Ross F. Moskowitz

Ross F. Moskowitz serves as a strategic advisor to leading real estate development clients with an emphasis on land use, zoning, public-private partnerships, environmental and tax abatement and exemption issues. His practice includes structuring and financing public-private development transactions. He regularly appears before governmental agencies, including the New York City Planning Commission, the Board of Standards and Appeals and the Landmarks Preservation Commission on behalf of private developers, institutional investors, investment management groups and not-for-profit institutions seeking discretionary zoning approval. He advises financial service and media companies and professional service firms regarding their strategic plans for multiple occupancies throughout New York City.

Ross joined the Real Estate Practice Group in 1998 from the New York City Economic Development Corp., where he was executive vice president. There, he was instrumental in structuring many of New York City’s most complicated public-private real estate ventures; recruited companies to New York City; and helped to create the Plug N’ Go program, which drew new media and internet companies to New York, creating Silicon Alley. Ross also served as executive director of the New York City Industrial Development Agency, where he supervised issuance of more than $1 billion in tax-exempt and taxable bonds.

As one of the country’s leading real estate lawyers, Ross has been recognized by Chambers USA, Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers. According to Chambers, “Ross demonstrated mastery of the technical aspects of the matter, strong political acumen and extensive relationships and a connection to us as a client that made it easy to welcome him as part of our family.” Clients continue to reinforce that "Ross is very knowledgeable and understands the bureaucracy and many levels of government." He was named Law360 Real Estate MVP and ranked among Commercial Observer’s Leading Legals: New York’s Most Powerful Real Estate Attorneys.

His pro bono service includes aiding the South Street Seaport Museum in securing funding for its revitalization and helping the Museum of Arts and Design to acquire 2 Columbus Circle in New York, while also defending the deal against four separate lawsuits. He serves on Stroock’s Executive Committee and Chairs the firm’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Council. Ross received Chambers USA’s Diversity and Inclusion “Outstanding Ally” award in 2019, in recognition of his outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, and as an ally for diverse groups. Most recently, he received the John E. Higgins Diversity Trailblazer Award from the NYSBA’s Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in recognition of his exceptional efforts as a member of the legal community “to promote the full and equal participation of diverse people at all levels of the legal profession."

• Development and Construction
• Environmental Law
• Government Affairs
• New York Zoning and Land Use
• Qualified Opportunity Zones
• Real Estate
• Real Estate Litigation

• New York Law Journal, Diversity Initiative Award, 2023
• PoliticsNY, 2023 Power Players in Residential Real Estate
• NYSBA Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, John E. Higgins, Esq., Diversity Trailblazer Award 
• Crain’s New York Business, 2022 Notable Leader in Real Estate
• PoliticsNY, 2022 Real Estate and Development Power Players
• City & State, 2022 Real Estate Power 100
• City & State, 2022 “Fifty Over 50”
• City & State, 2021 “Top 50 NYC Lobbyists”
• Chambers New York, Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use
• Fellow, American College of Real Estate Lawyers
• City & State, 2021 Real Estate Power 100
• Chambers USA Diversity and Inclusion, “Outstanding Ally”
• The Legal 500
• Best Lawyers
• Super Lawyers
• Law360, MVP for 2014
• Commercial Observer, “Power of Attorneys: The Lawyers Who Shape Everything in the World of Real Estate”
• Commercial Observer, “Leading Legals: New York’s Most Powerful Real Estate Attorneys”

• Secretary and Librarian, Land Use/Environmental Committee, American College of Real Estate Lawyers, 2022, 2023
• Chair, Committee on Land Use Planning and Zoning, New York City Bar Association, 2013-2016
  • Member, 2005-2008, 2011-2014
• Vice Chair, Downtown-Lower Manhattan Association, present
  • Board of Directors and Executive Committee, 2005-present
• Executive Committee, Alliance for Downtown New York, present
  • Board of Directors, 2011-present
• Executive Committee, New York Law School, present
  • Board of Trustees, 2009-present
• Member, Advisory Board for Center for Real Estate Studies, New York Law School, 2007-present
• Member, CityLand Advisory Board, 2005-present
• Member, Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, Professional Firms Advisory Council, 2002-present
• Board of Directors, Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation, 2002-2016
• Member, Technical Advisory Committee, “Group of 35” (Schumer Blue-Ribbon Task Force on New York City Commercial Space), 2000-2001
• Board of Governors, Real Estate Board of New York
  • Co-chair, Economic Development Committee, 2008-present;
  • Member, 1999-present
  • Member, Zoning and Design Committee, 1999-2015

