In this episode of Inside R&E, Devin P. Kosar, a Member in the firm's Litigation Department, welcomes back Alex Zafran, the Director of Business Development of Logical Buildings, to continue their discussion on Local Law 97, which was enacted in 2019 as part of New York City’s Climate Mobilization Act.

In Part 2 of this series, (the original episode aired on March 25, 2025), Devin and Alex discuss the recent updates in the law concerning new reporting and filing deadlines, and the importance of engaging a registered design professional and legal team in your corner to help you navigate through the reporting and filing process, as well as potential issues that may arise for the first time with the new law. Finally, Devin and Alex discuss how to utilize other programs such as the new J-51 Tax Abatement Program (J-51R) for compliance with Local Law 97 and how to get ready for the stringent requirements and increased greenhouse gas emission caps that are on the horizon for 2030 and beyond.

Devin Kosar is the head of the Firm’s Violation Department and has extensive experience in all regulatory and administrative law matters before the New York City Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings, such as the Environmental Control Board, Department of Consumer Affairs and Department of Health as well as the New York City Criminal Court. Kosar’s practice also involves all areas of real estate litigation including complex commercial litigation, landlord/tenant law and construction law. Additionally, Kosar also counsels and represents condominium boards in connection with condominium governance and operational matters.

Alex Zafran is the Director of business development of Logical Buildings , where he partners with real estate owners and managers nationwide to cut energy costs, enhance efficiency, and lower their carbon footprint. Alex’s expertise spans across various sectors, including energy commodities and financial markets, energy procurement, solar generation, and smart buildings technology. His insights on New York City’s energy landscape for coops and condos have been featured in Habitat, Brick Underground, The Cooperator, and other industry publications. For buildings subject to Local Law 97, Alex’s primary goal is to eliminate the fear, uncertainty, and doubt that many are feeling right now, and replace it with a clear plan of action.

For any questions related to this episode, contact Devin P. Kosar at dkosar@rosenbergestis.com or (212) 551-1208. Alex Zafran can be reached at azafran@logicalbuildings.com.

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In this episode of Inside R&E, Alex M. Estis and Adam Lindenbaum, Members of R&E’s Litigation Department, join Dave Lorenzo, Founder of Exit Success Lab, to talk about some case studies where Litigation and Transactional Attorneys have worked together (or ideally should have worked together) to draft commercial leases. This episode is a follow-up to Alex’s previous episode with Dave, titled “Why Should I Call My Litigator To Draft a Lease?”, which was based on Alex’s recent co-authored New York Law Journal's Landlord-Tenant Column with Gary M. Rosenberg.

During the conversation, Alex, Adam and Dave talk about matters that led them to realize how important it is to involve a litigator alongside a transactional attorney in drafting lease agreements. They talk about how beneficial it is to have different perspectives on a lease, and the importance of using unambiguous language in these agreements to avoid possible future litigation and the cost that comes with it. They share their insights on key clauses found in lease agreements and also talk about particular industries and scenarios where involving a litigator with the transactional attorney to draft a lease produced great results for their clients. They also touch upon the Force Majeure clause, and what a transactional attorney should keep an eye on while drafting leases.

Alex M. Estis handles all complex matters of general commercial litigation, including landlord-tenant disputes, breach of contract, transactional disputes, real estate partnership disputes, brokerage commission actions, holdover proceedings, ejectment proceedings, owner occupancy actions, co-op/condo disputes, matters before the New York City Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings, such as the Environmental Control Board and Department of Health as well as the New York City Criminal Court. Alex also handles commercial leasing negotiations and preparation for landlords, commercial tenants and net lessors.

Adam Lindenbaum represents real estate firms, developers and tenants in connection with their use, management and operation of commercial real estate in New York and New Jersey. He dedicates his practice to handling disputes involving complex landlord-tenant matters, real estate ownership and commercial litigation. Adam also has extensive experience involving residential real estate and landlord-tenant matters, including those involving cooperative and condominium boards, rent control, rent stabilization and the loft law. Lindenbaum has practiced before state, federal and appellate courts in New York and New Jersey, the American Arbitration Association, as well as numerous administrative agencies.

For any questions related to this episode, contact Alex M. Estis at aestis@rosenbergestis.com or (212) 551-1204, or Adam Lindenbaum at alindenbaum@rosenbergestis.com or (212) 551-8405.

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In this episode of Inside R&E, Raychel A. Camilleri, a Member of R&E’s Litigation Department, joins Dave Lorenzo, Founder of Exit Success Lab, for a discussion on how the construction industry can work through the impact of tariffs on the cost of their current and future projects.

During the conversation, Raychel and Dave talk about the various clauses that should be included in the contract, including, but not limited to, a jurisdiction clause, time is of the essence clause, termination for convenience clause, and even some problematic clauses in some projects. They talk about various factors that could impact the cost of a project, with Raychel detailing GMP (Gross Maximum Price) contracts, Time and Materials contracts, Price Escalation clauses and Force Majeure clauses. They look at the impact of tariffs on a project from the perspective of both general contractors as well as owners, developers and lenders, and how the impact goes down the line to subcontractors. Raychel also advises on how negotiations could be made fair for everyone involved in the project, and how certain clauses could also help combat the potential increase in price of labor, due to change in immigration laws.

Raychel A. Camilleri is an accomplished trial lawyer sought for her experience and success in defending complex, high-exposure litigation. She manages client exposure and contains costs either by alternative dispute resolution or trial by jury when necessary. Raychel focuses her practice on construction defect litigation, products liability, labor law, and commercial matters. She also represents clients in appellate proceedings before the New York State Appellate Division, First and Second departments. She regularly advises clients pre-litigation through accident reconstructions and investigations.

For any questions related to this episode, contact Raychel A. Camilleri at rcamilleri@rosenbergestis.com or (212) 551-1219.

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