in multiple acquisitions, financings and equity syndicates for a nationwide portfolio of GSA-leased office buildings; Lonicera Partners in the ground-up site assemblage, development and financing of a 160-unit apartment property in Brooklyn; a real estate investment and development company in the refinancing of 51 Irving Place; Richmond Hill Investments in restructuring the loans on mixed-use properties in Brooklyn; HSP Real Estate Group in refinancing 251 West 30th Street; Extell Development in the acquisition of 572 Fifth Avenue; Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation in the acquisition of the Strand Hotel; and a hotel owner and operator in the acquisition and financing of a portfolio of hotels in the Southeastern U.S.
Brian is actively involved in real estate industry current affairs and is regularly asked to write and speak on emerging trends, including at New York University’s Schack Institute of Real Estate. He is often quoted in the real estate and business press and serves as Co-Chair of Goulston & Storrs’ Office Industry Group.
Accolades
- Martindale Hubbell Peer-Review Rated 2021 AV PreeminentTM
- New York Trailblazers (2020), The New York Law Journal
- New York Metro Super Lawyers, 2011 - 2022
- Legal 500, 2014-2015
- UJA-Federation of New York Volunteer Service Award, 2009
- UJA-Federation of New York Lawyer's Division James H. Fogelson Award, 2005
Affiliations
- Research Sponsor, Zell/Lurie Real Estate Center, University of Pennsylvania
- Lecturer, Contract Negotiations and Legal Considerations, NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate, November, 2017 and November, 2019
- Member, Real Estate Council, UJA-Federation of New York
- Member, Campaign Steering Committee, UJA-Federation of New York
- Member, Board of Directors, Jewish Community Relations Council of New York
- Member, Advisory Board of the Stoler Report
- Member, Carnegie Hall Real Estate Council
Admissions
Education
- Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University (J.D., 1996)
- George Washington University (B.A., 1992)