2024 Ones to Watch Industry Leaders: Seth Niedermayer, Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP

“Confident and versatile, Seth thrives on handling complex real estate transactions for his clients, including development and financing deals for casinos, data centers, multifamily properties, stadiums and skyscrapers. Seth has the technical skills of a terrific lawyer and a keen ability to guide clients through the nuances of business realities.” - Jay Neveloff, Partner and Chair of Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP’s Real Estate group.

In the last 12 months what accomplishment are you most proud of? My representation of long-time client Mitsui Fudosan America, Inc. At a challenging time in the commercial real estate market, over the course of a week, we closed three development deals in three different cities with three different partners. Each transaction had its unique complications and closing all three in a short time required great communication, organization and teamwork. This was made easier by the close friendships and trust I have with the Mitsui team.

Best books, podcasts, or apps for aspiring leaders: “Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action,” by Simon Sinek; and “The High Performance Planner,” by Brendon Burchard.

In the last 12 months what was one of the biggest challenges you faced as a leader and how did you overcome it? Earlier this year, several demanding transactions were on similar timelines. I could not simply do the work myself or rely on one associate most familiar with the work. I needed to shift my mindset and spread the transactions across a larger team and then allocate my time between mentoring and training more inexperienced associates and producing for the client. Delegating and building trust with my team was integral to a successful outcome. 

Best advice for new leaders: Know your “Why.” Rally your team around that “Why.”