Weisbard joins Seyfarth Shaw as partner

Manhattan, NY Neil Weisbard has joined Seyfarth Shaw LLP as a partner, enhancing its real estate department in New York.

Weisbard brings to Seyfarth extensive experience in land use, zoning, and administrative law matters, and securing construction permits and matters for real estate development for both residential and commercial properties.

He represents and counsels national clients with vast reach and ongoing real estate needs, including developers, property owners and representatives, architects, expediters, restaurant operators and hotel operators. Weisbard was the chair of the Zoning & Land Use practice at Pryor Cashman prior to joining Seyfarth.

“Neil’s experience fits extremely well with our deep New York and national real estate practice,” said Paul Mattingly, partner and national chair of Seyfarth’s Real Estate department. “His knowledge and experience in helping clients navigate complex zoning restrictions facilitate developments and transactions. He will add tremendous value to our clients.”

Weisbard has built a solid reputation for his thorough knowledge of zoning regulations and his ability to quickly identify ways to overcome complex hurdles on behalf of his clients. He is known for anticipating situations and preparing his clients to successfully meet municipal zoning requirements and building codes, historical and environmental regulations, and licensing necessities.

“Neil is a rare land use attorney who can handle both the technical documentation and, for New York City, the political aspects of land use practice,” said John Napoli, co-managing partner of Seyfarth’s New York office. “His vast experience representing clients before a variety of New York City regulatory authorities will fit well with, and further strengthen, our highly regarded real estate team here in New York while providing a critical service to our clients.”

Weisbard has interacted with such key New York agencies as the City Planning Commission (CPC). Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA), Department of Buildings (DOB), Environmental Control Board (ECB), Landmark Preservation Commission, Housing Preservation and Development, Department of Finance, Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA), Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and the Mayor’s Office.

Weisbard’s practice extends well beyond New York City, where he provides first-hand knowledge and know-how navigating the labyrinth of regulations and incentives that apply to property development, use and occupancy. He has prepared numerous zoning analyses throughout the New York metropolitan area, as well as nationally, including jurisdictions where Seyfarth has offices and does business.

“I am excited to join Seyfarth’s nationally recognized real estate practice group,” said Weisbard. “I look forward to expanding my platform by collaborating with the many relevant services that the firm presents to clients and extending Seyfarth’s land use practice nationwide.”

Weisbard was named last year as a “Trailblazer” in Real Estate by the National Law Journal. He has published a wide range of articles relating to real estate and land use and zoning, including a regular column in the New York Law Journal.

Weisbard is a member of the Land Use Planning & Zoning Committee of the New York City Bar Association. He also teaches a CLE course “A Guide to Navigating the Maze of New York City Zoning and Land Use” at PLI, Lawline and the National Academy of Continuing Legal Education (NACLE).

Weisbard earned his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School, where he won the CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Land Use Controls, the Max M. Lome Memorial Prize for Urban Law, and the Richardson Merit Scholarship. He received his B.A. from Ithaca College.