Ian J. Brandt is Partner and Chair of the Co-op & Condominium Law practice and a commercial real estate attorney in the Real Estate Law group for Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP in New York City, where he concentrates his practice on all aspects of cooperative and condominium law. He represents the boards of residential co-ops and condos throughout New York, as well as many individual apartment owners in the enforcement of shareholder rights. He also navigates his clients through the complex terrain of real property insurance coverage for both homeowners’ policies and large real property indemnity polices that insure residential multiple dwellings and commercial properties.
Ian guides homeowners’ associations in all matters of corporate governance, including review and negotiation of building contracts, insurance claim and coverage analysis, casualty damages and property losses, mortgage refinancing, election disputes, review and analysis of corporate governing documents, alterations, construction and owner issues, apartment unit transfer matters, and represent sellers or buyers in individual purchases in a co-op or condos, and assist co-ops and condos when issues arise in connection with a sale including negotiation of trust and estate documents, assignment of alteration agreements or other transfer rights.
He brings a wealth of knowledge about how landlords and developers calculate the value of lease buyouts, about what tenants can financially achieve in return for relinquishing their valuable leasehold rights to landlords, and he successfully negotiates to maximize value for his clients. Ian is also general counsel to various condominiums and cooperatives in the New York City area.
REAL ESTATE CLIENT EXPERIENCE
- Business Owners
- Co-op Shareholders
- Condominium Unit Owner
- Homeowners’ Associations
- Landlords
- Tenants
- Unit Owners
REPRESENTATIONS
- Represented claimants in housing and employment discrimination matters under both contingency fee and traditional fee arrangements
- Arbitrated employment discrimination matters through full hearings against major publicly held corporations
- Defended homeowners’ associations against a variety of statutory discrimination claims including reasonable accommodation complaints and disputes over sales and leasing.
- Represented clients in the purchase and sale of co-op and condo units, residential multiple dwellings as well as multi-family and single-family homes throughout the metropolitan area
- Negotiated large buy-outs of commercial and residential tenant leases in New York City
- Handled residential and commercial leasing, negotiation of construction contracts and alteration agreements, negotiation of financial commitments with institutional lenders, adjacent property disputes, and the negotiation of access agreements with adjoining landowners.
- Represented commercial and residential landlords and tenants in lease disputes, non-payment and holdover proceedings, lease terminations, Yellowstone applications, and HP proceedings
- Counseled both building owners and tenants on the 2019 tenant rent protection laws as they have been both legislatively amended and adjudicated in New York courts
LITIGATION EXPERIENCE
With robust litigation and trial experience, Ian is seasoned in complex water and fire casualty and construction defects in residential cooperatives and condominiums, insurance coverage actions, Pullman-type lease terminations, shareholder disputes, condominium disputes over use of common elements and common interest allocations, noise and private nuisances, constructive evictions, breach of the warranty of habitability and fair housing discrimination. He also provides counseling and litigation services in connection with condo and co-op governance and election law disputes, challenges to by-laws and other corporate documents, challenges to corporate actions by Article 78 proceedings, preliminary injunction and declaratory judgment actions, condominium lien foreclosures, arbitration and mediation, housing discrimination, zoning and land use issues, commercial and residential landlord/tenant matters (including non-payment and holdover proceedings), “Yellowstone” motions and “Pullman” terminations.
Mr. Brandt regularly practices in the Civil Court of the City of New York, including:
- Housing and Commercial Landlord-Tenant Parts
- New York State Supreme Court
- Federal District Courts in the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York
As well as before the:
- New York City Commission on Human Rights
- New York State Division of Human Rights
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
- U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
The breath and depth of his litigation experience includes:
- Commercial Landlord-Tenant Disputes
- Evictions
- Housing Law and Fair Housing Discrimination
- Mortgage Fraud
- Property Casualty Losses
- Warranty of Habitability Violations
In his real estate law practice Ian also negotiates residential and commercial tenant buyouts, and handles a wide variety of other landlord-tenant issues, including:
- Commercial Tenant Appurtenant Leasehold Rights
- Holdovers and Nonpayment Proceedings
- Nuisance Law
- Pullman Terminations
- Rent Stabilization Law
- Tenant Succession Rights
- Yellowstone Applications
In his Corporate Law and Commercial Litigation practice, Ian also handles Corporate Governance and Tort claims (including breach of fiduciary duty claims against corporate directors) and Americans with Disabilities Act Title III (public accommodation) suits and employment discrimination matters. Having defended cooperatives and condominiums throughout New York City as panel counsel to several insurers. Even in complex and acrimonious conflicts, Ian looks to achieve favorable results for his clients, through a combination of vigorous courtroom advocacy, adept motion and trial practice, practical analysis of legal issues, and honest brokering.
Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Brandt was a Partner at Wagner, Berkow & Brandt, LLP, (2015-2021), he was Counsel to Porzio Bromberg & Newman (2013-2015) and began his career as an Associate with Braverman Greenspun, P.C. (2003 to 2013).
DESIGNATIONS
Recognized and rated by Super Lawyers in 2014
Ian's Advice for Co-op & Condo Owners
Media Appearances
