Michael E. Lefkowitz

Member | Transactions

733 Third Avenue
New York, New York 10017

Connecticut, 1989
New York, 1990
U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, 1990

United States: Representing a national shopping center investor in the purchase and sale of retail properties across the United States, including New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Florida, Missouri, etc.
Manhattan, NY: Represented a debtor in bankruptcy as Special Real Estate Counsel in obtaining debtor in possession financing and the ultimate $65 million sale of 95 Madison Avenue, NY, NY.
Manhattan, NY: Represented a private equity firm in the $905 million acquisition and subsequent disposition of 711 Fifth Avenue, NY, NY.
Manhattan, NY: Represented the Senior Lender in a $22.8 million first mortgage loan refinancing and Mezzanine Lender in a $10 million mezzanine loan refinancing on a condominium conversion project in the Gramercy Park area of Manhattan.
Queens, NY: R&E served as legal counsel to The Durst Organization on the acquisition, financing and refinancing of the development site of Queens Plaza Park in New York City. The project is a 77-story residential tower in the Long Island City submarket of Queens.
Greenville, South Carolina: Represented Garrison Investment Group on the sale of 201 and 651 Brookfield Parkway, Greenville, South Carolina for a total purchase price of $25,000,000.
United States: Represented a major NYC based private equity fund on the sale of 4 senior living facilities located in Michigan, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Alabama for a total sale price of $180,000,000. The transaction included the assignment to purchaser of $100,000,000 in mortgage indebtedness.
Manhattan, NY: Represented a major developer in the $125 million acquisition of apartment buildings in downtown Manhattan.
Manhattan, NY: Represented the purchaser of two Manhattan apartment properties located at 85 th E. 10 th St. and 112-120 E. 11 th St., containing 151 units for $122.5 million.
Manhattan, NY: Served as legal counsel to the Durst Organization in connection with various transactions relating to the acquisition of the East Harlem development site at 1800 Park Avenue (located between 124th and 125th Streets).
$485M sale of two upper east side apartment buildings
Sale of Highline area development site for record price per square foot
Representative Insurance Adjustment/Consultant Assignments (retained by insurers)
- Silverstein, 9/11 claim
- Deutsche Bank, 9/11 claim
- Federal Realty, Santana Row, San Jose, CA, Fire Loss
- Related Company, AOL/TW Center, Fire Loss
- Macklowe Properties, 501 Madison Avenue, Fire Loss
- Hurricane Sandy World Trade Center and South Street Sea Port Claims

“Multifamily Lending: Debt Outlook,” Bisnow’s Tri-State Multifamily Annual Conference, Moderator, March 2022
Lender Seminars, Speaker, January 2020
“Complex CAT Claim - Mixed Use, Mixed Owners, Mixed Policies,” PLRB’s Large Loss Conference 2019, Speaker, November 2019
“Real Estate Investment Structures Providing the Best Returns,” iGlobal’s 2018 Global Leaders in Real Estate Summit: East, Moderator, October 2018
“Doing Business in NYC-A Regulatory and Political Roadmap to Investing in Multifamily in NYC and the Suburbs Panel,” New York Real Estate Private Equity & Capital Markets Forum, Moderator, March 2018
IMN’s Real Estate Mezzanine Financing & High-Yield Debt Forum, (Non-Bank Lending), November 8, 2017
IMN-2nd Annual Real Estate General Counsel’s Forum (Property Management, Leases & Lease Restructuring), September 10-11, 2012
Law and the Financial Crisis Economic Regulation During Turbulent Times (Speaker), Syracuse University College of Law, Law Review Symposium