Jonathan L. Mechanic
- Partner
- Real Estate
- New York
- T: +1.212.859.8222
- F: +1.212.859.4000
Biography
Jonathan L. Mechanic is chairman of Fried Frank's Real Estate Department. He first joined the Firm in 1978. He became a partner in 1987, when he rejoined the Firm after having acted for five years as general counsel and a managing director of HRO International Ltd., a real estate development organization responsible for the development of more than 2.5 million square feet of office space in Manhattan.
Click here to view video of remarks made by Larry A. Silverstein, Chairman of Silverstein Properties, Inc., about Mr. Mechanic.
Mr. Mechanic routinely counsels developers, owners, investors, REITs, and lenders in all aspects of commercial real estate transactions, including the acquisition, disposition and development of office, retail, hotel and mixed-use properties; commercial mortgage, mezzanine and construction financing; acquisition and sale of distressed debt; and joint ventures and restructurings. Notably, he represented a Paramount led joint venture in its acquisition of Deutsche Bank's U.S. headquarters at 60 Wall Street and CWCapital Asset Management in its sale of Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village to Blackstone Group and Ivanhoé Cambridge. He also represents landlords and tenants in commercial leasing and ground lease transactions, including his recent representations of 21st Century Fox and News Corp. on their headquarters leases at 1211 Avenue of Americas; Citigroup in its long-term lease of its global headquarters at 388-390 Greenwich Street and the exercise of its option to purchase the building; Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP in the law firm's relocation to 55 Hudson Yards; and Coach in the sale-leaseback of its global headquarters at 10 Hudson Yards.
Mr. Mechanic has taught the real estate transactions course at Harvard Law School for seven of the last nine years. He also lectures regularly for NYU Law School, the Real Estate Board of New York and the Practising Law Institute, and is a co-author of The Commercial Office Lease Handbook published by the American Bar Association.
Click here to view video of remarks made by Larry A. Silverstein, Chairman of Silverstein Properties, Inc., about Mr. Mechanic.
Mr. Mechanic routinely counsels developers, owners, investors, REITs, and lenders in all aspects of commercial real estate transactions, including the acquisition, disposition and development of office, retail, hotel and mixed-use properties; commercial mortgage, mezzanine and construction financing; acquisition and sale of distressed debt; and joint ventures and restructurings. Notably, he represented a Paramount led joint venture in its acquisition of Deutsche Bank's U.S. headquarters at 60 Wall Street and CWCapital Asset Management in its sale of Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village to Blackstone Group and Ivanhoé Cambridge. He also represents landlords and tenants in commercial leasing and ground lease transactions, including his recent representations of 21st Century Fox and News Corp. on their headquarters leases at 1211 Avenue of Americas; Citigroup in its long-term lease of its global headquarters at 388-390 Greenwich Street and the exercise of its option to purchase the building; Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP in the law firm's relocation to 55 Hudson Yards; and Coach in the sale-leaseback of its global headquarters at 10 Hudson Yards.
Mr. Mechanic has taught the real estate transactions course at Harvard Law School for seven of the last nine years. He also lectures regularly for NYU Law School, the Real Estate Board of New York and the Practising Law Institute, and is a co-author of The Commercial Office Lease Handbook published by the American Bar Association.
Honors & Awards
Mr. Mechanic was recently awarded the 2016 Distinguished Alumnus Award from New York University and the 2016 Chambers USA Outstanding Contribution to the Legal Profession Award, which highlighted his work on tens of billions of dollars in property deals and praised his support of the ongoing development of the Real Estate market. For a decade, Mr. Mechanic has been consistently recognized by Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, as a "Star Individual" in real estate. He is consistently included on The Commercial Observer's "Power 100" list of the most powerful people in New York real estate and was the only practicing attorney to make the list in 2016 and 2017. Mr. Mechanic was inducted to the Legal 500 Hall of Fame for Real Estate in 2017. Fried Frank's Real Estate Department is consistently recognized as Law360’s Real Estate Group of the Year and was awarded the Chambers USA Award for Excellence 2009 for Real Estate, an award which honors outstanding lawyers and law firms across the USA.
