2025 Ones To Watch - Industry Leaders: Leah Blackman, CM&B

Sharing knowledge and expertise: Whether it’s crafting a thoughtful LinkedIn post, hosting an internal training session, sharing articles, or hosting a client lunch & learn, I am always happy to share my expertise with others. It’s easy to forget our own depth of experience.

2025 Ones To Watch - Industry Leaders: Marc Alleyne, Spartan Demolition Company

Recent goal and impact:  One of our recent goals was to streamline the permitting and approval process for demolition projects in NYC. Given the complexity of regulations and the multiple agencies involved, delays were common. We invested in a dedicated compliance team and digital tracking system, which cut approval times by 30%.

2025 Ones To Watch - Industry Leaders: Sean Mashihi, Block Real Estate Group

Turning problems into opportunities:  One real estate challenge that turned into an opportunity involved a commercial property that had been sitting vacant for a long period. The owner was struggling with finding a tenant and the building itself was in need of significant renovations. Instead of seeing the vacant space as a loss, we approached the situation

2025 Ones To Watch - Industry Leaders: R. Davis Powell, King & Spalding

Recent goal and impact: The global aspects of our real estate practice are especially enjoyable for me. We were recently engaged by a great client on a joint venture hospitality transaction involving an asset in the Caribbean. We put an excellent cross-border team together that quickly gained the trust of the client and the counterparties.

2025 Ones To Watch - Industry Leaders: Elliot Bogod, Broadway Realty

Sharing knowledge and expertise:  To give back to the industry, I became a REBNY downtown committee co-chairman last year and actively participated in REBNY events.

2025 Ones To Watch - Industry Leaders: Scott Vetri, Katten

Recent goal and impact: Leading the department through the unprecedented commercial real estate cycles caused by COVID reshaped my management approach. From the shutdowns to a boom driven by low interest rates, followed by a downturn due to rate hikes and the work-from-home trend, the demand for legal services fluctuated rapidly.

2025 Ones To Watch - Industry Leaders: Elie Rieder, Castle Lanterra

Turning problems into opportunities:  I have been fortunate to be a third-generation real estate entrepreneur, drawing inspiration from both my grandfather and father, who each developed distinct but complementary investment strategies. When I launched CL, I merged these two strategies, leveraging my multi-generational foundation to create a hybrid approach.

2025 Ones To Watch - Industry Leaders: Michael Hults, IMEG

Sharing knowledge and expertise:  After 33 years as a commissioned U.S. Army officer, and now an IMEG principal, I mentor and encourage open communication. Leadership is caring for your team and their families. I involve my team in decision-making, considering their well-being, and ask them to do so too. I help my team understand the importance of empathy,

2025 Ones To Watch - Industry Leaders: Kara Rakowski, Belkin Burden Goldman, LLP

Recent goal and impact:  For several years, it was a goal of Kara’s to expand our firm’s affordable housing practice to incorporate lawyers with a particular expertise in tax exemptions and zoning incentives. This goal finally came to fruition in late March of 2025, with Belkin Burden Goldman’s (BBG) hiring

2025 Ones To Watch - Industry Leaders: Cyril Touchard, Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP

Recent goal and impact: My role in advising the UNDC on their long-term leases with the UN and the UNDP for over 650,000 s/f at One and Two United Nations Plaza. This complex transaction took several years to finalize but we were able to achieve a great result for our client and the city. The transaction will include a $500,000,000 capital improvement