Ness Cohen

Ness Cohen is a highly regarded real estate attorney with a practice focused on complex, high-value real estate transactions. He advises institutional investors, private equity funds, lenders, REITs, and developers on acquisitions, dispositions, financings, and joint ventures. His work spans domestic and cross-border matters and often involves large, multi-asset portfolios. Clients value his strategic approach, commercial insight, and ability to structure sophisticated transactions efficiently.

Cohen earned his B.A. in Economics from New York University. He later earned his J.D., summa cum laude, from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif and the Cardozo Law Review. His academic background in economics and law provides a strong foundation for advising clients on financially complex real estate investments and capital structures.

Cohen’s experience includes representing investors and funds in large-scale acquisitions, recapitalizations, and joint ventures involving retail, office, manufactured housing, and mixed-use properties. He has advised on transactions valued in the hundreds of millions and billions of dollars, including portfolio acquisitions, restructurings, and financings. He also assists clients with the formation of real estate private equity funds and guides those funds through ongoing investment activity.

Ness Cohen is widely recognized for excellence in real estate law and is consistently ranked by leading legal publications. He is known for distilling complex issues into practical solutions and anticipating challenges before they arise. Clients describe him as strategic, business-minded, and precise. His practice reflects a commitment to delivering clear advice, creative structuring, and reliable execution in sophisticated real estate transactions.

Law Office Affiliations

• Office Managing Partner, Clifford Chance
• Member, New York State Bar Association

Licensed State

• New York

Education

• Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• New York University
  Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Awards & Badges