Brian Cohen is chair of the firm’s New York Real Estate Practice and co-chair of the Senior Living Industry Team. He is also a member of the Hospitality, Resort & Golf and Health Care Industry Teams. Mr. Cohen’s practice at Foley & Lardner LLP focuses on representing investors, developers, REITs and lenders in all aspects of commercial real estate transactions, including the acquisition, disposition and development of office, retail, hotel, multifamily and healthcare related properties; commercial mortgage, mezzanine and construction financing; joint ventures; and loan purchases, sales and restructurings. He also represents landlords and tenants in commercial leasing transactions.
Prior to joining Foley, Mr. Cohen was the general counsel of Kushner Companies, a diversified real estate owner, manager and developer where he also served as general counsel of The New York Observer, a print and on-line media concern. Earlier in Mr. Cohen’s career, he was a shareholder in the Real Estate Department of Greenberg Traurig, LLP.
Mr. Cohen’s significant representations include:
- Representation of a leading construction lender in an approximately $228 million construction loan for the development of a 29-story mixed use luxury condominium building in Manhattan
- Representation of a luxury rental apartment owner/developer in the purchase of office buildings and parking structures to assemble a mixed-use development in midtown Manhattan with approximately 570 rental apartment units
- Representation of a commercial REIT in the sale of several office properties in Manhattan, including the sale of a landmark property in Times Square for $160 million
- Representation of a not-for-profit corporation in connection with a $40 million transaction resulting in the purchase and financing of an 11-story office building at 509 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan
- Representation of an investment group in connection with the acquisition, financing and equity joint venture of multi-family properties in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn
- Representation of a private equity firm in the purchase of a $65 million mezzanine portion of a $650 million debt package relating to a 38 property apartment portfolio
- Representation of a hospital affiliate in connection with the $22 million sale of four multi-family buildings (381 units) in Brooklyn
- Representation of a senior care nursing operator in connection with the sale of a 120-bed senior skilled care nursing facility in Massachusetts
- Representation of a privately held real estate company in connection with the purchase of a $13.5 million distressed promissory note from the now defunct Brooklyn Federal Savings Bank, secured by a mortgage on a development site in Long Island City, Queens, New York
(Mr. Cohen handled certain of these matters while at his prior law firm.)
Mr. Cohen earned his law degree from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University (J.D., 1996). He received his undergraduate degree from The George Washington University (B.A., 1992).
Mr. Cohen has been Peer Review Rated as AV® Preeminent™, the highest performance rating in Martindale-Hubbell's peer review rating system, and he was selected for inclusion in the 2011 and 2012 New York Super Lawyers® list. He has received numerous accolades from UJA-Federation of New York, including the 2009 Volunteer Service Award and the 2005 Lawyers Division’s James H. Fogelson Award. Mr. Cohen serves on the board of directors of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York. He is also a member of the legal committee for the Jewish National Fund.
Mr. Cohen is admitted to practice in New York, New Jersey and the District of Columbia.