Category: Spotlight Content

What is one major challenge you’ve overcome as a leader, and what did it teach you? My biggest challenge was the collapse of a startup that I poured everything into earlier in my career. We grew from 5 to 2,000 people in under two years, only to be blindsided by the 2008 Financial Crisis.

How do you inspire, motivate, or mentor others within your organization? I try to lead with relatability and humility. By being open about my own mistakes and weaknesses, I aim to create an environment where people feel comfortable asking questions and learning openly.

What recent accomplishment or initiative are you most proud of, and what impact did it have on your firm, clients, or community? I am most proud of our NYC Development Practice’s work on office-to-residential conversions. We’ve guided owners, buyers, and developers through complex zoning, code requirements, and tax incentives on projects ranging from 20 units to over 1,000.

How do you inspire, motivate, or mentor others within your organization? I try to be really thoughtful before giving feedback, especially with someone still learning. If I’m going to point something out, I make sure it’s fair, consistent, and actually helpful. At the same time, I look for the small wins and call those out.

“Time and again, clients and colleagues turn to Nicole for complex real estate matters because she combines deep experience across nearly every practice area and asset class with sound judgment and a “get it done” approach. From becoming a go-to resource within the firm on navigating data center matters

What recent accomplishment or initiative are you most proud of, and what impact did it have on your firm, clients, or community? Building a national sales recruiting department designed to support firm growth across markets. In a newly created role, I lead sales recruiting strategy and execution in close partnership with leaders across the firm. By creating a more consistent, scalable approach while accounting for local market needs

How do you inspire, motivate, or mentor others within your organization? I find a combination of education and opportunity drives the best results. I try to demystify complex deal dynamics for junior attorneys, so they understand commercial and legal impact of provisions we are negotiating. The best mentorship I received was in real time on deals

What is one major challenge you’ve overcome as a leader, and what did it teach you? As the industry faced heightened volatility over the past few years, I was challenged to adjust my leadership approach to meet clients’ evolving needs. Interest rates shifted quickly, liquidity became uneven, and many deals required revisiting assumptions that once felt stable.

How do you inspire, motivate, or mentor others within your organization? I lead and motivate others by setting a strong example, demonstrating consistency, a strong work ethic, and accountability in my work. I am genuinely committed to our team’s success and dedicated to helping others grow. Whether by sharing knowledge, offering support, or creating opportunities

What recent accomplishment or initiative are you most proud of, and what impact did it have on your firm, clients, or community? Our refurbishment of The Peninsula New York. We renovated the hotel’s restaurant back in 2014, and the hotel team welcomed us back with open arms when they started their major refurbishment project ten years later. With a tight completion deadline ahead of the UN General Assembly

What recent accomplishment or initiative are you most proud of, and what impact did it have on your firm, clients, or community? I’m proud that our team at Hernandez-Eli Architecture (HE) has started this year with a more diverse set of projects than ever before, each embodying our commitment to social equity, climate solutions, and artisanship.

What recent accomplishment or initiative are you most proud of, and what impact did it have on your firm, clients, or community? I’m proud to have been recognized by multiple outlets recently. It’s gratifying to see the work I’ve put into making this field more inclusive acknowledged in a meaningful way. I’ve served on boards and advised organizations focused on empowering women and other minority groups