NEW YORK (April 18, 2024) – Tarter Krinsky & Drogin LLP has significantly expanded its capabilities in the Litigation and Real Estate practice groups and strengthened its Landlord & Tenant Practice with the arrival of a highly regarded nine-lawyer team in its New York office. The additions exemplify the firm's dynamic growth strategy, which has propelled a 32-percent increase in the firm's headcount since 2021.

“Our hiring strategy is and has always been client-centric, with the goal of bringing on the best people possible who will also be strong cultural fits in furtherance of our firm’s diversification strategy,” said Tarter Krinsky & Drogin Managing Partner Alan Tarter. “This team of lawyers joins us from a firm with a rich history that built its reputation similar to Tarter Krinsky & Drogin by providing excellent client service, deliberately hiring exceptional people and nurturing their growth. Our new colleagues have already been working together for many years, and we couldn’t be happier that they’ve decided to join us.”

The group is comprised of six partners, two counsel and an associate as well as three paralegals. Partners Michael Capozzi, Shari Laskowitz and Cory Weiss, counsel Michelle Hagler, associate Mollie Weiss and paralegals Christine DeJesus, Donna Palevic and Jocelyn Rizzo bolster the Landlord & Tenant Practice Group; partners Dean Yuzek and Jennifer Zourigui and counsel John Nicolich add depth to the Litigation Practice; and partner David Zinberg enhances the Real Estate Practice. They rejoin four former colleagues from Ingram LLP, including a Real Estate partner and three Construction attorneys who started at Tarter Krinsky & Drogin last month.

“Embarking on this next chapter of our careers with Tarter Krinsky & Drogin offers ample opportunities for professional growth, collaboration and innovation that will also provide immediate benefits to our clients,” said Laskowitz. “We’re excited to join forces with this exceptional firm during a transformational period of growth and to leverage our combined experiences and shared vision for the future to make a meaningful impact.”

About the Lawyers:

Michael D. Capozzi (Partner, Landlord & Tenant Practice) focuses his practice on all aspects of commercial and residential landlord-tenant and real estate litigation. He handles a multitude of commercial real estate and landlord-tenant matters, including lease violations, declaratory judgments, breach of contract, contract enforcement, Yellowstone injunctions and creditors' rights in bankruptcy cases. In addition, he negotiates and drafts complex settlement agreements for his clients. Representing clients such as real estate developers, property owners, building managers and tenants, Capozzi guides them through all aspects of a dispute, including mediation, arbitration, settlements, appeals and litigation.

Shari S. Laskowitz (Partner, Landlord & Tenant Practice) works closely with commercial and residential landlords on complex landlord-tenant disputes that arise during the development and management process. With over 20 years of experience, Laskowitz represents landlords and owners of office, retail and restaurant properties, as well as multi-family residential properties and co-op and condo associations and owners. She counsels landlords on matters including breach of contract, real estate taxes, adjacent properties, community opposition, brokerage agreements and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Cory L. Weiss (Partner, Landlord & Tenant Practice) advises clients on all aspects of the landlord-tenant relationship, with a particular focus on landlord-tenant litigation and rent regulatory law. A seasoned litigator, Weiss has broad experience in proceedings in both New York Housing and Supreme Courts and has successfully argued appeals before New York Appellate courts. He also advises owners and developers seeking to assemble property for substantial renovation and demolition and counsels landlords on issues that arise in these processes, including lead-paint abatement, demolition, owner occupancy, succession rights and non-primary residence.

Dean G. Yuzek (Partner, Litigation Practice) is a highly regarded, established litigator with experience handling high-profile litigation matters, some of which have set precedent for case law. A seasoned litigator with a breadth of experience in all types of civil disputes, Yuzek represents owners and developers of commercial and residential properties, lending institutions, named executive officers and managing members of corporations and companies, high-net-worth individuals and their business interests and partnerships across the professional services industry.

David J. Zinberg (Partner, Real Estate Practice) has vast experience in real estate, representing a wide variety of institutional, private and non-profit clients in all aspects of commercial real estate transactions. A hallmark of his practice, Zinberg provides dedicated and sophisticated service to his clients, handling real estate acquisition, development, financing, leasing, restructuring, conversion and disposition. He counsels clients on commercial real estate transactions involving all property types, including office, retail, residential and special-use properties.

Jennifer B. Zourigui (Partner, Litigation, Labor & Employment practices) is an experienced commercial litigator focusing on a wide array of complex commercial litigation in both federal and state courts, as well as arbitration and mediation. She represents clients on a broad range of litigation matters including business disputes, employment issues, real estate litigation and creditors’ rights issues in bankruptcy court such as preferential payment claims and rejection of executory contracts and leases proceedings. Additionally, Zourigui counsels clients on a variety of employment matters, ranging from employment agreements and internal investigations to the enforcement of non-compete and non-solicitation agreements.

Michelle F. Hagler (Counsel, Landlord & Tenant Practice) handles a broad range of commercial and residential landlord and tenant litigation matters from inception through trial. She guides clients on issues such as lease violations, declaratory judgments, breach of contract and contract enforcement. Hagler’s trial experience includes non-payment and holdover proceedings, collections and small claims litigation, Housing Court and DHCR cases and hearings and Supreme Court litigation.

John G. Nicolich (Counsel, Litigation Practice) represents both plaintiffs and defendants in a broad range of commercial disputes at trial level and in appellate courts. His practice covers an array of matters, including prosecution or defense of fraud claims, breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty, as well as disputes regarding real property tax assessments and class action claims.

Mollie Weiss (Associate, Landlord & Tenant Practice) assists clients in all aspects of commercial and residential landlord-tenant litigation and helps guide them on a variety of matters including lease violations, summary holdover and nonpayment proceedings, declaratory judgments, breach of contract, guaranty enforcement actions, contract enforcement and plenary actions for rent arrears.

These additions come on the heels of New York partners Robert A. Banner (Construction), Mauro Viskovic (Corporate, Securities and M&A) and Howard Wolfson (Litigation); counsel Maurizio Anglani (Construction); and associate Rachel Hong, who all joined Tarter Krinsky & Drogin in March, continuing a pattern of meaningful expansion that began for the firm in 2023.    

“As a full-service, midsize law firm servicing a range of clients from Fortune 100 powerhouses to middle market companies to family offices and high-net-worth individuals, we actively recruit to meet all of our clients’ needs,” Tarter said. “We are not aiming to grow for growth’s sake or morph into a large firm. Rather, our goal is to expand our service offerings to clients, extend our client base, attract exceptional team members and continue diversifying and improving our firm.”

About Tarter Krinsky & Drogin: Celebrating 23 years of legal service, Tarter Krinsky & Drogin is a bicoastal midsize law firm that focuses on effectively and efficiently representing companies of all sizes. With our clients’ business objectives and concerns top of mind, we focus on what matters – understanding what our clients need to succeed, partnering with them to achieve their goals, offering holistic and practical legal advice, and devising creative strategies to complex disputes. Purposefully designed to integrate seamlessly with any client’s business team, we are a vibrant, multidisciplinary law firm dedicated to smart thinking and strong client relationships. Learn more at http://www.tarterkrinsky.com.