2020 Ones to Watch: Jared Paioff, Schwartz Sladkus Reich Greenberg Atlas LLP

Name: Jared Paioff

Company: Schwartz Sladkus Reich Greenberg Atlas LLP 

Title: Partner, Real Estate Department

Education: The George Washington University, B.B.A; Fordham Law School, J.D.

Which project, deal, or transaction was the “game-changer” in the advancement of your career?
We represented a client in a 1031 exchange that required the consent of a particular family member to close. Our client and the family member were in a legal dispute at the time and we came up with a very creative way to convince the family member to consent and let the transaction proceed. Our client was thrilled!

How do you contribute to your community or your profession?
I am very active in Cycle for Survival, the movement to beat rare cancers. I was diagnosed with a rare cancer in 2016 and by chance I was introduced to the person who started the organization. I offered to provide free legal services as a means of giving back to the organization, but was quickly informed that there was a much greater need for fundraising and soliciting interest for ridership. I formed a team, which includes some of my law partners and clients/peers in real estate, and we have raised over $100,000 to date. 

What led you to your current profession?
I always had a passion for the law and worked as a paralegal in college. After Law School, I clerked for hon. Marcy Friedman of the New York State Supreme Court. As justice Friedman’s law clerk, I handled several real estate-related cases, which always were the most intriguing because they concerned properties that I could walk by at any time and see what was at stake. Assisting the judge in deciding these cases felt more meaningful because you are, in many instances, determining the fate of a tangible asset. After my clerkship, I went to work in the real estate litigation group of a firm who represented a party in one of the real estate cases I had worked on while clerking. 

What do you like most about your job?
I like being able to go to bat for clients to help them preserve their most important assets– their home. While a lot of the work I do involves commercial real estate, we also represent many homeowners, including condos, coops, and single-family homes. Whether the dispute concerns ownership of the property or rectifying damage caused to it, a home is someone’s livelihood and being able to achieve a successful result for that person is extremely rewarding.

What can our political leaders do to increase equality in the workplace?
There should be programs put in place to encourage diversity at the management level in New York real estate, including for owners, operators, and developers of residential and mixed-use, commercial properties.

Who or what inspires you?
My wife inspires me. She heads up the legal department of a global company (and works a tremendous amount as a result), while finding time to exercise on a daily basis, organize the schedules of our three children, and cook a meal from scratch every evening. She constantly challenges me and pushes me to accomplish things that I would have likely given up on had it not been for her. 

If your life were made into a movie, what actor would you want to portray you?
Matthew McConaughey. Putting aside our similar looks and physique, I always liked the characters he has played in legal thrillers. He was amazing in the adaptation of John Grisham’s novel, “A Time to Kill.” I also liked him in “The Lincoln Lawyer.” Representing the underdog is something to which I can relate.

What social media platform do you use the most professionally?
LinkedIn.