Can anyone recommend a good real estate lawyer?

We are using Kevin Farrelly and have been pleased thus far. Our purchase is a condo not a coop, but I think he has done a fine job.
Law Offices of Kevin J. Farrelly

270 Madison Avenue
Suite 1500 - 40th Street
New York, New York 10016
phone: (212) 684-8700
fax: (212) 686-1706
kjf@farrellylaw.com

Howard Mandell 212-867-4777, office across from Grand Central... Smart, fast, good lawyer and good guy...also a cpa, so all your questions get answered at once!

Fern Schwaber is the absolute best. I have worked with her on several transactions and have always been super happy. She is awesome when things go smoothly and even better if they get testy. And no I don't work for her!

Fern Schwaber
Schwaber & Kafer
350 7th Avenue
fschwaber@aol.com

I am using Karen Sonne at Sonne Associates. She is very detailed, did a thorough due diligence and knows her way around the NYC real estate market. She was extremely helpful managing the building documentation process, navigating things with the bank and of course did all that was required and more in writing/negotiating the contract. I recommend her highly. 212 481 0091.

I have used an excellent attorney specializing in NYC real estate transactions for the past decade, and have done numerous co-op and condo transactions with him, both personal as well as for investment. A true professional, and well know in real estate attorneys circles. In addition, reasonable in cost and very efficient.....

Richard N. Cohen
Friedberg Cohen Coleman Pinkas, LLP
444 Madison Avenue
Suite 805
New York, New York 10022

1.212.829.9090

How much do they typically cost ? We need to close on a condo soon and are looking for good lawyers. Got a few recommended by the broker, but am not so confident.
Also, does a condo closing differ from a coop closing ?

Thanks

We paid $1800 as buyers for a condo close two years ago and were told at the time (by the lawyer and broker) that he charged a few hundred extra because he did a better job than most (of course that proved to be a bit of a lie). We used him based on our broker's recommendation. We are selling now and are also using a broker's suggestion, but this time it is a more competent broker. Good luck.

Thanks starfish. Would you recommend your lawyer to us ?

$1800 is too much- should be about $1000-$1250 and i work with a dozen attorneys some are great and some suck----i can recommend but you seem to have plenty above to choose from:

I used a Queens Lawyer. His name is Kaiko Chan. Used him for two manhattan condos for investment and my cousin bought a new construction Williamsburg property through him. Very helpful mainly because he would always answer my question instead of the secretarys. His price was not $1800. He only charged me $950 for my manhattan property. My cousin haggled with him and he was ok with $850.00. My tansaction with him was super smooth. He also referred me to some banks with excellent rates. One thing though, call his office but make sure you ask to speak to him personally. Very helpful.

Kaiko Chan & Associates PC
86-16 Queens Blvd Suite 208
Elmhurst, NY 11373
718-396-0035

I would not recommend the lawyer we used because he messed up on a fairly significant point.

Used a Manhattan Lawyer once. A midsized firm. The worst service! It took five days for him to contact me back. His secretary kept on saying that she will help me. I told her that I did not pay $1600 for her service. when he got back to me, he did not close at the time that I wanted when everything was done because he was on vacation. At the end, I had to pay for extension fee for half point from my lender and the idiiot didnt even show up to the closing. He hired some "independent attorney" to come. What an ass.

Use a lawyer that is small and have the time to service you. Went through an absolute nightmare with manhattan lawyers

I think acceptable rate for purchase or sale of a co-op without anything terribly unusual about it is $1500-2500 for an established firm real estate attorney. You can find it for less, you can find it for more. The guy I use is a friend for a very long time who works at a major NYC firm. He has relationships with many other attorneys in the RE field and with lenders. I personally like that he doesn't dabble in NYC RE--it is his full time job. I don't mind paying a little more for that expertise. Due diligence is boring but essential. You get what you pay for very often. Of course there are those who over charge and we can all tell stories about any field where that is the case. But I've never thought of hiring a RE attorney as a place to bargain shop.

A friend recommended a lawyer to me and he quoted $2500. Reading this, he might be at the higher end of the spectrum. Now I know. That is why this board is so great! Thanks for sharing your knowledge with others.

I also used Kevin Farrelly (as did the second poster here--nikeswings). I totally recommend Kevin. My purchase was a co-op. He knows his stuff and is very diligent. Plus, he explains all of the legal mumbo-jumbo so that even I could understand it. Hard worker and reasonably priced.

