New York, NY Jonathan Mechanic, chairman of Fried Frank’s industry-leading real estate department and one of the market’s most influential professionals, will be honored with New York University’s (NYU) 2016 Distinguished Alumnus Award. In addition, Mechanic has agreed to serve as chairman of the board of advisors of the NYU Furman Center for Real Estate & Urban Policy. NYU president Andrew Hamilton and NYU Alumni Association president Beverly Hyman will present the 2016 alumni awards at the annual NYU Alumni Awards luncheon to be held Friday, April 8th at the Grand Hyatt New York. The Distinguished Alumnus Award is presented to a respected and distinguished graduate of any school, college, or division of the University, who has demonstrated extraordinary achievement and/or service in his professional, vocational, social, and cultural endeavors, and who deserves acknowledgement as embodying the spirit of distinction that brings pride to the University. Established in 1995, the Furman Center is a joint center of the New York University School of Law and the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. In this role, Mechanic will work to further the goals of the Center, which include advancing research and debate on housing, neighborhoods and urban policy. Widely recognized as the one of the real estate industry’s leading legal minds and ranked among the top real estate attorneys in the nation, Mechanic routinely counsels developers, owners, investors, REITs and financial institutions in all aspects of commercial real estate transactions and has been instrumental in transactions that have redefined the New York City skyline. He is recognized by Chambers & Partners as the only Star Individual in Real Estate and has been named one of the "Most Influential Lawyers" by The National Law Journal; an "MVP Lawyer of the Year" by Law360, and is consistently on The New York Observer’s "Power 100" list of the most powerful people in NY real estate (the only practicing attorney to make the list in 2015) for his work in the biggest, neighborhood changing projects in NYC. Mechanic serves on the executive committee for the Board of Governors of REBNY, the advisory board of NYU’s Shack Institute of Real Estate and the advisory board of The Center for Urban Real Estate at Columbia University. He also previously taught a real estate transactions course at Harvard Law School. Beyond his many professional accomplishments and accolades,  Mechanic is also active in a number of philanthropic organizations, receiving awards for his dedication and activities by National Jewish Hospital, American Friends of Rabin Medical Center, Israel Bonds, the Modell Foundation, ORT, The Association for the Help of Retarded Children, Albert Einstein Medical College, the Police Athletic League and The Salvadori Center. “I congratulate Jon on this prestigious award and thank him for his commitment to chair the Furman Center’s board of advisors,” said Trevor W. Morrison, Dean and Eric M. and Laurie B. Roth Professor of Law at NYU School of Law. “I have known Jon for years. He is a wonderful leader, and I am grateful for his dedication to his alma mater.” Mechanic said, “I am honored for this recognition by NYU and the support of my colleagues and clients. I am committed to serving the university and its students, and helping to make the study of real estate and the professionals in the field best prepared to serve our City and the world in sustaining and promoting our urban environment.” Also receiving a Distinguished Alumnus Award that evening is Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Dr. Jonathan Woodson. Former NYU president John Sexton will be receiving the Eugene J. Keogh Award for Distinguished Public Service and NYU alumnus and Broadway actress Ruthie Ann Miles will be receiving the Distinguished Young Alumna Award. Tags: