New York has the most active and competitive real estate market in the world. From billion-dollar commercial acquisitions in Midtown Manhattan to large-scale mixed-use development projects in Brooklyn and Queens, the legal complexity here is unlike anywhere else. Zoning approvals, ULURP processes, construction financing, REIT structures, and high-stakes property litigation all require attorneys who have spent careers specifically in this market. Finding the right real estate lawyer in New York is not just about credentials. It is about knowing who has actually done the work, in the courts and at the closing table, on transactions that matter.
New York is also one of the few states where Chambers USA, the world’s most respected independent legal ranking system, divides real estate into six distinct practice sub-categories: acquisitions and development, corporate and finance, real estate finance, zoning and land use, and litigation. According to the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), the city’s real estate industry generates more than $100 billion in economic activity annually, making it one of the largest and most legally demanding markets in the country.
Here are seven real estate lawyers in New York who stand out for their experience, track records, and consistent recognition from the most credible legal ranking bodies in the world.
1. Jonathan L. Mechanic: Chairman of Real Estate Department at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, New York, NY
Jon Mechanic is the Chairman of Fried Frank’s Real Estate Department and has been practicing for over four decades. He earned his J.D. from New York University School of Law. Chambers USA has designated him the only Star Individual in New York real estate for over a decade, the highest individual designation the guide awards. He has been named to Commercial Observer’s Power 100 list of the most powerful people in New York real estate for 11 consecutive years, and was the only practicing attorney on that list for four consecutive years from 2015 to 2018. Law360 has named him MVP Lawyer of the Year three times, and he received the Chambers USA Outstanding Contribution to the Legal Profession Award in 2016 and the New York Law Journal Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023. Fried Frank’s Real Estate Department topped The Real Deal’s 2025 New York Law Firm Rankings.
2. Robert J. Ivanhoe: Vice Chair and Global Real Estate Practice Senior Chairman at Greenberg Traurig LLP, New York, NY
Robert Ivanhoe is Vice Chair of Greenberg Traurig and Senior Chairman of its Global Real Estate Practice, which comprises more than 200 lawyers worldwide. He earned his J.D. from American University Washington College of Law and has been at Greenberg Traurig for over 30 years. Chambers USA recognized him individually in Real Estate: Mainly Dirt for New York from 2003 through 2020, and included him on its Senior Statesman list in 2024 and 2025. He is a Fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers and a member of the Urban Land Institute and The Real Estate Roundtable. His documented transactions include the $918 million acquisition of One Madison Avenue, the $675 million acquisition of The Plaza Hotel with over $900 million in associated financing, and a $480 million portfolio acquisition for SL Green covering 1.7 million square feet of Manhattan office space.
3. Melanie Meyers: Land Use and Zoning Partner at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, New York, NY
Melanie Meyers earned her B.S. from MIT and her J.D. from Columbia Law School, where she was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and editor of the Law Review. Before joining Fried Frank as a partner in 2003, she served as General Counsel to the New York City Department of City Planning and as an adjunct professor at both Columbia and Cardozo law schools. Chambers USA has recognized her consecutively in Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use for New York, and Legal 500 USA has inducted her into its Hall of Fame in Real Estate: Land Use and Zoning. Best Lawyers in America named her Lawyer of the Year in Land Use and Zoning Law for 2026. Her clients include Related Companies, Columbia University, Cornell University, Forest City Ratner, Rudin Management, Jamestown Properties, and Hospital for Special Surgery.
4. Steven L. Wilner: Senior Counsel and Real Estate Practice Leader at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, New York, NY
Steven Wilner joined Cleary Gottlieb in 1988, became a partner in 1997, and spent four years as a partner in the firm’s Tokyo office from 2001 to 2005. He earned his J.D. from NYU School of Law, where he was the 1987-1988 Blaustein Fellow of International Human Rights. Chambers USA recognized him at Band 1 in Real Estate: Corporate for New York for 19 consecutive years, one of the longest individual Band 1 streaks in this research series, and included him on its Senior Statesman list in 2025. He was named a 2025 Dealmaker of the Year by The American Lawyer. He is a Fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers and regularly represents major asset managers, corporations, and sovereign wealth funds in their largest global real estate transactions.
5. Carol E. Rosenthal: Land Use and Development Senior Counsel at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, New York, NY
Carol Rosenthal graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Brandeis University and earned her J.D. from NYU School of Law. She began her career as a law clerk for the Ninth Circuit, served as Associate Counsel to the NYC Department of City Planning from 1986 to 1988, and later taught land use law as an adjunct professor at New York Law School. She has over 30 years of experience as land use and development counsel and has been recognized by Chambers USA in Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use for New York and by Legal 500 USA in Real Estate: Land Use and Zoning. The New York City Council proclaimed June 6, 1998 as Carol Rosenthal Day in recognition of her contributions to affordable housing and public development. Crain’s New York Business named her to its inaugural Leading Women Lawyers list in 2017.
6. Richard S. Fries: Real Estate Finance Partner at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP, New York, NY
Richard Fries is a Fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers and one of the country’s most recognized real estate finance attorneys. He earned his J.D. from NYU School of Law. Chambers USA ranked him Band 1 in Real Estate Finance for New York for 16 consecutive years from 2009 through 2024, and has recognized him in Real Estate nationwide. Best Lawyers in America has included him in Real Estate and Litigation: Real Estate since 2008 and named him New York City Litigation: Real Estate Lawyer of the Year in 2019. He has been listed in New York Super Lawyers since 2006 and in the Top 10 Metro New York Super Lawyers from 2020 to 2022. Lawdragon recognized him in its 500 Leading Global Real Estate Lawyers for 2024 and 2025. Chambers describes him as a ‘true master negotiator’ and ‘superstar’ in complex real estate finance and workout matters.
7. Adam Leitman Bailey: Founding Partner at Adam Leitman Bailey, P.C., New York, NY
Adam Leitman Bailey is the founding partner of Adam Leitman Bailey, P.C., the only boutique real estate litigation firm with fewer than 30 attorneys to receive Chambers USA recognition in New York real estate. He is one of only four New York City-based attorneys named to the 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Real Estate Lawyers list. Chambers USA has ranked him in Real Estate: Litigation for New York for 14 consecutive years from 2009 through 2025, describing him as ‘a tenacious and confident litigator who is quick-witted in court and respected by the judges.’ He holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, is a Fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, has been listed in New York Super Lawyers Top 100, and was named a Notable Litigator and Trial Attorney by Crain’s New York Business in 2025.
How to Choose the Right Real Estate Lawyer in New York
The seven lawyers on this list cover every major discipline in New York real estate law. Mechanic at Fried Frank is the natural starting point for any high-value commercial acquisition, development, or joint venture in New York City, with more than four decades at the top of the market and the only Star Individual designation Chambers has ever awarded in New York real estate. Ivanhoe at Greenberg Traurig is the right choice for portfolio transactions, REIT structuring, and cross-border deals requiring a firm with global reach.
Meyers and Rosenthal, both at Fried Frank, are the most credentialed attorneys in the city for land use, zoning approvals, and ULURP navigation, with Meyers holding a Legal 500 Hall of Fame designation and Rosenthal bringing rare government-side experience from her time at the NYC Department of City Planning. Wilner at Cleary Gottlieb is the strongest choice for institutional and sovereign wealth fund investors requiring sophisticated corporate real estate structures on an international scale.
Fries at Sheppard Mullin is the go-to attorney for construction lending, loan syndications, and distressed real estate workouts, with 16 years of consecutive Chambers Band 1 recognition in real estate finance. Bailey brings a specialized and tenacious litigation practice for landlord-tenant disputes, condo and co-op matters, construction defect claims, and title disputes across the New York market.
New York real estate law moves fast, and the attorneys who operate at the highest level here are not interchangeable. The right lawyer depends on whether your priority is closing a deal, getting an approval, securing financing, or winning a dispute. Every attorney on this list has earned their reputation by delivering results in exactly those situations, across years of documented work in the New York market.
If your real estate matter is significant, these are the names worth knowing before you make your next move.
