Day Pitney names new co-chairs of real estate and environmental practice

Manhattan, NY Day Pitney LLP named partners Katharine Coffey and Craig Gianetti co-chairs of its real estate and environmental practice. Both are based in the New Jersey office of the East Coast law firm that has offices from Boston to Miami.

“Day Pitney’s real estate and environmental team is fortunate to be led by this duo. Both Kate and Craig are consummate professionals, understand what our clients need and value, and have a growth mindset for the practice,” said Michael Byrne, immediate past chair of the real estate and environmental practice. Byrne was elected to the firm’s executive committee, effective April 2.

As head of Day Pitney’s real estate and environmental practice, Coffey and Gianetti will be responsible for leading a team of 40 attorneys and paralegals that provides a full spectrum of real estate legal services. The real estate and environmental lawyers work with a variety of clients and provide legal counsel to a broad range of commercial enterprises, including financial institutions, utility companies, Fortune 500 companies, private equity funds, joint ventures, manufacturing companies, real estate developers, academic institutions, hospitality and retail companies, religious organizations, and lending institutions.

“Under Mike’s leadership, the real estate and environmental team has established itself as a premiere practice, representing sophisticated clients on complex deals and projects across Day Pitney’s footprint. I am honored that the firm has entrusted leadership of our group to Craig and me. We look forward to future growth opportunities for our team across all offices,” said Coffey.

Coffey is a “dirt lawyer”, with over 15 years of experience representing developers and property owners in all aspects of commercial, industrial, and multi-family and affordable housing development and redevelopment, including land use and zoning; rezoning; acquisitions and dispositions; financing; financial incentives, such as long- and short-term tax exemptions and redevelopment area bonding; and leasing. Coffey was named PulteGroup’s Land Consultant of the Year for the Northeast in 2021. She is the co-chair of the Morris County Bar Association’s Land Use Committee. Coffey earned her B.A., cum laude, from Washington & Lee University and her J.D. from Emory University School of Law. She is admitted to practice in New Jersey and New York.

“Over the past decade Mike has done an incredible job in leading and growing the firm’s Real Estate and Environmental practice to become one of the largest business units in the firm. I am appreciative that the firm has entrusted the leadership and growth of this group to Kate and me. I look forward to continuing to work closely with Kate, the real estate and environmental team, and the attorneys in the firm’s other practices, such as corporate, tax, and litigation, to drive value to our clients and the firm,” said Gianetti.

Gianetti, who also chairs the New Jersey office’s business development committee, assists developers, companies and institutional investors in all aspects of real estate development, from the initial transaction to development approvals, financing, and litigation. Gianetti has extensive experience in affordable housing matters related to developer and municipal compliance with affordable housing laws, and he represents a number of developers in affordable housing projects financed through the NJHMFA and the federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program. He has also represented developers in obtaining rezoning or development approvals for over four million s/f of industrial space in New Jersey since 2021. Gianetti is a recent past-chair of the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Land Use Law Section and is a longstanding member of the New Jersey Builder’s Association. He earned his B.S. from Villanova University and his J.D., magna cum laude, from Quinnipiac University School of Law, where he was an editor on the Quinnipiac Law Review. He is admitted to practice in New Jersey and New York.

“First, I’d like to thank Mike for his tremendous leadership for the last 12 years, and I look forward to working closely with him on the Executive Committee,” said Gregory Hayes, managing partner of Day Pitney. “Kate and Craig’s vast experiences across the real estate spectrum make them a great pair to lead our group into the next phase of client service and growth objectives.”

Hayes was elected managing partner of the firm, effective April 2.