Law Offices of Kevin J. Farrelly

270 Madison Avenue
Suite 1500 - 40th Street
New York, New York 10016
phone: (212) 684-8700
fax: (212) 686-1706
kjf@farrellylaw.com

I bought a condo downtown in a fairly complicated transaction and was very happy with Mary Cronquist at 212-966-4439.

Felix Nihamin; Graubard & Nihamin, P.C. We used him 4 times, and referred several friends/co-workers to him. Specializes in Real Estate and had been attorney for Citihabits. (Not sure if he is still). Google him for further.

Thanks all. Very helpful information.

felix is great i have closed many deals with him and represents both banks and private clients, and he is excellent,

@ rogermintz and nikeswings - I got a quote of $3500 for a condo purchase from Kevin Farrelly for the first 15 hours, then charged by the hour above any time above 15 hours. Seems much higher than other quotes on this board. Is consistent with the current going rate?

jonlin... i received the same quote from Kevin Farrelly. I called around and did a google search and received quotes ranging from $1500 to $3500. Decided to go with a lawyer who charges a flat fee of $1800 (no surprises) and preapproved with Wells Fargo's list of lawyers. I think the most important thing is educate yourself about the process do a simple search on the closing process (condo or co-op) and ask the lawyers what does the fee entails and make your decision. After calling six, I found all do the same thing and the process is no different. Regardless who you hire, should always read through all the materials. Hope this helps.

I've just received three quotes for a condo contracting/close process on a new construction deal. One was $2000, another $2500 (both all inclusive flat rates). The other was a range of $3500 plus, depending on complexity. Needless to say I'm not picking that higher one with variable costs....

I always hear good things about Steve Gittleson, Fern Schwaber, and Kevin Farrelly. Steve's the only one I've used, though, and he saved me from an expensive mistake.

@nancee -- could you recommend who you used that asked for the $1800 flat fee?

David W. Shipper on Lexington Avenue in The Graybar building. He's very reliable and reasonably priced. He's also patient with people who haven't purchased real estate in Manhattan before. He'll answer any question you may have throughout the process. I probably called him 5 times with one or two different questions each time and he had no problem making time for me. I truly appreciate that.

Susan Levine
1950 Broadway
212.247.2515

Does almost exclusively Coop and Condo deals. Used her hundreds of times personally.

Thankss nancee. So it does sound like $3500 plus variable is on the high end. I'm not necessarily looking for the cheapest lawyer, but one who provides value for the money. If someone costs another $1000 or 2 more but can help avoid a bigger mistake down the road, then that is money well spent. My parents once used a lawyer recommended by their broker when they bought a place in Boston a few years ago and when they went to sell last year, the buyer's lawyer uncovered all of these issues that they were never made aware of and my parents ultimately had to knock tens of thousands of dollars off of the sales price to close the transaction.

943, Alex Suslensky (212-929-7333) is the lawyer I used for my case. Alex Suslensky was recommended by UpperE (Thank you!). You can check out that post here http://www.streeteasy.com/nyc/talk/discussion/5977-attorney-recommendation. Good lucks and enjoy your new home!

I used David Shipper as well and thought he was very good.

Bruce Fenton was a total pro and his fees were low
212.918.4840

dru white
used him for many deals buy and sell new constr and existing
always effective and reasonably pxed

Jill Ames
212-381-6948
I can vouch for her - she's one of my best friends, too honest and sweet. Been in the business for a long time. 917-847-8852 cell

yes-dru white. thomas & white

Jaime Ramirez has been a Real Estate attorney for thirty years. Give him call 718-542-6629.

Lisa Breier Urban, Esq.
Breier Deutschmeister Urban & Fromme, P.C.
111 Broadway, Suite 810
New York, NY 10006
Tel (212) 791-3900 ext 303
Fax (212) 791-4072
Email lisa.urban@bdulaw.com

Jill Levy Reiter, Esq.
251 Fifth Avenue
4th floor
New York, New York 10016
Tel: (212) 889-5300
Fax: (212) 686-4489
jlevyreiter@epsteinesq.com

Both have been used several times by our clients, both reliable, reasonable on price, and not afraid to say "I wouldn't buy here and here's why...."

If you speak Chinese I would HIGHLY recommend

The Law Offices of Geng & Zhang
39-07 Prince Street, Suite 3G
Flushing, NY 11354
T: (718) 321-7130
F: (718) 321-7135

They're super affordable and really nice too. And we avoided many costly mistakes with their help!

Sandor Krauss from Krauss Legal, outstanding guy.

Some very reputable looking firms have signs up right now on the A and E trains.

