Brian M. Cohen
Director
New York
bcohen@goulstonstorrs.com+1 212 878 5152Brian M. Cohen
Director, New York
bcohen@goulstonstorrs.com+1 212 878 5152Related Expertise
Brian Cohen is a trusted advisor to sophisticated private equity and debt funds, institutional investors, family offices, public and private REITs, foreign investors, and high-net-worth families. Known for a deep understanding of the New York City real estate ecosystem, Brian handles financings, acquisitions, sales, site assemblages, joint ventures, office and retail leases, ground leases, restructurings and workouts.
From New York City to markets across the country, Brian’s clients invest in a diverse portfolio of asset classes, including office buildings, multifamily properties, retail properties, industrial facilities, and hospitality assets.
Across all his work, clients appreciate Brian’s ability to develop creative solutions to complex problems. With over 30 years of experience, Brian nurtures long term relationships that become strategic assets for solving complex legal challenges. He also draws from his proven track record, applying innovative approaches such as using litigation as a tool to restructure real estate loans and negotiating to collaboratively resolve partnership disputes.
Brian’s distinguished work also includes representing entrepreneurs, private equity, multigenerational families and family offices in investment activities, transactions, and agreements designed to help them accumulate, manage, transfer, and preserve and protect private wealth.
Brian also serves as the Chair of firm’s New York Real Estate Group. He actively participates in real estate industry events and is often invited to speak, moderate, and mentor within New York’s real estate community.
Brian’s real estate clients include:
Brause Realty
Rockrose Development
Nuveen
Lonicera Partners
Olshan Properties
BH3 Management
QC Terme
Nasser Freres
Related Representative Matters
Brause Realty, as the landlord, in connection with negotiation of a 195,000 square foot long-term lease to JetBlue Airways, at 1 Queens Plaza North, Long Island City, NY and related financing with Apple Bank.
Brause Realty in connection with assemblage and development of The Forge, a 272-unit multifamily tower in Long Island City (Queens), NY, and closing of the construction financing from M&T Bank and Bank of New York Mellon.
Brause Realty in connection with the refinancing of The Forge, a 272-unit multifamily tower in Long Island City (Queens), NY. We advised our client on the permanent financing which was provided by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company.
Brause Realty in connection with its investment in the development of a transit-oriented, mixed-use asset in New Rochelle, NY, through a joint venture with RXR Realty and a private investor. The project consists of a 280-unit residential tower with 20,000 square feet of retail / cultural space and multiple levels of below-grade parking. Our work has included negotiating a complex land contribution joint venture agreement, as well as subsequent restructuring and contribution to a Qualified Opportunity Zone Fund.
Rockrose Development in the acquisition of 15 East 26th Street, New York, New York, part of an acquisition of over 30 tenancy-in-common (TIC) interests to acquire the asset at a below market value of approximately $300 million.
Rockrose Development in the sale of a portfolio of tenant-in-common interests in office properties in New York City, located at 4 Bryant Park, 16 Madison Square West, 121 East 24th Street, and 44 West 18th Street.
Brause Realty in the acquisition of an assemblage parcel at 733 Second Avenue, New York, New York.
Brause Realty in connection with the acquisition of 37 Union Square West and subsequent office and retail leasing.
Brause Realty in connection with the refinancing of a 171-unit multifamily Blu Atlantic apartment complex and the subsequent transfer of equity interests in Delray Beach, Florida.
Olshan Properties in connection with a mortgage loan secured by an anchored shopping center in Upstate New York.
Lonicera Partners in developing a 290-unit, mixed use building located at 55 Willoughby Street, Brooklyn, New York, which is a qualified opportunity zone investment that will consist of approximately 223,000 square feet of residential space and 4,500 square feet of commercial space. Goulston & Storrs advised Lonicera on multiple aspects of the transaction, including the $48 million acquisition of the fee interest at 47-55 Willoughby Street and the associated purchase money mortgage in connection with the acquisition, the negotiation of joint venture agreements with capital partners to provide development capital for the project tax advice pertaining to qualified opportunity zone investments, and the acquisition of air rights at 57 Willoughby Street, Brooklyn, New York.
Rockrose Development in the acquisition of a tenancy-in-common interest in 4 Bryant Park, New York, NY.
Lonicera Partners with the ground-up development of a 34-story apartment complex located at 15 Hanover Place, Brooklyn, New York with approximately 285,680 net rentable square feet, 314 residential units and approximately 9,400 square feet of commercial space in Downtown Brooklyn. Our work includes representation with respect to the limited partner, co-general partner, and syndicated equity venture arrangements, a mortgage and mezzanine acquisition loan, a fee and leasehold construction financing and tax and structuring matters.
