Armstrong Teasdale, a law firm with offices across the United States, proudly announces the opening of its New York City office and the addition of a team of attorneys focusing primarily in the areas of real estate law and litigation.

With attorneys licensed across the country, Armstrong Teasdale serves a wide range of clients. In September 2018, the firm opened an office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Increasing the firm’s presence on the east coast will further enhance the services provided to existing clients, as well as create opportunities for growth.

Partner and Leader – Eastern U.S., Richard Scheff, will continue to lead the firm’s efforts in the region and serve as managing office attorney for both the Philadelphia and New York offices. Joining the New York City office are Partners Andrew Brucker, Charles Palella, Isaac Saufer, Howard Schechter, Julie Schechter and Phyllis Weisberg. They have decades of combined experience extending to cooperative and condominium law, leasing and real estate transactions, trusts and estates, and commercial litigation at both the trial and appellate levels. Eight associates and additional staff members will also join the firm.

“We are thrilled to welcome this team of distinguished real estate and trial lawyers to Armstrong Teasdale,” said Michael Chivell, chairman. “They have extensive experience and will add to our firm’s already robust practice in these areas. I look forward to the new year as we continue to identify opportunities to grow our east coast presence under Rich Scheff’s leadership.”

Brucker has been practicing real estate law for more than 35 years. He concentrates his practice on cooperative and condominium matters, as well as handles a variety of refinancing and leasing transactions. Brucker has represented landlords and tenants in the rental of commercial and professional space for businesses, ranging from large medical practices to banks and “pop-up” retailers.

Palella has more than 30 years of experience concentrating his practice in the areas of appellate litigation, commercial litigation and tort litigation. Cases that he has handled have had a significant impact on the development of New York law in the areas of insurance coverage, civil procedure and tort liability. Palella’s clients include engineering and architectural firms, manufacturers and real estate developers, and he also has experience with alternative dispute resolution.

Saufer has practiced in the areas of trusts and estates and real estate law for more than 30 years. He has a depth of experience counseling clients on estate planning, trusts and estates, trusts and estates administration, real estate, and issues related to cooperatives and condominiums.

Howard Schechter has more than 40 years of experience representing cooperatives, condominiums and other owners of residential and commercial property. He counsels clients on a variety of contentious issues, and also represents borrowers and lenders in construction and permanent, underlying mortgage financing transactions in both development and long-term ownership settings. Also, he has worked with all city, state and federal housing agencies in the subsidized and supervised housing sector and advises clients on compliance with government financing, supervision and rent regulation issues. He established many of the mechanisms necessary for the “reconstitution” of income and price-restricted, government-subsidized housing into unrestricted, private cooperatives, unlocking enormous value for shareholders.

Julie Schechter is a transactional attorney with experience advising and representing cooperative and condo boards in various subject matters. She has developed innovative approaches to deriving income from common-area spaces and resolved disputes regarding construction defects and defaults by sponsors and other unit owners. She regularly negotiates with architects, engineers, contractors and vendors providing goods and services to co-op and condo associations, and has reviewed trusts and advised co-op boards whether to permit the trusts to own co-op shares. She has also represented sellers, purchasers, borrowers and financial institutions in various real estate and loan transactions, and both landlords and tenants in commercial and residential leasing transactions.

Weisberg has 40 years of experience, primarily focusing on the representation of boards of cooperatives and condominiums. Her extensive experience in the industry includes advising clients on a wide range of issues, including governance, shareholder/unit owner relations, alterations, construction contracts and disputes, and municipal matters. Acting as general counsel to her clients, she seeks to anticipate and prevent problems before they occur. She has also represented a number of community groups in dealing with zoning and development concerns in their neighborhoods and has been actively involved in matters concerning proposed legislation.

“This is an exciting opportunity for Armstrong Teasdale, as well as the attorneys who have joined, to broaden the firm’s footprint,” said Scheff. “I have known many of these folks for years and I am confident they will be strong assets to our team. I look forward to working alongside them in this new capacity.” 

The firm’s Manhattan office is located at 919 Third Avenue, 37^th Floor, New York, NY 10022.