Bryan Kishner Biography

Bryan Kishner founded the firm in 1998.  He has always concentrated his practice in real estate transactions and business litigation.  As the firm grew, it continued in that dual practice mode.

In litigation, Mr Kishner focuses on complex commercial cases.  He is an experienced litigator who has handled numerous matters from beginning to end, including trying cases and winning verdicts for clients.  Mr. Kishner’s cases typically involve real estate issues, business disputes, breach of contract, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, construction defects, and brokerage commission disagreements.  His clients include financial institutions, corporations, property owners, sponsors and developers, contractors and construction professionals, and condo and co-op boards.  He is frequently called upon to undertake difficult and highly contentious matters.

In particular, prominent players in the New York City real estate industry often engage Mr. Kishner when confronting serious business disputes.  He draws on his extensive experience in development, finance, land use and corporate governance to help clients accomplish their goals pragmatically.  Mr. Kishner also often represents professionals, such as attorneys, physicians, architects and other business owners, in disputes involving the management or breakup of their businesses.  Similarly, high-net-worth individuals and families, as well as financial institutions, turn to Mr. Kishner to resolve significant, sometimes highly-charged trust and estate disputes.

In addition to trial practice, Mr. Kishner has substantial experience handling appeals, in both federal and state court.  He also represents clients in alternative dispute resolution proceedings, such as mediation and arbitration.  Throughout his career, Mr. Kishner has recognized how significantly a legal dispute can affect a person’s life or a business’s success, and he approaches every matter with a “personal touch” that puts his client’s well-being first and foremost.

On the real estate side, Mr. Kishner has handled countless transactions and all manner of deal structures.  He represents clients for residential purchases and sales involving condominiums, cooperatives, townhouses, multi-family dwellings and large apartment buildings.  He handles sophisticated commercial transactions, including acquisitions, sales and leasing.  He assists clients in negotiating deal terms, and prepares and negotiates the transaction documents.  He has, therefore, drafted many purchase-and-sale agreements, space and ground leases, financing instruments, construction contracts, project development and air rights agreements, zoning lot agreements, and more.  Because his practice is multi-faceted, Mr. Kishner represents all players, both landlords and tenants, buyers and sellers, and lenders and borrowers in the real estate world.  Likewise, he represents condo and co-op boards and individual board members, as well as clients confronting financial distress in a real estate context.

Prior to starting the firm, Mr. Kishner was a partner in the New York City firm Siegel, Sommers & Schwartz, LLP.  He speaks frequently to real estate groups (some recent speaking engagements are noted below) on myriad issues in the real estate world.

Representative Matters

Commercial & Real Estate Litigation