Lonicera Partners in the assemblage, ground-up development, equity joint venture, and financing of a 23-story, 116,000-square-foot, 160-unit apartment complex with 6,000 square feet of commercial space at 310 Livingston Street, Brooklyn, New York.
Deco Tower Associates LLC and Resolution Real Estate in connection with the McGraw Hill Building commercial condominium formation.
Resolution Real Estate and Marciano Family JV in connection with a joint venture, financing, and subsequent loan restructuring of the office building at 251 West 30th Street, New York City.
Third Millennium Group in connection with 237 Park Avenue investment and related preferred and common equity syndications.
Third Millennium Group in connection with the equity financing of 540 West Madison, Chicago, Illinois.
HF Capital, a real estate investment office, in the purchase of 12 apartment buildings on Manhattan’s upper east side through a stock purchase agreement and acquisition of interested in an existing company; negotiation of an acquisition loan with a significant renovation budget, and completely re-organized the capital structure of the companies to bring in new investors through a small private fund in a tax efficient manner. As a result of our work, HF Capital has recapitalized these properties and placed more rental apartments back on the market.
Nasser Freres in connection with the ground up development, construction and related closing of a $245 million construction loan for The Greyson, a 622 unit, 28-story mixed use tower at 23 Cottage Street, Jersey City, New Jersey.
Nasser Freres in connection with the development of 520 Park Avenue, a 51-story ultra-luxury condominium project in midtown Manhattan, involving the combination of multiple lots and air rights purchase, related $445M financing, and subsequent condominium inventory loan.
Limited service hotel investor group in connection with the purchase, financing and equity joint venture of five limited service flagged hotels in the Carolinas.
Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation in its purchase of the 176-room Strand Hotel in New York City and related redevelopment plan.
Springhouse Partners in connection with its $21M acquisition and related construction financing and redevelopment of 1700 Alton Road, a 35,530-square-foot, five-story, mixed-use property in Miami Beach, Florida. Through a joint venture with Forte Capital Management (which the firm helped structure for our client), Springhouse will redevelop the building into a hotel with ground-floor retail.
Belden Capital and its affiliates in connection with the acquisition, disposition, joint venture and financing of multiple properties fully leased to the General Services Administration in Philadelphia, PA, Omaha, NE, Mesa, AZ, Raleigh, NC, Walnut Creek, CA, and other cities throughout the United States.
Extell Development in the acquisition of 572 Fifth Avenue, a 12,000-square-foot office building in Manhattan’s Diamond District, from a private investor.
BH3 Management, a vertically-integrated real estate investment manager, operator and developer, in connection with the development of Island Gardens, Miami. Goulston has acted as lead counsel in connection with negotiating the purchase and sale agreement for BH3’s acquisition of the luxury hotel, lifestyle hotel, parking, retail and residential components of the 5-star project, which already includes Yacht Haven Grande Miami, the first deep-water super yacht marina of its capacity in the Western Hemisphere. Goulston’s work has included significant and complicated due diligence, including review and negotiation of master and ground lease interests, master development agreements, title documentation, condominium structure, construction documentation, entitlements, environmental diligence, city litigation, branding opportunities, joint venture and construction financing.
QC Terme NYC LLC in connection with the first-ever, long term ground lease on Governor’s Island, a 172 acre island in the heart of New York Harbor, including handling of all of the construction and design contracts and service contracts with all service providers. Separately, our lawyers provided IP advice with respect to all aspects of QC Terme’s name, logos, and advertising in the United States. We are performing ongoing IP work with respect to contracts to facilitate brand partnerships at the site.
Sanz Property Management in a $52,500,000 construction loan financing for a 135-unit multifamily complex known as “The Braddock” and located at 8619 Bergenline Avenue in North Bergen, NJ.
Nuveen with respect to the lease up of the office building located at 730 Third Avenue, New York, New York.
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Accolades
- Martindale Hubbell Peer-Review Rated AV PreeminentTM
- New York Trailblazers (2020), The New York Law Journal
- New York Metro Super Lawyers, 2011 - 2024
- UJA-Federation of New York Volunteer Service Award, 2009
- UJA-Federation of New York Lawyer's Division James H. Fogelson Award, 2005
Affiliations
- Member, Board of Directors, UJA-Federation of New York
- Co-Chair, Real Estate Council, UJA-Federation of New York
- Honorary Counsel to the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, Inc. (Claims Conference)
- Member, Board of Directors, Jewish Community Relations Council of New York
- Sustaining Member, Zell/Lurie Real Estate Center, University of Pennsylvania
- Lecturer, Contract Negotiations and Legal Considerations, NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate, 2017 - 2023
Admissions
- New York
- New Jersey
Education
Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University ( J.D. , 1996 )
George Washington University ( B.A. , 1992 )