Gallet Dreyer & Berkey, LLP is widely acknowledged as having one of the leading real estate practices in New York. When our firm was founded in 1978, its focus was real estate. To this day, real estate law remains our firm’s largest practice area. Our clients include over 300 cooperative and condominium boards as well as some of the city’s largest and most successful real estate owners and developers. Our clients include publicly, privately, and closely-held entities that own, operate, and develop billions of dollars worth of commercial and residential property across the United States, including multifamily properties, shopping centers, retail properties, and commercial office buildings. Our Real Estate Law Group has extensive expertise in all areas of real estate law, ranging from highly sophisticated transactions such as joint ventures, sale-leasebacks, tax-deferred exchanges, and site development arrangements with governmental agencies to more conventional sales, leasing, and financing. We represent owners and lenders in real estate workouts, debt restructuring, and foreclosures, and represent debtors and creditors in distressed real estate bankruptcy proceedings. 

David L. Berkey, our Managing Partner and head of our Real Estate Law Group, is the past Chairperson of the Real Property Law Section of the New York State Bar Association, which is the largest professional association of real estate attorneys in New York. Our Real Estate Law Group works closely with our Construction Law practice, headed by Randy J. Heller, and our Banking and Financial Institutions practice, headed by Jay L. Hack. Recent projects include One World Trade Center and the 2nd Avenue Subway. 
 

Services for Sponsors of Cooperatives and Condominiums

As trusted counsel to developers of both luxury and affordable cooperative and condominiums, our services include structuring the developer/sponsor organizations, preparing offering plans for newly constructed or converted cooperatives and condominiums, actively updating our plans by preparing and filing amendments required to maintain their effectiveness and permit continuing sales, and prevent staleness, preparing no-action applications for smaller projects that do not require a full offering plan, and assisting our clients in obtaining financing.

Representing Clients Before Government Agencies

We have worked with and represented our clients before various city, state, and federal government agencies such as the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the New York City Board of Standards and Appeals, the New York City Department of Buildings, the New York State Empire Development Corporation, the FDIC, the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
 

Litigation and Arbitration of Real Estate Disputes

Our attorneys are seasoned litigators, who have brought numerous real estate disputes through both litigation and arbitration. 

Why We’re Better

Team Approach – At Gallet Dreyer & Berkey, LLP, we have created a culture where our attorneys work together as a tightly-knit team. This means that, if necessary, we can instantly assemble a team of lawyers, each with specialized and complementary expertise.

Business Sense – We offer far more than legal know-how. We also have a solid understanding of the business of real estate. As a result, we are able to offer you the most practical, profit-maximizing advice.

Cost-Effective – Our attorneys offer representation that matches that of the largest and most prestigious firms in the world. However, as a result of our smaller size and efficient management, we can do so with a more reasonable billing structure.