Skip to main content

Stephen L. Rabinowitz is Co-Chair of the firm's Global Real Estate Practice. He serves as an adviser to a wide variety of institutional and entrepreneurial investors, private equity funds, developers, asset managers and operators in the acquisition, financing, development, and leasing of all classes of commercial properties including hospitality, multi-family, office, and industrial properties. A significant portion of his practice is devoted to venture formation and engineering sophisticated capital structures. From his base in New York, Stephen often leads national and international teams in domestic and cross-border transactions. Our clients have turned to Stephen to lead some of the largest real estate transactions ever reported involving some of the most iconic U.S. properties, including New York’s Peter Cooper Village/ Stuyvesant Town and 11 Madison Avenue; Chicago’s Willis Tower and San Francisco’s Park Merced.

In addition, Stephen has led all of the real estate, leasing, and facilities efforts of the East Harlem Tutorial Program and the East Harlem Scholars Academies for more than a decade, including the development and construction of the 60,000 East Harlem Education Center and the development and construction of the East Harlem Scholars High School.

Concentrations

  • Development
  • Hospitality
  • Private equity funds
  • Restructuring

Capabilities

Experience

  • Since 2020, Stephen has led financing and re-capitalization transactions for multiple single family rental communities across the Southwest for clients including NexMetro Communities and Camden Homes.
  • Since 2005, Stephen has been the lead legal counselor to the owners of Parkmerced, the largest multi-family development in San Francisco.
  • Representation of GFP Real Estate in connection with the sale of 100 Pearl Street in Manhattan for $762 million.
  • Representation of SL Green Realty Corp. in the 2020 sale of 410 10th Avenue in Manhattan, which was reported as the largest real estate transaction in New York that year.
  • Representation of SL Green Realty Corp. in connection with the purchase of 11 Madison Avenue, the historic New York City office tower located on the east side of Madison Square Park, for more than $2.25 billion. Reported at the time to be the second largest office building transaction ever.
  • Representation of 233 S. Wacker LLC in the $1.3 billion sale of the former Sears Tower in Chicago to Blackstone. Reported at the time to be the largest U.S. office transaction outside of New York.
  • Representation of Qatari Diar Investment Company in its venture with Tishman Speyer to develop the JACX, a 1.1 million square foot mixed-use development on Long Island City, New York.

Recognition & Leadership

  • Listed, City & State, Real Estate Power 100, 2021-2023
  • Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Real Estate Law, 2007-2025
  • Listed, Chambers USA Guide, 2007-2024
  • Listed, Lawdragon, 500 Leading Global Real Estate Lawyers, 2024
  • Team Member, Chambers & Partners USA Real Estate Law Firm of the Year, 2017-2018 and 2022
  • Listed, Euromoney's Expert Guides, "Best of the Best," Real Estate, 2019 
  • Listed, Super Lawyers magazine, New York Metro Super Lawyers, 2006-2023
    • "Top 100 Lawyers," 2017
  • Listed, The Legal 500 United States
    • Real Estate, 2007-2009, 2012-2015, 2017, 2019-2022, and 2024
    • Construction - Real Estate, 2007-2009, 2012-2015, 2017, and 2019-2022
    • Real Estate Finance, 2021-2022
      • "Recommended Lawyer," 2022
      • "Other Key Lawyer," 2022
  • Selected, a Law360, "MVP," Real Estate, 2015
  • Team Member, a U.S. News - Best Lawyers®, "Law Firm of the Year" in Real Estate Law, 2015
  • Team Member, a Law360 "Real Estate Practice Group of the Year," 2011-2013, 2015, and 2022-2023
  • Listed, Who's Who Legal - "The International Who's Who of Real Estate Lawyers," 2014
  • Team Member, The Legal 500 United States, "Top Tier" Firm in Real Estate, 2013 and 2014
  • LawRocks, U.S. Board of Directors
  • East Harlem Tutorial Program, Member of the Board of Trustees, Corporate Secretary and Facilities Co-Chair
  • Lupus Foundation of America, Chair of the Leadership Council

Credentials

Education
  • J.D., cum laude, American University Washington College of Law, 1986
    • Notes and comment editor, American University Law Review
  • B.A., History, cum laude, Brandeis University, 1983
Clerkships
  • Clerk to U.S. District Chief Judge, James C. Turk, United States District Court, Western District of Virginia, 1986 Term
Admissions
  • New York