Susan E. Golden
Sue has helped government, private, and not-for-profit entities with real estate development, rebuilding, renovations, and other improvements to or investments in real property. She counsels on compliance with zoning, landmarks, historic preservation, environmental review, and permitting requirements; public review and government approval of development proposals, including zoning changes, permits, and variances; negotiation of development, design, and construction contracts; and government grants, charitable funding, and donor agreements.
Sue also handles property acquisitions and conveyances, including deeds, easements, leases, and the transfer of development rights (so-called air rights), and the negotiation of mixed-use condominium structures. She advises on both community and regulatory matters—from public hearings to agency requirements—and translates for clients the fundamentals of the world of acronyms she works in, ULURP, SEQRA/CEQR, LPC, SHPO, BSA, PDC, CCG, PAAA/PARA, NEPA, FOIL, ACRIS, and others. When necessary, she works with litigation counsel to defend project approvals.
Sue has extensive experience representing governmental, quasi-governmental, and nonprofit entities, including New York not-for-profit and education corporations and New York public authorities, in a full range of governance-related matters. She advises on structural and operational matters, including formation, corporate governance, endowments and restricted gifts, collaborations and affiliations, mergers and dissolutions, contract negotiation, grant and donor agreements, and regulatory compliance matters.
Related Practices
Related Industries
- Life Sciences
- Construction
- Nonprofit Organizations
- Research Institutions
- Energy Industry
- Climate Change
- Energy Efficiency and Grid Resilience
- Renewable and Alternative Energy
- Transportation and Transportation Infrastructure
- Education
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
- COVID-19 Task Force
- Real Estate for Nonprofits
Experience
Representative Matters
- Represented the Trust for Governors Island on the recently announced $700 million Climate Exchange, led by Stony Brook University, including a pre-development agreement, funding agreement, and development ground lease for this 400,000 square foot climate research and innovation campus. The trust owns and operates Governors Island pursuant to a master agreement with the City of New York
- Serving as land use, environmental, and real estate counsel for redevelopment of the Mount Sinai Health System hospital and medical school properties throughout New York City, including zoning analysis and master planning, obtaining zoning variances and permits from the Board of Standards and Appeals, CEQR environmental reviews, subdivision of tax lots, purchase and sale and easement transactions, revocable consent approvals, and design and construction contract issues
- Counseling Empire State Development and its subsidiary, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, on land use, environmental, and real estate matters related to the redevelopment and revitalization of the areas of Lower Manhattan affected by the events of September 11, 2001, encompassing the World Trade Center Memorial and Redevelopment Plan, and other projects throughout Lower Manhattan
- Served as land use and environmental counsel for renovation and restoration of the American Museum of Natural History's (AMNH) historic campus, located on New York City park land, including the new Gilder Center for Science, Education and Innovation; also represented the AMNH Planetarium Authority—a state agency—throughout public and government review of the Planetarium and North Side Project; these projects have involved approvals from City Parks and Recreation, the Landmarks Preservation Commission, and the Public Design Commission, as well as City and State Environmental Quality Review (C/SEQR), State historic preservation review, and subsequent litigation
- Advising the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) on the Hudson Tunnel project and the redevelopment of Pennsylvania Station (Penn Station), New York; also represented Amtrak on the development of and relocation to the new Moynihan Station in the former Farley Post Office building; these projects involved the negotiation of development and other stakeholder agreements, the formation of a mixed-use condominium, the acquisition of right of way and real property from the State of New York, the City of New York, Hudson River Park Trust, and private entities, through deed and leasehold acquisitions, easements, and other construction and operating rights
- Counseled on development and construction of a proposed new museum building for the Studio Museum in Harlem on West 125th Street, including real estate transactions, zoning and environmental review and approvals, public and private funding and financing, new market tax credits, and design and construction agreements
- Represented the United States Tennis Association (USTA) in its $600 million expansion and capital improvement project at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center—home of the U.S. Open—in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens, New York, through City Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), City Environmental Quality Review (CEQR), and State alienation legislation
- Advised the Governor's Office of Storm Recovery on procurement, construction, real estate, contracting, grants, and governance matters related to the $3.8 billion in federal disaster relief funding allocated for New York State after Hurricane Irene, Tropical Storm Lee, and Superstorm Sandy
- Represented the Art Students League in a transfer of development rights and the right to cantilever over the League's landmark building, including advice regarding the League's membership approval process, later upheld in litigation
- Represented a life sciences research institute in academic and research collaborations, leasing, governance and board matters, and its eventual acquisition by a major research university
- Counseled clients in creating and participating in a variety of nonprofit park or open space conservancies, including board structure, control issues, governance and conflict matters, and ownership or management of public open space
- Advised nonprofit grant recipients on City and State funding contract requirements, restrictive covenants, and reimbursement issues
Insights
Credentials
Education
- M.P.A. New York University Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service 1993
- J.D. New York University School of Law 1992
- Editor, Review of Law and Social Change
- Managing editor, Environmental Law Journal
- B.A. magna cum laude George Washington University 1988
Bar Admissions
- New York
Professional Memberships and Activities
- New York State Bar Association
- First vice chair, Real Property Law Section
- Member, Executive Committee and Committees on Land Use and Construction, Real Property Law Section
- Member, Committee on Not-for-Profit Entities and Concerns, Real Property Law Section
- Co-chair, 2013 – 2023
- Member, Land Use, Planning and Zoning Committee, New York City Bar Association, 2013 – 2023
- Member, WX, New York Women Executives in Real Estate
- Member, Law Committee, Municipal Art Society of New York
Recognition
- The Best Lawyers in America, 2024 – 2025
- Legal 500
- Real Estate, 2017 – 2018
- Land Use/Zoning, 2016
- Random Farms Kids’ Theatre, Exceptional Community Service for the Arts Award, 2015
- Super Lawyers
- Top Real Estate Women Attorneys, New York Metro, 2013
- Real Estate, New York Metro, 2013
- New York Metro, 2006 – 2007, 2009 – 2012, 2024
Community
Pro Bono
- The Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center
- Random Farms Kids Theater
- Mount Saint Michael Academy