Ones To Watch: Innovators In Commercial Real Estate: Logan Lowe, Woods Lonergan

Headquarters: New York

Founded: 1993

Services: Real Estate Litigation, Construction & Development Disputes, Commercial Litigation

www.woodslaw.com

Innovation Highlight

In two decades as an MAI appraiser and real estate attorney, the work I think about most is air rights. Nearly 20 years ago, I was involved in some of the largest air rights transfers across the five boroughs. I watched Red Hook, Gowanus and Long Island City transform into vibrant neighborhoods. Many parcels I appraised or worked on as an attorney now anchor high-rise towers, commercial hubs and public plazas. Once a kid from Queens taking the 7 train to Stuyvesant, I now cross the Queensboro Bridge and barely recognize the skyline. Being part of that change is my proudest achievement.

Industry Outlook

The biggest opportunity I see is integrating valuation analysis and legal structuring earlier, particularly in office-to-residential conversions. A project may remain viable on a pro forma, yet incremental capital can alter the risk-return profile for each investor. When soft costs surge, construction financing tightens or entitlements stall, a capital shortfall triggers questions about control, funding obligations and exit strategies. Without early integration, projects often resort to reactive renegotiations, litigation or distressed sales that destroy value across the capital stack.

Innovation in Action

On a micro level, in development disputes, accountants track cash flow, attorneys review contracts and appraisers assess value, often in silos. I bring them together at the outset, mapping how change orders and cost overruns drive valuation and testing appraisal assumptions against legal obligations. On a macro level, AI is reshaping both of my roles: machine learning surfaces valuation trends across millions of transactions, and natural language processing flags nonstandard clauses. I use it cautiously. AI excels at pattern recognition but lacks contextual intuition, and it makes mistakes.

Looking Ahead

What excites me most is the city’s next reinvention. Air rights, among the city’s most intangible yet transformative assets, literally and figuratively changed the look and feel of New York. I have seen post-industrial corridors of vacant lots and rusting infrastructure become dense, mixed-use communities beneath a glass-and-steel skyline. Now COVID and AI have put things in flux, but New York is always in flux. Those who accept that the rules keep changing will flourish; those who cling to the past will be left behind. As a lifelong New Yorker, I can’t wait to see what comes next