Fried Frank represented Forest City Ratner Companies in the master closing of the Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn. In addition to Forest City Ratner as developer of the project, the master closing involved the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC), the City of New York, and other parties, helping to move the US$4.9b project to move forward.

Since the project was unveiled six years ago, Fried Frank has represented client Forest City Ratner in numerous aspects of the project: all the transactional work including real estate, financing and bond financing; tax; public approvals; and environmental work.

Corporate partners Arthur S. Kaufman (NY) and Emil Buchman (NY) led the financing team.  Real estate partners Stephen Lefkowitz (NY), Richard G. Leland (NY), Melanie Meyers (NY) and Lee S. Parks (NY); tax partner Brian Kniesly (NY); and real estate special counsel David I. Badain (NY) led the land acquisition, project structuring, project and environmental approvals, and real estate matters teams, including purchase of air space over the Long Island Rail Yard for construction of portions of the project.