The participation of Adam Leitman Bailey L95 in Professor Deborah Kenn’s Housing and Finance clinic convinced him of one thing: he was going to work in real estate law and nothing else. ”Adam was an exceptional student, extremely passionate about the work in the clinic, and committed to providing high-quality representation to his clients, “Kenn says, “I remember his interest in real estate law and the clinic’s practice in affordable housing development. But, above all, I remember a devotion to excellence in every endeavor he would undertake as a student attorney.
More than a decade into his career, Bailey is the owner of his own law firm-the 16-attorney, AV-rated real estate law firm Adam Leitman Bailey P.C. He credits Kenn with opening his eyes to the field that he says offers many opportunities to directly affect people’s lives. “She demonstrated the importance of real estate not only as an intellectual adventure, but also necessary to fight poverty in the world. I learned that I could improve people’s lives through real estate, and I have not forgotten that lesson from her clinic, where we put this into practice. Her clinic is where I did my first closing, opened not-for-profit corporations for lower income businesses, and advocated for our pro bono clients’ rights.”
Bailey, named a “Super Lawyer” by Law & Politics magazine, has prevailed in some of New York’s most important real estate cases, including a noteworthy appellate division decision involving an interpretation of the recording statute and an important case that set new rules for commercial real estate joint venture agreements. ”Adam Leitman Bailey has been instrumental in transitioning Edison into the 21st century,” says Steven Rosefsky, a former general counsel of a large developer. “We have never lost a case with Adam. Adam, in particular, and his firm have been involved in an array of complex litigation matters, transactional matters, leasing matters, and in every instance, I am happy to say Adam and his firm have excelled in all areas of the practice of law.”
A commercial lease agreement he drafted a few years ago caught the eye of Bob Blumberg, chief executive officer of BlumbergExclesior, Inc., a leading supplier of online law forms. Bailey and another attorney in his firm, Dov Treiman, were selected to draft new comprehensive lease forms used by almost every landlord in the United States and in more than 70 percent of residential leases signed in this country.
Bailey graduated from New Milford High School in New Jersey and was invited to deliver the commencement address this past spring, where he received the school’s Distinguished Alumni Award. He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Rutgers College before coming to Syracuse. “I was lucky to go to Syracuse; the teachers were really there for us,” he remembers. The support from faculty as well as tight friendships with law school friends made for a wonderful experience, he says. ”And when I started practicing,” he adds, “I saw how prepared I was to be a lawyer.”
Bailey’s goals? “I want to have the best law firm in the United States,” he says. He is also writing a book. The topic of course, real estate: “how to buy a home,” he says, “and how to do it right.”