2016 Women in Real Estate: Karen Rodgers

Name: Karen Rodgers

Title: Partner

Company Name: Garfunkel Wild, PC

Email: [email protected] 

Years in real estate: 17

Telephone: (516)-393-2568

How did you get your start in real estate?

After law school, I began working in the commercial real estate department of a large New York City law firm and my interest blossomed. Since then I have been fortunate enough to be involved in sophisticated NYC and national transactions with a focus on expanding health care services.

What recent project or transaction are you most proud of?

I am currently working on a transaction involving the acquisition of a nursing home, an office building and other related structures located on several tax lots in New York City. The tax lots are located on the campus of a large healthcare facility which will continue to operate after the closing of the acquisition. The transaction poses significant issues related to access, parking and shared utilities and services. A considerable amount of time has been spent determining the current status of the physical plant operations, including the provision of electric, water, heat, gas and steam, and negotiating various agreement to continue the same on both a short-term basis for some and long-term for others. In addition, complex access, parking and maintenance agreements were negotiated to address the shared rights and obligations of the parties. Since I have worked on several large transactions over the past few years which have faced similar issues, I was able to draw upon my experience if those transactions in order to guide my client through issues that they had not even contemplated when they brought this transaction to me.

What is the best advice you have received and who was it from?

I worked closely in my undergraduate education with a Philosophy professor who proffered the following advice: “Fight hard when the situation warrants it, stay true to your convictions and be aware that women lawyers had infinitely influential potential.” This advice sat so well with me that I actually had it inscribed into a memento.