2022 Industry Leaders: David Wilkes, Herman Katz Cangemi Wilkes & Clyne, LLP

Nominee’s Name & Job Title: David C. Wilkes, Esq., CRE, FRICS, Executive Level Partner

Nominee’s Company/Affiliation: Herman Katz Cangemi Wilkes & Clyne, LLP

Nominee’s City & State of Employment: Manhattan, New York

What is your management style?

I manage based on trust and a love for the people I work with. If I know that an employee or partner understands the assignment and is capable, I prefer not to micromanage how they get the job done. Often, in this approach, I learn something I didn’t know, either substantively about law and valuation, or personally about the person I’m managing. This approach requires a long view of employee development, and is rewarded with an operation that encourages initiative, self-discipline, and growth.

What leadership role outside of the workplace is most rewarding to you?

We are among the founding members of a vibrant, new synagogue on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, called The Altneu (https://thealtneu.org/), named after the oldest surviving medieval synagogue, completed in 1270, located in Prague.

While our synagogue is Orthodox, our members and attendees on any given day are young and old, religious and not-so-religious, and span a wide range of interests and life stories. We are a growing and enormously welcoming community that is unlike any other I have known, breaking many of the old notions of what a synagogue is expected to be.

What aspect of your position do you find most challenging?

Many property owners, especially those based outside of New York, are surprised (shocked!) at the level of complexity of the New York property tax system. Really, there is no single “system,” but rather many different ways that property taxes are assessed and challenged that vary widely from New York City to Long Island to Upstate, including rolling deadlines, approaches to “market value,” municipal officials and attorneys, and property types. Our law firm excels in making sense of all this and providing large portfolio owners with “one stop shopping” where they can receive intelligent answers that are tailored to their situations, no matter where a property is located. And, we obtain significant tax reductions in all parts of the State because we have deep experience with all of the varieties and nuances presented across a wide range of jurisdictions. It takes many years of experience to manage a practice like this effectively and successfully.