Biography
Overview
David Rabinowitz is a real estate lawyer focusing on real estate development, leasing, acquisitions and dispositions. With more than 35 years of experience, David represents property owners and tenants with complex leases involving office, retail, industrial, and mixed-use properties. He negotiates commercial real estate leases of all kinds, including full-floor and multi-floor leases for tenant headquarters, leases (domestic and foreign) flagship stores, restaurant leases, and ground leases. David also counsels developers and owners in acquisitions and dispositions (one-off and portfolio transactions), as well as commercial development, and finance matters.
David’s widespread experience serving the retail industry prompts Chambers USA to laud him as New York retail's "key contact." He frequently represents non-U.S. retailers with their expansions into North America. He also counsels all kinds of retailers and owners in connection with the acquisition, sale and leasing of retail and mixed-use properties, lease restructurings, condominium developments (retail and mixed-use), the acquisition and sale of real estate assets (fee estates and leasehold interests in retail properties) out of bankruptcy, and counseling clients on lease issues (such as exclusives, radius restrictions, assignment/subletting and “going dark”) in anticipation of and during a lease dispute. His retail clients include some of the nation's largest “big box” retailers and shopping center developers. David is one of the first American lawyers to become an annual participant in MAPIC, a well-recognized, annual international retail property trade show in Cannes, France.
A leader within the firm, David served Goulston & Storrs in leadership roles, including as Co-Chair of the firm's Retail, Restaurant & Consumer Group and as a member of the firm's Executive Committee.
Accolades
- Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Real Estate Lawyers, 2024
- Best Lawyers in America® (2006-2020, 2022-2025): Real Estate Law
- Recognized by Chambers USA: Guide to Leading Business Lawyers in the area of real estate law
- Martindale Hubbell Peer Review Rated AV Preeminent TM
- New York Metro Super Lawyers, 2005-2011, 2013-2023
- Who's Who Legal, Global Leader, Real Estate, 2022
- Who's Who Legal, Thought Leader, USA, Real Estate, 2025
- Named by The Best Lawyers in America in the area of real estate law
Affiliations
- Chair of the 2021 ICSC Law Conference
- Chair of 2019 ICSC New York Deal Making Conference
- Member, U.S. Law Conference Program Committee, International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
- Member, New York Deal Making Conference Program Committee, International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
- Member, American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL)
- Member, Urban Land Institute
- Member, Real Estate Board of New York
Admissions
Education
- Washington College of Law, American University (J.D., 1983)
- Rutgers College (B.A., with distinction, 1979)
- Phi Beta Kappa