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Cozen O’Connor is bringing on its first real estate lawyers in Canada, boosting the firm’s North American real estate practice and enhancing its cross-border offerings, the firm said Monday.
Three lawyers from the soon-to-be shuttered Toronto firm Minden Gross will join Cozen O’Connor’s Toronto office. Enzo Sallese comes on board as a shareholder, Steven Pearlstein joins as senior counsel and and Andrea Wong joins as a member.
“As the first real estate lawyers to be based in Canada, they represent major additions to our cross-border … real estate team,” said Daniel Hardwick, a Washington, D.C.-based real estate practice co-chair.
Since mid-2021, Cozen O’Connor has been building up its Canadian offices in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. The firm now has 41 lawyers based in Canada. Globally, Cozen O’Connor has 825 lawyers in 32 offices and is ranked 94th in the Global 200 and 74th in the Am Law 200.
“Whether the client operates in the commercial, industrial, or office building sector, they face substantial real estate challenges in 2024 and beyond. As such, being able to tap Cozen O’Connor’s many legal resources—both here and in the United States—will benefit our clients immeasurably,” Sallese said in a statement.
The trio will be reunited with former Minden Gross corporate law colleagues Andrew Elbaz, Alexander Katznelson, Zachary Janes and Michael Shafarenko, who joined Cozen O’Connor about a year ago. Sallese said they are looking forward to working alongside their former colleagues again.
Sallese’s practice focuses on banking and financial services, including asset-backed lending, loan restructuring, and mortgage enforcement, said the firm. He also has an extensive background in general commercial real estate law, including asset acquisitions and dispositions, joint ventures, property development, and commercial leasing.
Pearlstein’s commercial real estate, banking, and insolvency law practice includes many long-standing clients, said Cozen. He also has a strong business background as founding partner of Toronto law firm Blustein & Pearlstein and as the manager of a real estate investment company.
Wong, who is fluent in Cantonese, focuses on all aspects of commercial real estate law, including lending, acquisitions, and the disposition of commercial properties.
Last week, Sepideh Nassabi, the former chair of the intellectual property litigation group at Minden Gross, announced on LinkedIn that she was joining Gardiner Roberts, another midsized Toronto business law firm.
Nassabi is one of many Minden Gross lawyers who have found new homes since the firm announced in December that it would be closing its doors. McMillan brought on a four-person commercial leasing group, including partner Christina Kobi, and cross-border firm Dickinson Wright has scooped up a full team of commercial leasing and real estate lawyers and support staff.
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