• Panelist, “Strategies for Effective Allyship in the Workplace,” Chambers D&I Webinar, November 9, 2021
• Host, “ New York City’s Upcoming Shift in Governance and Opportunities for Economic Development,” Stroock Real Estate Podcast, October 8, 2021
• Moderator, "Navigating the Climate Mobilization Act: Steps to Take Today," Stroock and REBNY, July 8, 2020
• Moderator, “Seismic Shifts or Natural Progression? Recent Changes in NYC Real Estate”, New York University’s School of Law and its Real Estate Institute, New York, September 19, 2019
• Moderator, “Is a New Power Structure in NYC Real Estate and Land Use Coming With the 2019 Charter Revision?”, New York Law School, New York, March 26, 2019
• Speaker, “Impact Investing,” Stroock and KPMG Present the Latest Insights on QOZs and Impact Investing, New York, NY, February 26, 2019
• Moderator, “Housing Challenges and Solutions Across the Income Spectrum”, New York Law School Breakfast Forum, New York, November 30, 2017
• Speaker, “NY Mass Transit’s Present and Future. A Forecast on the Impact to our Region’s Economy”, Stroock Government Leadership Forum, New York, November 16, 2017
• Moderator, “Celebrating 100 Years of NYC Zoning: Setting the Future Agenda for Developers and Policy Markers”, New York Law School Breakfast Forum, New York, November 30, 2016
• Moderator, “Restaurant, Retail and Resiliency in Lower Manhattan”, Stroock Government Leadership Forum, New York, June 7, 2016
• Moderator, “The Future of Affordable Housing in New York City 2016 Update”, New York City Bar, New York, May 5, 2016
• Speaker, “Risks & Rewards: An Analysis of Luxury Residential Properties on Land Leases”, The New York Law Journal, New York, March 2, 2016
• Moderator, “Expanding Chinese Footprint in NYC Real Estate”, New York Law School CRES Breakfast Forum, New York, November 12, 2015
• Moderator, “Development of the Westside of Manhattan”, Stroock Government Leadership Forum, New York, June 3, 2015
• Moderator, “Asian Investing in New York City”, Stroock Government Leadership Forum, New York, March 3, 2015
• Guest Lecturer, “The Do’s & Don'ts Of Zoning Lot Mergers & Development Rights Transfers In New York City” New York City Bar, December 8, 2014
• Guest Lecturer, New York University’s School of Law and its Real Estate Institute
• Guest Lecturer, New York Law School and its Center for Real Estate Studies
• Guest Lecturer, Brooklyn Law School

