Profile
Steven Sinatra has experience in virtually all phases of complex commercial litigation. His practice focuses on high-profile real estate litigation including disputes between purchasers, and sellers of real property, real estate investors, commercial mortgage and mezzanine lenders and borrowers.
Steven has deep experience litigating creditor’s rights claims including some of the most complex mortgage and UCC foreclosures throughout the country. His clients include domestic and international banking institutions, publicly traded REITS, hedge funds, private equity firms and high-net-worth owners/developers of real property. Steven has conducted CLE presentations and seminars on mortgage and UCC foreclosures and has lectured on these topics at the NYU-Schack Institute of Real Estate.
Concentrations
- Complex commercial litigation
- Workouts and restructurings involving secured debt
- Real estate
- Partnership, shareholder and limited liability company disputes
- Real estate finance
Capabilities
Experience
- Recovery of $800 million judgment on behalf of syndicate of lenders led by Natixis, which judgement was secured by 452 Room Marriott Edition Hotel 75,000 sq. ft. of retail space and on 18,000 sq. ft. billboard in the heart of Times Square.
- Represented developer of five star hotel and luxury condominiums located at 400 Fifth Avenue, in recovering damages for purchaser’s breach of a $600 million contract of sale.
- Represented lender who, upon Mezzanine Borrower’s default, succeeded to ownership of the 90-story luxury condominium located at 111 West 57th Street in Manhattan and repelled claims brought by borrower’s equity investors claiming lender aided and abetted the borrower’s managing member in breaching its fiduciary duty to its JV partners.
- Recovered $260 million judgment of foreclosure on behalf of SL Green which loan was secured by commercial ground lease in Herald Square.
- Lead counsel to major investment bank, real estate hedge fund and real estate opportunity fund in connection with the enforcement of remedies in state and federal court under two loan portfolios with an aggregate debt in excess of $400 million and secured by 38 multi-family properties located in New York, New Jersey, Florida and Pennsylvania.
- Represented joint venture between real estate hedge fund and real estate investment fund in the enforcement of remedies under five cross-defaulted and cross-collateralized loans aggregating in excess of $450 million in debt and secured by multiple properties located in New York and New Jersey.
- Represented purchaser in action to recover damages resulting from seller's breach of $387 million contract involving purchase of multiple parcels of real property including 111 Eight Avenue - one of the largest commercial office buildings in New York.
- Defended private real estate investment fund and its principals in action seeking $50 million in damages for tortious interference with contractual relations, theft of trade secrets and breach of fiduciary duty.
- Represented major Swiss bank in recovery of funds procured through fraud.
- Represented public REIT in dispute with tenant involving commercial retail space in the heart of Times Square.
- Represented investment bank in foreclosure of $67 million mortgage encumbering 2,500 unit apartment complex in Kings County.
Recognition & Leadership
- Team Member, U.S. News - Best Lawyers®, Best Law Firms Edition, "Law Firm of the Year," Real Estate - Litigation, 2017 and 2022
- Team Member, The Legal 500 United States, "Top Tier" Firm in Real Estate, 2022-2013
- Team Member, a Law360 "Real Estate Practice Group of the Year," 2022, 2019, 2015, 2013, 2012 and 2011
- Team Member, Chambers & Partners USA Real Estate Law Firm of the Year, 2022, 2018, 2017, 2013 and 2010
- Member, American Bar and New York City Association
- Member, Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees of the Calhoun School
Credentials
Education
-
J.D., University of California at Los Angeles, School of Law
- Member, Moot Court Honors Program
- B.A., summa cum laude, State University of New York at Albany
Admissions
- New York