Sean A. Altschul

Sean Altschul is a nationally recognized commercial real estate attorney who has closed billions of dollars in acquisitions, sales, financings, leasing transactions, and restructurings across the United States. As Head of the New York Real Estate Practice at Smith Gambrell & Russell, he represents prominent real estate companies, developers, investors, institutional lenders, shopping center owners, and multi-generational real estate families in some of the market’s most complex and high-value transactions.

Sean is known for bringing clarity to complex transactions and driving deals to successful closings. Over the course of his career, Sean has led shopping center acquisitions totaling more than twenty million square feet, negotiated one of New York City’s largest office leases in the last decade, structured sophisticated leasehold financing and ground-lease arrangements, and advised clients through distressed-debt workouts, foreclosures, and multi-layered development projects. 

His practice encompasses acquisitions, dispositions, financing, development, leasing, and restructurings involving retail, office, multifamily, mixed-use, and industrial assets. He regularly represents borrowers and lenders in senior and mezzanine financings, construction loans, and asset-based transactions, and advises landlords, tenants, and subtenants in significant office, retail, warehouse, restaurant, and shopping center leases nationwide.

In cooperative and condominium law, Sean represents sponsors through the conversion process, serves as general counsel to housing corporations, and oversees commercial leases, construction contracts, and refinancings of underlying mortgages. He handles governance matters involving boards, managing agents, contractors, and tenant stockholders.

Quoted by The New York Times on real estate matters and a speaker on industry topics, Sean combines decades of transactional experience with a practical, business-focused approach that clients trust on their most important deals.

When he is not negotiating a deal, Sean enjoys time with his family and playing golf. Be sure to ask him about the time he beat Tiger Woods in a junior golf tournament — a rare accomplishment few can claim.

Sean's Practice

Representative Matters

• Ongoing representation of Big V Property Group, a shopping center investment management and property management company that owns and operates shopping centers in excess of 10 million square feet. In connection therewith, Sean has handled several large-scale shopping center acquisitions and sales throughout the United States, including the acquisition of:
  • Southpark Meadows in Austin, Texas - The acquisition of an open-air shopping center with nearly one million square feet of retail. This is Big V’s first in Austin, its fifth property in Texas, and the second largest shopping center in its portfolio;
  • Lake Pleasant Pavilion in Peoria, Arizona – The acquisition is a 178,403-square-foot destination shopping center located in the Phoenix Metropolitan area. This is Big V’s first acquisition in Arizona;
  • Glade Parks Town Center in Dallas, Texas – The best-in-class shopping center consists of 559,457 square feet in a diverse roster of nationally recognized retailers;
  • The Markets at Town Center in Jacksonville, Florida – The acquisition includes four multi-tenant buildings and five free standing single tenant buildings totaling 254,089 square feet in the sprawling St. John’s retail shopping district;
  • The Rim in San Antonio, Texas – The acquisition consists of approximately 1,050,000 square feet of premier retail and restaurant space at one of the largest mixed-use/lifestyle centers in Texas and the 10th most visited center in the United States. The power center acquisition is one of the largest retail deals completed in the United States over the last year;
  • Alamo Ranch in San Antonio, Texas – One of San Antonio’s largest, most prominent open-air shopping centers, the property contains over 460,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space on over more than 63 acres in one of the fastest-growing trade areas in the city;
  • The Avenue in Murfreesboro, Tennessee – The acquisition consists of an 843,000 square feet open-air luxury shopping center in Murfreesboro, TN, within the Nashville metropolitan statistical area (MSA)
• Ongoing representation of Bessemer Trust, one of the world’s largest advisors of high-net-worth clients. In connection therewith, Sean handled its recent approximately 237,000-square-foot new headquarters office lease in 1271 Avenue of the Americas in Midtown Manhattan. The deal is one of New York City’s largest new office leases of 2018.
• Ongoing Representation of a Brooklyn-based Developer in connection with 267 Rogers Avenue, a newly constructed high profile 165-Unit residential building in Brooklyn. In connection therewith, Sean has handled a variety of development, financing, and construction-related issues stemming from the project, along with the extensive negotiation of a long term Ground Lease, leased from a prominent Catholic Church, a long term Sub-Lease to a New York City-funded human services agency, and complex leasehold financing secured by an institutional lender.
• Ongoing representation of various institutional lenders, including Capital One Bank, Wells Fargo, and Valley National Bank. In connection therewith, Sean has handled a large variety of loan types, including a loan in the amount of $120,000,000 that was secured by prominent real estate located at Broad Street in lower Manhattan.
• Ongoing Representation (spanning multiple decades) of The We’Re Group, Long Island’s Largest and Oldest Active Private Developer and Owner of Office Buildings. In connection therewith, Sean has handled office leases and sub-leases covering space at more than 20 different properties with many high profile Tenants such as State Farm, Northrop Grumman, Progressive Insurance, Merrill Lynch, M & T Bank, Signature Bank, Canon, Publishers Clearing House, and ProHealth.
• Ongoing Representation of Stuyvesant Town – Peter Cooper Village, a complex containing a sprawling collection of 110 residential buildings. In connection therewith, Sean has handled extensive retail leasing with many nationally recognized Tenants such as 7-Eleven, Ace Hardware, Starbucks, Radio Shack, and Red Mango.
• Ongoing Representation of 50 Broad Street, a 20-story high-rise building in New York City. In connection therewith, Sean has handled an extensive number of office leases with a variety of Tenants, including both local, national, and international businesses.
• Representation of the Commercial Condominium Unit at 1055 Madison Avenue in New York City in connection therewith, Sean has handled retail leases with some of the highest profile retailers, including Polo Ralph Lauren, Dolce and Gabbana, Ann Taylor, and Joe Fresh.
• Ongoing Representation of a New York City Developer (with experience spanning several decades) in connection with the building located at 88 Schermerhorn Street in Downtown Brooklyn. In connection therewith, Sean has handled the acquisition of the property and the negotiation of the joint venture agreement with a prominent real estate investment firm, along with a variety of development, financing and construction-related components of the project.