"If you speak Chinese I would HIGHLY recommend
....
The Law Offices of Geng & Zhang"

I don't get the purpose or relevance of that recommendation.

1) are you saying that these are really good lawyers but they don't speak English? in that case I would be wary because usually real estate documents in NYC are in English

2) or are you saying that in case the SE reader ONLY speaks Chinese, then these lawyers would be helpful because they do speak Chinese (and English, presumably); but in this case I am still puzzled because if someone doesn't speak English why would they be reading the "talk" section of SE...

3) or if the SE reader speaks English and the transaction is in NYC in English, then of what relevance is it that the lawyer speaks Chinese.

actually my ABC (american born chinese) friend who is Chinese was buying a condo, but his parents (who were helping him) aren't great with English. in his case this lawyer was perfect as they work in both languages.

we got the recommendation from him, and the lawyer's been great (we don't speak Chinese) but I wouldn't trek to Queens if the price wasn't so great...does that make sense? the language issue is a bonus if you need it.

Any point in using a lawyer for a Tolls Brother contract its pretty much no negotiable ?

Try this person... he handled a very complex sale for one of my clients.. he can take the pressure and get the sale done.

>Matthew J. Press, Esq.
> The Chrysler Building
> 405 Lexington Avenue, Seventh Floor
> New York, NY 10174
> tel: (212) 922-1111
> fax: (347) 342-3882
> cell: (347) 419-0983
> mpress@presslawfirm.com

Does anyone have experience with using a RE lawyer who is part of a legal plan? Are there any traps to be aware of?

My legal plan has the following participating firms/lawyers: Greenberg and Merola, Lawrence J.Hanover, Randy Reisch, Shaked & Posner, Stuart A. Forman, Barry Mahler, The Eisman Law Firm, Magdalena Woo, Lefkowicz & Gottried, Rubin Mackay Int'l Law. Any feedback is appreciated!

Try Marc Fitapelli:

Marc Fitapelli, Esq.
Fitapelli Law
475 Park Avenue South, 12th Floor
New York, New York 10016
info@fitapellilaw.com
646-201-9208
www.fitapellilaw.com

I have been using the Kanen Law firm for all my real estate deals. They are very responsive and really easy to communicate with. The first deal I used them for I requested that they close quickly, and they were able to close in less than a month. Another one of my deals fell through and they didn't charge me for it, but instead put my retainer towards my next deal and referred me to a great broker that found exactly what I wanted.

I cannot recommend these guys enough! Their number is 212.922.9099 and website is www.kanenlaw.com.

My friend just finished his coop purchase. He worked with Julie Gordon at Gordon & Harlan (gordonandharlan.com). She is the real estate lawyer there. he said she was great in explaining the process, the contract details and working with the seller's lawyer during the negotiation. It was a flat fee and he said it was very reasonable.

Hi everyone, Can you share your experience? Shortlisted Sandor Krauss and Alex Suslensky based on SE recommendations for a co-op purchase. Any thoughts?

Thanks.

If you realize that your lawyer messed up on a few items (I was the buyer)....is it possible to take legal action against them?

I've been using Lee & Cheung, PLLC (see their contact info below) for over 5 years already. Great service and they are all bilingual in English and Chinese. I used Queens lawyers before and it was $600 only. However, I learned "you get what you are paying for". I could not believed how they messed up my simple transaction. I have switched to Lee & Cheung ever since that horrible experience. Trust me, it's totally worth to spend a little bit more money on a knowledgeable Manhattan lawyer who can get the job done without any headache.

Lee & Cheung, PLLC
150 Broadway Suite 515,
New York, NY 10038
T-(212)226-6248
www.leeandcheung.com

I have worked with Felix Nihamin. He is great: always available to talk and very knowledgeable.

Felix Nihamin, Esq.
Felix Nihamin & Associates, PC
65 West 36th Street, 9th Floor
New York, NY 10018
Tel: 212-502-4868 X. 302
Fax: 212-502-4869
Cell: 917-509-9030
fnihamin@nymetrolawyer.com

Craig Delsack is an amazing real estate lawyer based in New York, NY. I highly recommend him, check out his site called: http://www.nyccounsel.com/.