In March 2011, Mr. Mechanic was named one of the "Most Influential Lawyers" by The National Law Journal. He was also named "MVP Lawyer of the Year" by Law360 in 2011 and 2013. In addition, Real Estate Weekly recognized Mr. Mechanic in its 2008 All Stars edition, which honors real estate industry leaders. In 2007 Mr. Mechanic was named a "Dealmaker of the Year" by The American Lawyer and in 2006 he was the recipient of the Chambers USA Award for Excellence for Best Real Estate Lawyer.
He was also honored with the Kenneth R. Gerrety Humanitarian Award at the Real Estate Board of New York's 112th annual banquet and received the National Jewish Health Humanitarian Award in 2009. In December 2011, Mr. Mechanic was awarded the Judge Joseph M. Proskauer Award by UJA-Federation of New York. In 2013, Mr. Mechanic was honored by Big Brothers Big Sisters and for his work on behalf of the Eldridge Street Synagogue. In 2017, he and his longtime friend and colleague, Stephen Lefkowitz, were awarded the Lewis Rudin Award by Coro New York Leadership Center.
Over the years, Mr. Mechanic has also been honored for his numerous philanthropic activities by UJA, Israel Bonds, the Modell Foundation, ORT, The Association for the Help of Retarded Children, Albert Einstein Medical College, the Police Athletic League, American Friends of the Rabin Medical Center, and The Salvadori Center.
In March 2011, Mr. Mechanic was named one of the "Most Influential Lawyers" by The National Law Journal. He was also named "MVP Lawyer of the Year" by Law360 in 2011 and 2013. In addition, Real Estate Weekly recognized Mr. Mechanic in its 2008 All Stars edition, which honors real estate industry leaders. In 2007 Mr. Mechanic was named a "Dealmaker of the Year" by The American Lawyer and in 2006 he was the recipient of the Chambers USA Award for Excellence for Best Real Estate Lawyer.
He was also honored with the Kenneth R. Gerrety Humanitarian Award at the Real Estate Board of New York's 112th annual banquet and received the National Jewish Health Humanitarian Award in 2009. In December 2011, Mr. Mechanic was awarded the Judge Joseph M. Proskauer Award by UJA-Federation of New York. In 2013, Mr. Mechanic was honored by Big Brothers Big Sisters and for his work on behalf of the Eldridge Street Synagogue. In 2017, he and his longtime friend and colleague, Stephen Lefkowitz, were awarded the Lewis Rudin Award by Coro New York Leadership Center.
Over the years, Mr. Mechanic has also been honored for his numerous philanthropic activities by UJA, Israel Bonds, the Modell Foundation, ORT, The Association for the Help of Retarded Children, Albert Einstein Medical College, the Police Athletic League, American Friends of the Rabin Medical Center, and The Salvadori Center.
Professional Associations
Chairman, Advisory Board, NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate
Advisory Board, NYU Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy
Advisory Board, Columbia University Center for Urban Real Estate (CURE)
Executive Committee, Board of Governors, Real Estate Board of New York
Board Member, New York University School of Law
Board Member, The Eldridge Street Synagogue
Board Member, The Jeffrey Modell Foundation
Board Member, The Realty Foundation of New York
Housing Advisory Board, Robin Hood
Member, American College of Real Estate Lawyers
Member, American Bar Association
Member, Association of the Bar of the City of New York
Member, National Realty Committee
Member, Real Property Law Section, New York State Bar Association
Member, Real Estate Roundtable Member, YMWREA
Advisory Board, NYU Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy
Advisory Board, Columbia University Center for Urban Real Estate (CURE)
Executive Committee, Board of Governors, Real Estate Board of New York
Board Member, New York University School of Law
Board Member, The Eldridge Street Synagogue
Board Member, The Jeffrey Modell Foundation
Board Member, The Realty Foundation of New York
Housing Advisory Board, Robin Hood
Member, American College of Real Estate Lawyers
Member, American Bar Association
Member, Association of the Bar of the City of New York
Member, National Realty Committee
Member, Real Property Law Section, New York State Bar Association
Member, Real Estate Roundtable Member, YMWREA