Representative Matters

Saving scenic land (and jobs) in the Adirondacks

With the future of over 160,000 acres of the Adirondacks at stake, the Nature Conservancy needed legal counsel able to deal with myriad bet-the-farm transactions on a tight, unforgiving timetable.

It turned to Goulston & Storrs. As an alumnus, the Nature Conservancy’s General Counsel, Jonathon Kaledin, knew first-hand that the firm would deliver exactly what he needed: a deep bench; seamless, inter-office real estate expertise; and, a passion for the complex issues involved. He called Matt Epstein, a Boston partner and friend, who reached out to the firm’s pro bono committee.

The Goulston & Storrs team for the Nature Conservancy was led by Max Friedman, a Director in the Real Estate group. Based in the firm’s New York City office, Friedman had earned a reputation for handling such complex real estate deals as the redevelopment of Times Square.

Friedman collaborated with attorneys in the firm’s New York and Boston offices. The team was focused on the client’s goal of protecting the wilderness while safeguarding the jobs associated with Finch, Pruyn & Company, the paper manufacturer which had owned the land for nearly 150 years.

The result? With the firm’s help, the Conservancy crafted an agreement that uses a variety of sophisticated tools to protect land that The New York Times described as the “last big piece of privately owned timberland in the Adirondacks” while remaining sensitive to any economic impacts.

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Max Friedman is a member of the firm's Real Estate group.  Please let him know if you would like more detailed information about how he helped this client.