PRACTICE FOCUS

Umar A. Sheikh is an attorney with over fifteen years of practical experience, having received his JD from Brooklyn Law School in 2000. Umar’s practice concentrates on all aspects of real estate law – purchases, sales, financing, development, leasing, evictions, foreclosures, management – and those areas of law that are related to real estate – corporate, tax, asset protection, estate planning, and litigation. Umar regularly represents parties in the purchase, sale and financing of multifamily, mixed-use, commercial and retail properties. He also represents borrowers in CMBS transactions, hard money lenders, and “fix and flip” investors.

In addition, Umar provides outside general counsel services to small and mid-size companies, as well as foreign investors and entities doing business, real estate or otherwise, in the United States.

Umar currently serves on the Board of Directors for Muslims for Peace and has previously served on the Board of Directors for the Asian American Bar Association of New York. He is a member of the American Bar Association and the Asian American Bar Association of New York.

REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCES

• Lead counsel in the representation of a borrower in commercial mortgage backed securities (CMBS) loan transaction in the principal sum of $19.2 million secured by multifamily property located in Lansing, MI. The transaction involved a simultaneous loan defeasance in the principal sum of $10.2 million.
• After a trial court order found opposing party was entitled to pierce the corporate veil of the client’s entity and such order was unanimously upheld by the Appellate Division, successfully argued before the NY Court of Appeals and obtained a reversal of that finding leading to a successful resolution of the dispute.
• Represented borrower in commercial mortgage backed securities (CMBS) transaction in the principal sum of $25.0 million secured by a hotel property in Long Island City, NY.
• Represented Seller in sale of mixed use property in Jersey City, NJ and upon Buyer’s default, retained contract deposit for Seller without litigation.
• Successfully represented landlord of commercial retail space in dispute with tenant over construction issues.
• Represented Purchaser in purchase of shopping center near Pittsburgh, PA.
• Successfully represented minority owners in recovery of funds due from majority partner following sale of building.