Hilary G. Atzrott Hamburg
Hilary's practice encompasses the full spectrum of real estate services. She conducts zoning review for site acquisitions, drafts development agreements for the construction of projects, and drafts purchase and sale agreements for the acquisition or disposition of commercial properties. She represents landlords and tenants in leasing matters, negotiates easements and license agreements for major infrastructure projects, and creates declarations and by-laws for commercial condominiums.
Hilary is especially well versed in the intricacies of New York City's discretionary land use and zoning approvals processes. She navigates multi-agency zoning approvals for some of the city's largest not-for-profits and works with environmental consultants to create and preserve robust administrative records for City Environmental Quality Review (CEQR) and State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) environmental processes. She regularly appears before city agencies, including the New York City Board of Standards and Appeals, the City Planning Commission (for both Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) and non-ULRUP applications), and the Landmarks Preservation Commission. She works with clients in obtaining approvals from the Public Design Commission and the Department of Transportation. Hilary additionally advises on and drafts agreements to facilitate the transfer of development rights and submits Zoning Resolution Determinations (ZRD1s) to the Department of Buildings.
Hilary has been a member of the New York City Bar Association Land Use Planning and Zoning Committee since 2015, and has served as secretary of the Committee since 2022. She also serves as a member of the Urban Land Institute. On top of her day-to-day responsibilities, Hilary is a co-chair of the New York Women Attorneys at Venable (WAVe) Committee. She also sits on the firm's hiring committee. Outside of Venable, Hilary volunteers with Rising Ground, a youth mentorship program, through the New York Junior League. She previously served as a co-chair of the organization's LIFT (Lead, Inspire, Focus, Thrive) Committee.
Experience
Representative Matters
- Represented one of New York City's largest not-for-profit employers on master planning for its real estate portfolio, including obtaining discretionary land use approvals for construction of a ground-up medical facility and purchasing development rights from an adjacent parcel. Worked with a government relations team to create and execute a community messaging strategy
- Represented clients in the acquisition and disposition of development rights. Matters include the disposition of development rights in Queens subject to federal and local regulatory agreements requiring multiple lender consents and the disposition of development rights from a multifamily residential property in Brooklyn
- Advised a national utility company on site selection, zoning review, and city, state, and federal permitting strategies for substation connections to offshore wind farms
- Advised a life sciences developer on the development of a commercial condominium, including negotiation of two development agreements with governmental and quasi-governmental entities, land purchase agreements, and formation of a condominium
- Undertook a comprehensive review of a landlord's leasing portfolio to determine transferability of costs related to Local Law 97
- Negotiated a lease agreement for a New York City not-for-profit, to be used as a temporary facility after the not-for-profit's disposition of its prior property and acquisition and reconstruction of a new facility. Also advised a not-for-profit on the acquisition and disposition and obtained approvals from the New York State attorney general to facilitate the disposition
- Represented a Manhattan private school in obtaining New York City Planning Commission approvals required to execute a campus revitalization plan
- Served as zoning counsel in arbitration over disputed consent rights between two large developers for the development of their shared zoning lot
- Represented the purchaser in the acquisition of a full-block office campus in Delaware
- Advised a multi-party development team on the rezoning of a full-block site in Brooklyn
- Counseled a major Syracuse, New York stakeholder on an environmental review related to an infrastructure project
Insights
Credentials
Education
- J.D. Environmental Certificate cum laude Pace University School of Law 2014
- Senior associate (2013) and junior associate (2012), Pace Environmental Law Review
- B.S. Finance and Marketing Saint Joseph's University 2011
Bar Admissions
- New York
Professional Memberships and Activities
- Co-chair, Land Use and Environmental Law Committee, Real Property Law Section, New York State Bar Association
- Secretary, New York City Bar Association Land Use Planning and Zoning Committee
Recognition
- The Best Lawyers in America, Ones to Watch, 2021 – 2025
- Super Lawyers, Rising Star, New York Metro, 2018 – 2023
- New York Law Journal, Rising Star, 2023
Community
Volunteerism
- Volunteer, Rising Ground
- Former co-chair, LIFT (Lead, Inspire, Focus, Thrive) Committee, New York Junior League