Akerman LLP, a top 100 U.S. law firm serving clients across the Americas, today announced the continuing growth of the firm's capabilities in the real estate sector with recognized environmental lawyer and litigator Richard G. Leland and transactional lawyer Ian Tattenbaum, who join as partners in the New York office.
"Rick and Ian build upon the firm's core strength in the real estate sector and add a new depth of experience for clients facing complex environmental issues and zoning challenges," said Richard Bezold, chair of the Real Estate Practice Group. "We are committed to hiring exceptional lawyers like Rick and Ian who mirror the core strengths of our firm and who bring heightened experience in the areas where our clients need us the most."
Richard G. Leland
Leland has more than 35 years of experience as an environmental lawyer and environmental and land use litigator. Recognized by Chambers USA as among the best in Environment Law in New York, he works with real estate developers, universities, hospitals, and other non-profit organizations, on a wide variety of environmental matters including environmental impact review and regulatory and transactional counseling, as well as counseling operators and lenders in litigation arising under the Federal "Superfund" Law. Leland also represents developers, municipalities, and public authorities in a variety of zoning matters and litigation arising from zoning and environmental determinations in New York City and suburban counties in the New York metropolitan area.
Leland has been involved in a host of high-profile projects in New York, serving as environmental litigation counsel for Atlantic Yards, lead counsel in the environmental review of the development of Cornell Tech's New York campus on Roosevelt Island and litigation counsel for the New York Public Library and the Hospital for Special Surgery. Leland presently serves as chairman of the Environmental Committee for the Real Estate Board of New York, Inc. He is also an adjunct professor at Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation and a special professor of Environmental Law at Hofstra University School of Law.
Ian Tattenbaum
Tattenbaum brings more than 15 years of experience counseling clients in a broad range of real estate transactions. He has represented both borrowers and lenders in real estate financing matters, including CMBS and portfolio mortgage loans, mezzanine loans, construction loans, bridge loans and land assemblage loans. He has represented sellers and purchasers in the acquisition of multifamily, office and retail properties, including multistate portfolio transactions in New York and across the United States. Tattenbaum also has negotiated management and joint venture agreements on behalf of real estate funds and other real estate investors.
Leland and Tattenbaum join Akerman at a time when the firm has seen unprecedented growth. The American Lawyer reported the firm as the top U.S. law firm for lateral partner hires, with the largest percentage increase of total partnership in the 2014 fiscal year. The real estate team in particular has seen significant growth and recognition. Law360 ranked the firm's national Real Estate Practice Group among the five largest in the United States and globally. The size of Akerman's Real Estate Practice Group increased more than 11 percent last year, with key additions in Los Angeles, Miami and New York, among other markets.
About Akerman LLP
Akerman LLP is a leading transactions and trial law firm known for its core strengths in middle market M&A, within the financial services and real estate industries, and for a diverse Latin America practice. With more than 600 lawyers and government affairs professionals and a network of 20 offices, it is ranked among the top 100 law firms in the United States by The American Lawyer (2015) and The National Law Journal NLJ 350 (2015). Akerman also is ranked among the top 50 law firms for diversity in The American Lawyer's Diversity Scorecard (2015).
The Akerman Real Estate Practice Group offers comprehensive and fully integrated project counsel services to clients across the United States and in Latin America. With substantial industry experience and local market insights, Akerman represents clients in complex real estate transactions and financings, development and redevelopment projects, public private initiatives and litigation. Recognized as a national tier one law firm for Real Estate and Construction Law by U.S. News - Best Lawyers (2015), the group advises investors, developers, builders, lenders, retailers, owners and corporate end users, often in high profile matters.