Julia E. Sanabria, '05: Honored as One of Law360's Rising Stars in the Category of Real Estate

Rising Star: Kasowitz Benson's Julia Sanabria

August 23, 2018 Law360

Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP partner Julia Sanabria is helping guide all retail leasing for the landlord at the shopping center in Hudson Yards — the largest private real estate development project in the U.S. — making her one of five real estate attorneys under 40 honored by Law360 as Rising Stars.

Her biggest deal of the year:
Sanabria’s involvement with the shopping center at Hudson Yards, alongside Kasowitz partner Wally Schwartz, with whom she splits the work, stands out this year. In addition to being the biggest private development project in U.S. history, Hudson Yards stands to be the largest development in New York City since the construction of Rockefeller Center, according to the project’s website.

With the opening of consumer retail space beginning on March 14, 2019, Sanabria’s been busy drafting co-tenancy provisions as well as mapping and charting the space for the grand unveiling next year. More than 100 retailers have committed to the project, including Neiman Marcus, Banana Republic and Cartier, according to its website.

“Wally Schwartz and I are representing the landlord on all of the retail leasing for the shopping center at Hudson Yards, which has been going on for about four years,” Sanabria said. “But within the last year, we have seen a tremendous amount of leasing as we move towards the grand opening."

Beyond the work involved in the project, Sanabria said that the experience of being part of such a significant real estate development project in New York City history was deeply fulfilling.

"It was rewarding to work with the team at the landlord to see how a project of this magnitude comes together and to really feel like our group at Kasowitz is part of the landlord team," Sanabria said. "I really feel like our team adds value to their project on a day-to-day basis. Also, I think Hudson Yards is going to have a significant impact on the city and have found it very rewarding to contribute to something that will change an entire neighborhood so drastically."

Sanabria traced her interest in real estate law back to her time at the University of Chicago Law School and then working on leasing as an associate at Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP.