Leo is described by clients as “invaluable to our organization,” a “trusted adviser and advocate” and a “focused and loyal purveyor of sage legal advice” (Chambers USA). 

As co-chair of the Litigation, Real Estate and Real Estate Special Opportunities departments, Leo has an expansive practice that encompasses complex commercial litigation, real estate transactions and corporate reorganizations. He is also a member in our Construction and Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring departments.

Experience

Leo regularly represents a wide array of clients including private equity, hedge and real estate opportunity funds, national lending institutions, bridge and convenience lenders, property owners and developers; in matters such as:

• Acquisition and sale of real property
• Developments and redevelopments
• Joint ventures
• Commercial real estate litigation
• Construction performance and payment disputes
• Contract claims
• Corporate dissolution
• Shareholder disputes/oppression actions
• Director and officer liability matters
• Distressed portfolio and asset sales
• Distressed commercial loan workouts and restructurings
• Foreclosures
• Creditors’ rights and insolvency

Representative Matters

Leo has spent his entire career with the firm and has played a leading role in innumerable matters. His select notable experience includes:

• Represented domestic and international hedge funds in ongoing litigation alleging lender liability against an international banking firm, with claims of $380 million and counterclaims of $1.2 billion.
• Represented a prominent Wall Street executive and former hedge fund founder in litigation brought by four former partners in various courts and in arbitration seeking millions in damages for a variety of claims, including breach of contract and violation of New York labor laws.
• Represented the owners/operators of 22 recreational vehicle resorts located throughout the country in a dispute arising out of two loan portfolios, totaling in excess of $100 million in securitized commercial loans, secured by first mortgage liens on various RV resorts, which are the subject of multistate foreclosure and receivership proceedings.
• Represented the general contractor in connection with construction and contract related claims and causes of action arising from the development of an international airport terminal in New York, NY as well as a casino project in the Northeast.
• Represented the owner in connection with various construction related claims and causes of action arising from the conversion of a large commercial building to high-end residential condominiums in Brooklyn, NY.

Networks & Affiliations

In addition to his appointment to the New Jersey Council of Economic Advisors by Senate Minority Leader Thomas H. Kean, Jr., Leo is actively involved in a host of professional organizations, including the New York and New Jersey Federal Bar Association, the New York and New Jersey State Bar Association, the Bergen County Bar Association and the Construction Lawyers Society of America.

Honors & Awards

Leo is renown for his top tier legal practice and has been recognized by both media outlets and rigorous legal ranking publications. Over the past decade, Leo has been consistently recognized by Chambers USA for his litigation practice and has been noted for his “outstanding legal strategy and implementation.” He has been recognized as a “Local Litigation Star” in New York and New Jersey by Benchmark Litigation where clients regard him as a “unique attorney, who possesses a keen business sense along with best-in-class legal advice.” In 2020, Leo was a Dealmaker honoree at New Jersey Law Journal’s Professional Excellence Awards. He has also been featured in New York Metro Super Lawyers, New Jersey Super Lawyers, and Best Lawyers in America.

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See Award Methodology.