Peter J. Irwin

Peter J. Irwin is a corporate partner at Debevoise & Plimpton and Chair of the firm’s Real Estate Group. He is also a member of the Liability Management & Special Situations team. His practice covers real estate acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, financings, restructurings, and related matters in the United States.

Peter earned his J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law in 1996 and his B.S. from Cornell University in 1993. He is admitted to the New York Bar. His education supports work with companies, funds, and investors on clearly structured business matters and legal planning across a range of transactions.

Peter is ranked as a leading lawyer by Chambers USA for 2025. He is also recommended in The Legal 500 US for 2025 and recognized as Highly Regarded in Real Estate by IFLR1000. These honors consistently note his practical advice, commercial judgment, negotiation skills, attention to detail, and technical excellence.

Peter chairs the firm’s Space Committee. In that role, he led negotiations for Debevoise’s 20-year lease to move its global headquarters to The Spiral at 66 Hudson Boulevard in Manhattan’s Hudson Yards district. He handled work related to the design and build-out of the firm’s interior office space and workplace planning.

Peter frequently writes and speaks on industry topics. He authored the “Real Property” chapter of the Health Care Mergers and Acquisitions Answer Book, published by the Practicing Law Institute in 2024. He also contributes to the Debevoise Private Equity Report and MarketCheck, offering guidance on market and transaction issues for clients.

Peter J. Irwin joined Debevoise in 1999 and became a partner in 2004. He is a Fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers. He serves with the Lawyers Committee of Inner-City Scholarship Fund, St. John’s real estate law institute, the New York State Bar Association, and REBNY groups.

Law Office Affiliations

• Partner, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
• Member, New York State Bar Association, Real Property Law Section

Licensed State

• New York

Education

• St. John’s University School of Law
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• Cornell University
  Bachelor of Science (BS)

Awards & Badges