Suzanne Avena, Garfunkel Wild, P.C.

What was your greatest professional accomplishment in 2013? Being awarded Summary Judgment from the Eastern District in New York on an important, local NYS Superfund case, striking the State's case against our client as well as other neighboring property owners, based on expiration of the Statute of Limitations. It was a protracted environmental litigation which was initiated in 2006 that took a lot of hard work and brain power to win. I worked with other defendants' counsel as well, so it was a great demonstration of how strategizing collaboratively can result in a successful achievement. What was your most notable project, deal or transaction in 2013? A Brownfield project in Queens that will result in an old abandoned manufacturing facility not far from the water being remediated and built into a visionary residential and commercial site. I grew up in the area not far from the property, so it is satisfying for me to be a part of the transformation of a property that was unused and blighted for most of my growing-up years into a lively, aesthetically beautiful and economically successful development. What are your predictions for commercial real estate in 2014? I think that there are quite a few regular as well as environmentally challenged projects in the pipeline that will come to fruition in 2014 and beyond. These transactions have heretofore been stalled in the last few years due to the unavailability of financing, or lack of confidence in the market. I also look forward to the expansion of green building projects, since these standards have now been around for a while and are better understood by developers and contractors. Environmental lawyers are more knowledgeable about contract and lease provisions to use in these transactions as well. What are your resolutions for 2014? To reinvigorate marketing efforts to potential clients in view of the more positive outlook for 2014. It's always exciting taking on unique legal challenges that are inherent in each new real estate deal, realizing that each project will create a lasting footprint in our landscape.