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Real Estate
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Real Estate Litigation
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With an impressive record of success in high-profile and highly contentious real estate and land use matters, we offer clients a strong competitive edge in the courtroom.
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Kramer Levin maintains a sophisticated Real Estate Litigation practice with an impressive record of favorable results in highly contentious and often very public real estate and land use matters. Equally comfortable representing the real estate lender or borrower, the buyer or seller, or the landlord or tenant, our team has handled a wide range of real estate-related disputes. We also have represented numerous for-profit and institutional developers in disputes about their projects and have extensive experience in condemnation law and practice.
Our work has included:
- Lawsuits between real estate purchasers and sellers
- Mortgage foreclosure actions involving major New York City properties
- Disputes between members of partnerships, joint ventures and limited liability companies
- Landlord-tenant controversies involving commercial real estate, including Yellowstone proceedings
- Construction litigation on behalf of banks and developers
- Actions on behalf of shopping center owners and tenants
- Brokerage disputes
- Representation of developers in litigation challenging zoning and historic preservation approvals
- Challenges to the refusal by public agencies to issue requested development approvals
- Litigation about the adequacy of environmental reviews
- Disputes about rent recalculation provisions
- Condemnation disputes, including the representation of condemnors and condemnees
- Proceedings to compel access to adjoining property in furtherance of construction
- Trespass and adverse possession disputes
In addition to our deep bench of litigators, our team includes lawyers with extensive real estate transactional and land use experience. This combination of talent gives us essential insight into governing instruments — such as leases, purchase agreements, condominium plans, partnership agreements and complex financing documents — and our clients a competitive edge in the courtroom.
Defining Matters
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Kramer Levin Obtains Dismissal of Lender Liability Dispute Over Multibillion-Dollar Development
On March 23, 2023, Kramer Levin obtained the dismissal with prejudice of the remaining lender liability claims against its clients Gamma Real Estate Capital and its affiliates in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The decision is an important victory for lenders.
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Kramer Levin Secures Court Approval of The Community Church of NY’s Anticipated Sale of Real Estate Assets
On July 28, 2022, the Supreme Court of New York issued a decision and order granting The Community Church of New York leave to ground lease and then sell certain real property it owns in the Murray Hill neighborhood of Manhattan, paving the way for the church to receive funds it hopes will allow its diverse congregation to survive and thrive, spiritually and financially, well into the future.
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Kramer Levin’s Zoning Arguments Prevail at New York Appellate Division
On March 2, 2023, the Appellate Division, First Judicial Department, issued a decision upholding the permit issued to SJP Properties and Mitsui Fudosan America (collectively, SJP) to construct a new 55-story building at 200 Amsterdam Ave. The Appellate Division’s decision reversed a June 2019 ruling by the Supreme Court that invalidated the permit and ordered the demolition of an unspecified number of previously built floors in the building.
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Kramer Levin Represents Sutton 58 Associates LLC in Successful Appeal Before New York Court of Appeals
On Nov. 24, 2020, the New York Court of Appeals reinstated a lawsuit brought by Sutton 58 Associates LLC, an affiliate of Gamma Real Estate, against real estate investor Philip Pilevsky, his sons and related entities. The suit seeks approximately $100 million in damages against the Pilevskys for tortious interference with Gamma’s loan agreements with the original developer of a proposed residential tower on Sutton Place and 58th Street. -
The sun rises in the East: East Midtown experiences a renaissance
Distinct from Manhattan’s West Side in mood, ethos and landscape, the island’s East Side has long been characterized as more conservative and subdued. While there are plenty of historic landmarks here (Grand Central Station, the Seagram Building, Lever House), overall, the effect is a stately, understated urban panorama.
They offer very diligent, very thorough and detail-oriented service. On the litigation side they're very efficient. — Client quote, Chambers USA Practice Contacts
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Ronald S. Greenberg
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- Partner
- Partner, Chair, Real Estate Litigation
- New York
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Recognition
- Year
- 2024
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- Commercial Observer's Breakthrough Awards
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Law Firm of the Year – Real Estate Group
- Year
- 2022 – 2024
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- Chambers USA
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Recognized for Litigation (New York)
- Year
- 2023
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- New York Law Journal's New York Legal Awards: Litigation Department of the Year for Real Estate
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- 2022
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- Benchmark Litigation: Law Firm of the Year for New York
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- 2008 – 2025
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- U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers’ Best Law Firms
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Ranked in Top Tier for Real Estate (New York: 2008 – 2025); Real Estate Litigation (National, New York: 2016 – 2025)
Related Practices
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