Spotlights

2025 Ones to Watch - Rising Stars: Matthew Aldana, Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver and Jacobson LLP

What recent professional milestone or project are you most proud of, and why? Most recently, I advised Brookfield on its joint venture with an Asian sovereign wealth fund to acquire Meguro Gajoen, a 1.5 million s/f, grade A office and hotel complex in Central Tokyo, Japan. This complex, global transaction required navigating various jurisdictions and a challenging global market.

2025 Ones to Watch - Rising Stars: Daniel Davidov, Skyline Properties

What recent professional milestone or project are you most proud of, and why? Selling the Algin Queens Portfolio for $46.5 million Putting 101 Greenwich in hard contract for $105 million Putting 6 E 43rd into hard contract for $140m Each of these deals required navigating complex ownership structures, aligning off-market buyer interest with extremely discreet seller expectations.

2025 Ones to Watch - Rising Stars: David Schwed, GPARENCY

What’s one challenge you’ve overcome in your career so far, and what did it teach you? One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced in my career is the fear of rejection especially when reaching out to people. Early on, I hesitated with every call or message. But I’ve learned that confidence is built through action.

2025 Ones to Watch - Rising Stars: Brian Peer, Platinum Properties

What recent professional milestone or project are you most proud of, and why? It’s been truly exciting to work on the leasing relaunch of 30 Wall St., a historic limestone building in The Financial District that was previously the United States Assay Office. I’ve been part of the team relaunching multiple newly built-out office suites, along with a unique retail opportunity

2025 Ones to Watch - Rising Stars: Shana Smolinski, Savanna

What’s one challenge you’ve overcome in your career so far, and what did it teach you? From the start, I was excited about my role at Savanna, particularly because the open structure made it an exciting challenge. Two of the biggest projects I was supposed to assist with were our portfolio insurance renewals and our ESG/GRESB reporting.

2025 Ones to Watch - Rising Stars: Elizabeth Dahill, Seyfarth Shaw LLP

What recent professional milestone or project are you most proud of, and why? In the past year, I’ve worked on affordable and transitional housing projects in NYC. These matters involve complex layers of public-private coordination and financing, development and regulatory navigation — all in service of addressing one of the most pressing issues facing the city today.

2025 Ones to Watch - Rising Stars: Charles Thomson, CetraRuddy

What recent professional milestone or project are you most proud of, and why? Called Tower 77, this Greenpoint project is notable in terms of pure scale — 766 rental apartment across two towers connected by a central podium — and also in how it addresses the vulnerable site along the adjacent Newtown Creek.

2025 Ones to Watch - Rising Stars: Israel Mermelstein, Arrow Real Estate Advisors

What recent professional milestone or project are you most proud of, and why? I’m proud to have surpassed $1 billion in closed real estate transactions that I personally originated. It’s especially meaningful to me because I entered the industry without prior experience and was initially turned away because of it. But I stayed determined — and it’s a good reminder to myself that nothing is impossible when you set your mind to it.

2025 Ones to Watch - Rising Stars: Nitisha Bishnoi, Belkin Burden Goldman, LLP

What’s one challenge you’ve overcome in your career so far, and what did it teach you? One of the most significant challenges I faced was transitioning from practicing law in India to building a legal career in the United States. Navigating a new legal system, cultural expectations, and professional networks required immense adaptability and perseverance.

2025 Ones to Watch - Rising Stars: Sally Noguiera, Rose Associates

What’s one challenge you’ve overcome in your career so far, and what did it teach you? A key challenge in my career was transitioning from a hands-on Portfolio Manager to a Regional leadership role. This shift required me to move from direct execution to focusing on strategy, mentorship, and long-term planning.