Judy Simoncic: Where are we now, where are we headed and where are the opportunities?

The downturn in the real estate market has clearly impacted the practice of real estate development. As an attorney specializing in land use and zoning, the current economy has put a tremendous amount of pressure on attorneys to secure quick zoning approvals at the least possible cost for clients. There are still many development opportunities for clients; however, more than ever I find that I am aggressively pushing applications through the approval process. In this economy, clients can not afford to carry projects while they wait for approvals as they did in the past. In todays economy, my focus has turned to securing approvals as expeditiously as possible, while at the same time being mindful that the necessary steps are taken to achieve the clients' ultimate goals. Judy Simoncic is a partner at Forchelli, Curto, Deegan, Schwartz, Mineo, Cohn & Terrana, LLP, Uniondale, N.Y.