Name: Karen Scanna

Title: Partner

Company Name: Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP 

Years in real estate: 20+

What real estate associations or organizations are you a member of? Urban Land Institute, Real Estate Board of New York, New York City Bar Association, WX, Inc. 

How have you navigated obstacles to achieve success in your career? I am an only child of non-college graduate parents who grew up in a middle class neighborhood where people worked hard but were not doctors, lawyers or other professionals. Thanks to the support and encouragement of my mother and my teachers, and a lot of perseverance on my part, I was able to attend the best schools and seize the opportunities bestowed on me in order to become a successful real estate attorney.

How do you play your strengths to your advantage in your career? In addition to having a good head on my shoulders, I am organized, hardworking, detail oriented and responsive to client needs. I also inspire confidence so that my clients trust me and feel comfortable relying on the advice I give them. In the world of commercial real estate, where deals are made (and lost) overnight, the foregoing qualities are essential to any lawyer’s success.

What trends are you seeing so far this year? A fair amount of my work consists of “public private” partnerships, representing developers who respond to “requests for proposals” put out by The City of New York to develop city-owned property. In 2016, a number of deals were going sideways and getting stuck in the system. In recent months I see a renewed energy within the city to transact, and deals are getting done in a systematic and thoughtful way, which is encouraging for the future.

What do you do for fun? When we are not hanging out in Central Park with our mixed-breed dog Sprout, my husband and I enjoy hiking, biking and yoga.