Rosenberg & Estis, P.C., currently celebrating its 50th year as one of New York City’s pre-eminent real estate law firms, announced that seven of its attorneys have been named among The Best Lawyers in America in the 2025 edition of the prestigious guide to legal excellence. The firm has also been included in the 15th edition of Best Law Firms.
The 2025 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America recognize the outstanding achievements of legal professionals who have demonstrated unparalleled expertise and dedication in their fields. Best Law Firms rankings celebrate firms that have consistently demonstrated excellence in legal expertise and industry knowledge.
Perennial names on the list, Luise A. Barrack and Deborah E. Riegel, have once again been honored among outstanding legal professionals across the United States. Stephen Millington, Syed ‘Ali’ Fatmi, Nick DiLorenzo, Jay Min, and Anthony De Ingeniis have been acknowledged in the fifth edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America.
R&E Managing Member Michael Lefkowitz said, “It is an honor to have seven of our attorneys recognized among the nation’s leading lawyers. Real estate law is one of the top five practice areas acknowledged and, as R&E celebrates its 50th anniversary, this reaffirms our status as New York’s foremost full-service real estate law firm, offering superior legal services to our clients in every aspect of their real estate operations.”
Published in 1983, Best Lawyers® recognitions are compiled based on a Purely Peer Review® evaluation. More than 250,000 industry-leading lawyers from around the world were eligible to vote and more than 4.4 million evaluations were submitted this year.
Elizabeth Petit, Director of Research & Development and Managing Editor at Best Lawyers, said, “We received record-breaking voter participation in this year’s editions of both The Best Lawyers in America and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America. As an organization, we also reached a milestone in the US, surpassing 250,000 individual voters since we began asking our core question over 40 years ago: ‘If you are unable to take a case, how likely would you be to refer your client to this nominee?’ With more engagement from the market, the barrier for recognition is higher and more competitive than ever before. This reflects not only the profession’s commitment to celebrating professional excellence, but also the increasing importance of every voice in shaping the standards of legal distinction.”
Rosenberg & Estis’ 2025 Best Lawyers are:
- Luise A. Barrack: Luise is a Member of Rosenberg & Estis, P.C. and heads the firm’s Litigation Department. She served as Managing Member from 2010-2020 and, under her leadership, the firm more than doubled in size and received the “Litigation Department of the Year: Real Estate” Award (2018) from the New York Law Journal. Clients come to Luise for her killer instincts tempered by her sage counsel. She is a staunch advocate for her clients, many of whom she has represented for more than 30 years. Her no-nonsense approach has helped shape Rosenberg & Estis, P.C. into the tough and highly respected law firm it is today.
- Deborah E. Riegel: Over the course of her career, Deborah has successfully litigated cases of critical, industry-wide importance on a wide variety of complicated issues on behalf of some of the City’s most prominent owners and developers. As a Member of the firm’s Litigation Department, Deborah most notably served as lead counsel and successfully argued before the Court of Appeals in Matter of Regina Metro. Co., LLC v. New York State Div. of Hous. & Community Renewal, a case which is considered to be one of the most impactful decisions for the real estate industry in decades. The Court of Appeals adopted R&E’s arguments and found the enactment of portions of the HSTPA of 2019 to be unconstitutional in their retroactive application, saving property owners millions of dollars in potential rent overcharges and avoiding catastrophic underwriting and financing consequences. Ms. Riegel is also a member of the adjunct faculty for Brooklyn Law School, teaching Real Estate Litigation, as well as a member of its Board of Trustees.
Ones to Watch:
- Stephen Millington: Since joining R&E in 2020, Stephen has emerged as one of the firm’s most accomplished young attorneys and was elevated to the rank of Counsel when he achieved notable success while taking the lead on a series of high-profile real estate transactions. Stephen represents landlords, tenants, developers, and property managers in commercial real estate transactions. Much of his practice is concentrated in the commercial leasing arena, where he provides his legal expertise in the complex New York City real estate market to clients of all types. While representing a roster of international clients, Stephen has overseen negotiations and completed lease transactions across the US, including California, Florida, and Texas.
- Syed ‘Ali’ Fatmi: Ali joined Rosenberg & Estis, P.C. in 2022 and is an Associate in the firm’s Administrative Law Department. He has litigated Real Property Tax Law (RPTL) Article 7 Tax Certiorari proceedings challenging the tax assessment for commercial real estate buildings, cell towers, and energy facilities. He represents clients with valuation disputes of portfolio assets.
- Nicholas DiLorenzo: Nick joined Rosenberg & Estis, P.C. in 2020 and is Counsel in the firm’s Tax Incentives & Affordable Housing Department. His practice focuses on real estate development, with a specialization in tax incentives, affordable housing, and development bonuses. Nick assists clients in obtaining real estate property tax exemption and abatement, securing bonus floor area development rights through various New York City programs, and negotiating land disposition agreements, regulatory agreements, and restrictive declarations with the City.
- Jay Min: Jay joined Rosenberg & Estis, P.C. in 2023 and is an Associate in the firm’s Litigation Department. He has litigated in all aspects of civil defense matters from pre-suit investigation through ADR/trial, including discovery and depositions. He brings a wealth of knowledge from over a decade of legal experience in insurance defense, banking, commercial, and real estate litigation and has represented institutional clients in commercial litigation and commercial mortgage foreclosure actions.
- Anthony De Ingeniis: Anthony joined Rosenberg & Estis, P.C. in 2024 and is an Associate in the firm’s Litigation Department. His litigation practice spans a wide range of matters in the areas of real estate, construction and commercial litigation. He has provided comprehensive legal counsel and representation to owners/landlords, developers, management companies, architects, engineers, and contractors in all aspects of complex commercial litigation and contract negotiation. Anthony routinely works with landlords in both commercial and residential disputes and often counsels co-op and condominium boards with respect to disputes with shareholders and unit owners.