Contributors

Thomas P. Higgins

A partner at Higgins & Trippett LLP, has over thirty years of experience as litigator in New York’s state and federal courts, with a significant portion of his practice in real estate matters, including landlord-tenant, condo/coop, foreclosures, and construction disputes.He has published articles on condo/coop matters in The New York Law Journal, and been quoted extensively in real estate articles, particularly in The New York Times. Mr. Higgins, who is AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell®, has served on the New York City Bar’s Committee on Cooperatives and Condominiums since 2017.

Andrew Brucker

Andrew Brucker has been practicing real estate law for more than 35 years. He concentrates his practice on cooperative and condominium matters, as well as handles a variety of refinancing and leasing transactions. Andrew has represented landlords and tenants in the rental of commercial and professional space for businesses, ranging from large medical practices to banks and “pop-up” retailers. He is the former chairman of the New York City Bar Association Committee on Cooperative and Condominium Law, and is currently a member of the Committee. Andrew is currently the chairman of the New York City Bar Association Committee on Cooperative and Condominium CLE, which entails conducting all related CLE programs hosted by the Bar.

Dale Degenshein

A partner in Armstrong Teasdale’s Financial and Real Estate Services practice group, Dale Degenshein has more than 30 years of experience in cooperative and condominium matters, both as a litigator and transactional attorney. She has represented and advised hundreds of cooperatives and condominiums as well as developers on all areas of board governance, construction and contract issues, alterations, license agreements, modernizing governing documents, quality of life issues and fiduciary obligations of board members. Dale regularly lectures and writes on topics which impact boards and apartment owners alike.

Jeremy S. Hankin

Jeremy S. Hankin is a partner of the law firm Hankin & Mazel, PLLC located in Manhattan and Great Neck, New York. Mr. Hankin earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo, graduating Cum Laude. With a career in the legal profession in mind, he majored in Social Sciences Interdisciplinary with a concentration in Legal Studies. Mr. Hankin gained the degree of Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center. Mr. Hankin has vast experience practicing Real Estate law. This includes residential and commercial transactions as well as residential and commercial litigation. In addition, Mr. Hankin focuses on Cooperative and Condominium Law. Mr. Hankin is counsel to many Boards and advises them in all aspects of Cooperative and Condominium Law. This frequently includes but is not limited to, drafting and review of governing documents, transfers in the title, contract negotiation, and all related litigation. Mr. Hankin is a contributor to Habitat Magazine which focuses on Cooperative and Condominium issues. Mr. Hankin is also a member of various Bar Associations.

Michelle P. Quinn

Michelle P. Quinn, a partner at Gallet Dreyer & Berkey, PLLC, represents cooperative and condominium boards, businesses, and individuals regarding issues with shareholders and owners in commercial and residential landlord-tenant litigation, including summary proceedings, administrative agency hearings, and Supreme Court actions and appeals. She has substantial experience with Mitchell-Lama cooperatives, redevelopment companies, and tenancies protected by New York State Rent Regulation.

Michael P. Graff

As a Litigator, I learned the best outcomes often result from mediation, rather than litigation. In mediation, each party, determines the outcome of a dispute. I mediate both privately and in the Commercial Divisions of Supreme Court, Southern District of New York; the City Bar panel on Coop & Condo Disputes. I arbitrate and mediate Attorney Fee Disputes. I arbitrate for Financial Industry Regulation Authority (FINRA) and NYC Contract Dispute Resolution Board (OATH).

My trial and appellate court experience covers architecture, construction, employment, engineering, healthcare, insurance, marketing, packaging, probate, real estate (including coops, condominiums, commercial leasing), and utilities. I am a member of the NYS Bar Association Dispute Resolution Committee, the NYC Bar Committee on State Courts of Superior Jurisdiction, and adjunct member City Bar Coop & Condo Law and the Alternate Dispute Resolution Committees.

Stewart E. Wurtzel

Mr. Wurtzel specializes in litigation in the fields of landlord-tenant, foreclosure, construction, employer/employee rights, the rights and obligations of shareholders and directors of cooperatives and condominiums as well as matters outside of real-estate related fields. He has also represented several New York City based community groups challenging the City’s application of its Fair Share requirements. Mr. Wurtzel has lectured at seminars conducted by the New York County Lawyers Association, Nassau County Bar Association and the Federation of New York Housing Cooperatives and has been quoted in and/or written for The New York Times, New York Law Journal, New York Real Estate Reporter, Newsday, the Cooperator, Nassau Lawyer and Habitat magazine. He was twice named Pro Bono attorney of the month by the Nassau County Bar Association. Mr. Wurtzel is also an adjunct professor in Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business teaching a graduate level course in Introduction to Real Estate Law.

Richard Klein

Richard is a partner at Klein Greco & Associates LLP. He became a real estate attorney after having worked for several years in his family’s real estate business where he did real estate management and oversaw leasing and sales of both commercial and residential properties.

After having graduated law school, Richard was an Assistant Corporation Counsel working in the Real Estate Litigation Division of the New York City Law Department. As a result of his performance while at the Law Department, Richard was recognized by the Committee of Municipal Affairs of the New York City Bar Association and awarded its prize for Outstanding Achievement as an Assistant Corporation Counsel.

After leaving the Law Department, Richard successfully maintained a solo real estate law practice for sixteen (16) years until he was solicited to join a small Manhattan law firm as a partner to head up its cooperative/condominium department. While there, Richard oversaw the legal representation of approximately seventy-five (75) cooperative and condominium buildings.

Now at Klein Greco & Associates LLP, Richard is all about building relationships with his clients and helping them navigate the New York real estate scene by providing them with legal expertise but with a practical business approach.

Robert J. Braverman

Rob Braverman is a principal of the Braverman Greenspun, P.C., one of the largest and most prominent New York City law firms dedicated to the representation of co-ops and condominiums. There are few attorneys who can equal the depth of Rob’s experience in providing counsel to Boards. In addition to providing many of the firm’s clients with day-to-day legal advice, over the past several years, Rob’s practice has largely focused on assisting Boards of newly constructed or rehabilitated buildings with sponsor-related construction and governance issues. Rob has authored numerous articles and is routinely quoted in the press on condominium and cooperative issues and has participated in and moderated several forums on emerging topics affecting cooperatives and condominiums.