Holland & Knight names Proulx to real estate practice

Holland & Knight has welcomed Paul Proulx to its real estate practice group as a senior counsel in the N.Y. office. Proulx has experience in land use, zoning and development matters and in general real estate transactions. He represents clients before city agencies, such as the board of standards and appeals and the city planning commission, and also on matters with the office of the mayor and city council. "Paul is an excellent addition to our land use and zoning practice in New York," said Stuart Saft, practice group leader for real estate in New York. "He regularly represents clients before critical agencies in the city and understands the broad scope of development issues, including air rights." Proulx has played a major role in many developments, including those that involved Landmarks Preservation Commission approval. He has guided entire development teams through special permitting processes in landmark demolition and replacement projects. He also led the consultant team effort to obtain entitlements for a $1 billion, multi-phase development and public-private partnership with the New York City Housing Authority in Astoria, Queens. "The variety of real estate matters I have handled represents the type of issues that developers in New York City face," said Proulx. "I know how to get the development and entitlement process started and guided to completion. Land use and zoning issues continue to be significant factors for projects of all sizes in New York City." Proulx earned a J.D. degree from Brooklyn Law School, a master's degree in Urban Planning from the Pratt Institute and an undergraduate degree magna cum laude from the University of Detroit. Before entering private practice, he was land use and economic development counsel to the supervisor of Babylon, N.Y., and an associate counsel to a real estate development company and hotelier.