• Co-author, "Department of Buildings Releases New Rulemaking Package for Local Law 97 (Climate Mobilization Act) and Local Law 88 (Lighting Upgrades and Submetering)," Stroock Client Alert, September 22, 2023
• Co-author, "Legal Considerations, Challenges of Office Conversions to Solve NY's Housing Shortage," New York Law Journal, June 19, 2023
• Co-author, "The Fate of NYC’s Permanent Open Restaurants Program Remains Unknown," Stroock Client Alert, November 1, 2022
• Co-author, "NYC Department of Buildings Releases Proposed Rules for Climate Mobilization Act Compliance – Net Effect of Proposed Rules Is a Positive Development for NYC Building Owners," Stroock Client Alert, October 12, 2022
• Co-author, "NYC Council Approves Modified SoHo/NoHo Rezoning," Stroock Client Alert, December 15, 2021
• Co-author, "NYC Council Subcommittees Approve SoHo/NoHo Rezoning, With Modifications," Stroock Client Alert, December 9, 2021
• Co-author, "New York Blood Center, Gowanus Rezoning Approved," Stroock Client Alert, November 10, 2021
• Co-author, "New York City Department of Finance Adopts Final Rule Expanding CPACE Program," Stroock Client Alert, October 26, 2021
• Co-author, "UPDATE: Hotel Special Permit and SoHo/NoHo Rezoning are Approved by CPC," Stroock Client Alert, October 20, 2021
• Co-author, “SoHo/NoHo Rezoning Application Certified by the City Planning Commission,” Stroock Client Alert, May 17, 2021
• Co-author, "City-Wide Hotel Special Permit Text Amendment Application Update," Stroock Client Alert, May 3, 2021
• Co-author, "DOB Releases Long-Awaited Guidance for Climate Mobilization Act Adjustment Applications," Stroock Client Alert, April 16, 2021
• Co-author, "NYC’s C-PACE Financing Program for Energy Efficiency Retrofits is Going Live," Stroock Client Alert, April 7, 2021
• Co-author, "Comprehensive Long-Term Planning or Top-Down Centralized Planning? The Debate Around Intro 2186," Stroock Client Alert, February 24, 2021
• Co-author, "The Future Of NYC Land Use And Affordable Housing," Law360, February 17, 2021
• Co-author, “2021 NYC Land Use & Zoning Prioritized Actions – Three Have January Milestone Dates,” Stroock Client Alert, January 7, 2021
• Co-author, “NY City Council Passes Expansion of Climate Mobilization Act for Residential Properties,” Stroock Client Alert, October 30, 2020
• Co-author, “What Commercial Landlords Should Know About the NY Damages Mitigation Bill,” Stoock Special Bulletin, July 30, 2020
• Co-Author, "NYC to Restart ULURP: What You Should Know," Stroock Special Bulletin, July 15, 2020
• Co-Author, “5 Key Considerations as Climate Mobilization Act Draws Near," Stroock Special Bulletin, July 1, 2020
• Co-author, “Timeline for Restarting NYC Development and Construction Begins to Take Shape,” Stroock Special Bulletin, May 18, 2020
• Co-Author, "NY Issues Condo and Co-op Plan Guidance Amid COVID-19 Pandemic," Stroock Special Bulletin, March 31, 2020
• Co-Author, "What Cuomo’s ‘on PAUSE’ Order Means for the Real Estate Industry," Stroock Special Bulletin, March 23, 2020
• Co-author, “Land Use and Planning During the State of Emergency: ULURP Freeze,” Stroock Special Bulletin, March 17, 2020
• Co-author, “The NYC Climate Mobilization Act: Examining Relief Provisions,” Stroock Special Bulletin, March 2, 2020
• Co-author, “The NYC Climate Mobilization Act: How to Prepare and What You Need to Know,” Stroock Special Bulletin, January 16, 2020
• Co-author, “NYC Voters Approve Land Use Ballot Measures” Stroock Special Bulletin, November 6, 2019
• Co-author, “Rent Regulation Law Signals New Era for NY Real Estate” Stroock Special Bulletin, June 17, 2019
• Co-author, “Charter Commission Approves Proposals That Could Reshape NYC Land Use and Zoning,” Stroock Special Bulletin, June 13, 2019
• Co-author, “The Charter Commission 2019 Recommendations That Could Reshape NYC Land Use and Zoning,” Stroock Special Bulletin, April 23, 2019
• Co-author, “NY State Increases Transfer, Mansion Taxes for NYC,” Stroock Special Bulletin, April 3, 2019
• Co-author,  “The Charter Proposals That Could Reshape NYC Land Use,” Commercial Observer, January 14, 2019
• Co-author, Mandatory Inclusionary Housing: Future of NY Redevelopment, Law360, March 29, 2016
• Author,  “Inclusionary Housing and Its Takings Law Challenges,” Law360, March 4, 2015
• Co-author,  “Third Church: Southern District Interprets Equal Terms Provision of Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000”, The Real Estate Finance Journal, Spring 2009

Quoted In

• "In Chinatowns across the U.S., tradition and history collide with luxury development," CNBC, May 14, 2023
• "Cities reviving downtowns by converting offices to housing," The Associated Press, April 24, 2023
• “He Turned Wall Street Offices Into Homes. Now He Vows to Remake New York,” Bloomberg, February 6, 2023
• “Stroock Partner Talks Bar Award, Diversity Work As An Ally,” Law360, January 26, 2023
• “How Flushing became a hotbed for development,” The Real Deal, December 29, 2022
• "Why The Next Wave Of Big Stadium Developments Could Be Harder To Pull Off," Bisnow, September 28, 2022
• “How New York plans to use city office space to spur economic activity in various neighborhoods,” New York Business Journal, April 6, 2022
• “What is Midtown’s post-pandemic recovery playbook,” City & State New York, February 14, 2022
• “Looming end of tax break triggers real estate “hunger games”,” Real Deal, January 12, 2022
• “CRE May Not Be in the Infrastructure Bill By Name, But It Is in Spirit,” GlobeSt.com, September 17, 2021
• “Two Trees’ Massive Project Eyes ‘Mad Dash’ to Approval,” The Real Deal, August 27, 2021

New York

U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York

U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York

U.S. Supreme Court

J.D., New York Law School, 1984

B.A., George Washington University, 1981