Atty. Thomas D. Kearns
Master deal-maker, Tom Kearns navigates the complexities of real estate transactions, structuring, negotiating and closing complicated, high-value deals and co-ownership arrangements. Tom represents owners, operators and developers in the acquisition, financing, development, ground leasing, and sale of significant properties.
Profile Summary
About Thomas D. Kearns at a glance
Thomas D. Kearns is a real estate attorney based in New York, New York, practicing at Olshan Frome Wolosky Llp. Educated at Fordham University (J.D., 1984) and Fordham University (M.B.A., 1979). Recognitions include Best Lawyers in America — Real Estate Law (2026), Best Lawyers in America — Awards: (2026), and Best Lawyers in America — Elected a Fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL), class of 2015 (2026). Serands clients in New York, NY and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About
- Master deal-maker, Tom Kearns navigates the complexities of real estate transactions, structuring, negotiating and closing complicated, high-value deals and co-ownership arrangements
- Tom represents owners, operators and developers in the acquisition, financing, development, ground leasing, and sale of significant properties
- His experience includes office towers, commercial condominiums, industrial, healthcare, retail and mixed-use facilities, film studios, land assemblages, air rights acquisitions, and residential properties
- With exceptional skill and technical know-how, Tom carefully crafts deals, structuring joint ownership arrangements in their many forms, from partnerships, LLCs, and joint ventures to tenants-in-common, REITs, syndications and corporate ownership arrangements
- Clients benefit from his innate understanding of how best to structure their relationships and establish the parameters of their strategic alliances
- Tom is well versed in structuring programmatic ventures across multiple assets
- He also brings deep knowledge of compliance issues and federal and state securities laws, smoothly and efficiently helping clients ensure they meet regulatory requirements
- He has led Olshan’s team in closing some of the most impressive deals in recent years including a client's $600 million property sale to a joint venture in what M&A Advisor later named its “Private Equity Deal of the Year.” Tom is one of Manhattan's leaders in the purchase, turnaround, and sale of office buildings and has handled numerous workouts of ground-leased hotels
- He has vast experience in commercial condominium structuring arrangements and has devised sophisticated condominium agreements, including ones for not-for-profit entities that enable them to claim real estate tax exemptions
- He also represents professional sports figures and other high-net-worth individuals in their residential property transactions in New York
Practice Areas Explained
Thomas D. Kearns's Areas of Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Thomas D. Kearns handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.
Real estate attorneys handle home purchases, sales, commercial transactions, title disputes, and landlord-tenant matters.
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Jurisdictional Context
Why local counsel matters in New York
Practicing law in New York. Legal matters in New York are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in New York are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate New York state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in New York brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this andnue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in New York courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
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