My mother-in-law and I have a legal practice specializing in real estate. We do all kinds of transactions throughout NYS, including coops and condos. Our legal fee for condo/coop sales is $1200, and condo/coop purchases is $1500. My information is below:

Dexterrie Ramirez, Esq.
Law Office of Ann Hsiung
7 Chatham Square Ste 302
New York, NY 10038
Tel: (212) 227-0066
Cell: (310) 403-0178
dramirezesq@gmail.com

Annalisa Menin who is working for The Corcoran Group has been very helpful in assisting us in finding a dream co-op in New York city recently. She is very familiar with each area of the city, and was able to provide us with valuable information and resources as soon as we needed. She is a responsible, trustful, warm-hearted, knowledgeable and kind person. She can produce good results for all parties and represent you with dignity and confidence, She can coordinate with your attorney, co-op management, seller's agent very well, always getting required documents, applications, financial statements prepared completely and smoothly. We would say she is one of the best real estate agents you can find in New York city, you will be very happy and satisfactory with her services for sure. We will definitely recommend her to our relatives or friends to use her services whenever they plan to look for a real estate property in the city.

Has anyone had any experience with Feldman, Kramer & Monaco? Anyone there that someone could recommend that I could request for a buyer's coop closing?

Thanks, Alex

Daniel H. Richland, Esq.
Paykin, Richland & Falkowski, PC
The Empire State Building, 59th Floor
New York, NY 10118
212-561-5599 x 802 - Phone
212-561-5598 - Fax
631-229-6533 - Cell
drichland@prflaw.com

I would use whoever Aboutready used.

Jonathan Helfer, Esq
Katz & Matz, PC
jonathan@katzmatz.net
212 244 4630

If you want an amazing real estate attorney in NYC - I used Jean Chou, she is excellent!
My friends and I have all used her for residential purchases -- pricing is flat fee and worth every penny!

http://www.jlc-law.com/category/testimonial/

Jean L. Chou, P.C.
200 Park Avenue South, Suite 1101
New York, New York 10003
T | (212) 380-6316

I cannot recommend my attorney Peter Zacchea enough! He closed a coop deal for me in Kew Gardens for $1600 and was the most pleasant, hard working attorney I have ever dealt with. He explained the complicated house rules and financials to me, did his due diligence (which most attorneys do not) and his staff was highly competent, friendly and were always there to answer questions or calm my nerves. I have recommended him and his firm to all my friends and intend to use him to do some estate planning in the near future.

His contact info:
O'Sullivan & Zacchea, PLLC
80-02 Kew Gardens Road Suite 307
Kew Gardens, NY 11415
(718) 713-3499
pzacchea@ozatlaw.com

Can any of the regulars (i.e. those with more than 0 posts) update this and what going rates are these days? Thanks!

Ottawa, I'll be at my desk tomorrow if you want to ping me : I can give you three people.

ali r.
{downtown broker}

Jonathan Helfer. Jonathan@katzmatz.net

Everything work out well for Ottawanyc?

Max Dilendorf, Esq., specializing on residential and commercial real estate transactions in NYC. Tel. 212.224.0224 | Email: md@feinsteinpartners.com | Dilendorf.com

Max, Are you recommending yourself or just offering service?.

don't mind 300_mercer. He got screwed by his last lawyer and last broker, that's why he's so upset. And his internist and dentist did him no favors either if you've ever met him.

Howard Mandell is the best I have come across. Very easy going, wonderful to work with. He is warm, friendly and gets the job done. You can't find a more agreeable or hardworking person in the business. "Howard L. Mandell" I hired him this May 2017 for a NYC co-op closing and am very happy I did.

In a transaction the RE attorney is the only person with a fiduciary responsibility (not the brokers, not the seller, not the bank etc...) -

read this article, if you have time it explains why you need a good attorney -- whoever you pick you need to chose wisely ! https://www.nestapple.com/single-post/2017/06/08/Why-you-need-a-GOOD-real-estate-lawyer

try Lisa H. Gabler
Gabler & McVeety LLP
3 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10016
Ph: 212-829-0454
Fax: 212-299-7522
lgabler@gablermcveetylaw.com

Umm, last time I looked the New York State courts were ruling that real estate brokers do indeed have fiduciary duties to their clients.

@front_porch : on the paper and by law you are absolutely right .... in reality it is more doubtful!

@front_porch: by law yes brokers have a fiduciary duty to their clients, in reality it is more than doubtfull

Id recommend Adam Leitman Bailey at Adam Leitman Bailey, P.C.

Hes an expert in all things real estate
https://www.alblawfirm.com/attorney-staff/adam-leitman-bailey/

Hi i would suggest Joseph A. Ledwidge. Hes a pretty good real estate lawyer.
https://www.ledlawyers.com/

> Howard Mandell is the best I have come across

He'll certainly advise on whether to take the Deal or No Deal

(if I were him, I'd use my middle name professionally)