Each year, the Real Property Law Section has honored an outstanding individual real estate practitioner with its Professionalism Award. The Section’s Award Committee will be seeking nominations for the 2026 award, to be presented at the Section’s Annual Meeting in January.
Some of the criteria which are used to identify an individual are as follows:
- The nominee possesses in her/his practice a continuing civility and appreciation for others.
- The individual possess an outstanding level of competence legal ability and achievement.
- The nominee has in her/his practice made a strong contribution to the development of the practice of law, the improvement of the practice of law, particularly in the field of education frequent lectures in CLE programs writings publications.
- The nominee over the years has engaged in mentoring of younger attorneys.
- The nominee has involved herself/himself in Bar activities, both on the local level and the State level, holding positions as an officer or chairing committees, etc.
- The nominee has been a voice on legal issues.
- The nominee has throughout his/her career maintained the highest ethical standards.
Multiple nominations for the same individual are welcome, as are endorsements by local county bar associations.
Completed nomination form and supporting materials should be sent to:
Thomas J. Hall, Esq., Partner
The Law Firm of Hall & Hall, LLP
2555 Richmond Avenue, Suite 230
Staten Island, New York 10314
Email: HallT@HallandHalllaw.com
Nominations are due by November 16, 2026
2026 AWARD WINNER
Mindy H. Stern, Esq.
Mindy H. Stern, a partner of the firm, concentrates in real estate, estate planning and estate administration. Her real estate practice includes sales, acquisitions, leasing and financing on behalf of for profit and non-profit entities, public companies, and individuals.
Her trusts and estate practice includes counseling clients on all aspects of estate planning to achieve their family wealth transfer, asset protection, philanthropic and other goals and integrating that planning with their changes in marital status and life partner relationships, as well as representing fiduciaries and beneficiaries in the administration of trusts and estates.
Ms. Stern is a former Chair of the Real Property Law Section of the New York State Bar Association, the 2026 recipient of its Professionalism Award, and a member of the Section’s Executive Committee. Ms. Stern Co-Chairs the Section’s Memorial Scholarship Fund Committee, is a member of the Executive Committee’s former Task Force regarding attorney escrow accounts, and is a member (and former Co-Chair) of the Section’s committee on Not For Profit Entities and Concerns.
Ms. Stern is a former member of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York’s delegation to the House of Delegates of the New York State Bar Association, and she is a past Chair of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York’s Committee on Real Property Law, as well as a former Secretary of the Association’s Committee on Cooperatives and Condominiums.
Ms. Stern was an Adjunct Professor at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law from 2007 through 2014, where she taught a Real Estate Contract Drafting course. She has lectured for the New York State Bar Association, Practicing Law Institute, the Real Estate Institute of New York University, and the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and authored numerous articles on a variety of real estate related topics.
Ms. Stern is a member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, has been voted by her peers to be a New York Metro Super Lawyer since 2008 (and in 2015 was named by Super Lawyers to be one of the top 100 attorneys in the New York City Metro area, and between 2015 and 2017 was named one of the top 50 women attorneys in the New York City Metro area), and was named one of Real Estate Weekly’s 100 Women Real Estate Leaders for the 21st Century.
Ms. Stern chairs the Board of Trustees of The Playwrights Realm, a nonprofit Off-Broadway theater company founded in 2007 devoted to supporting early-career playwrights by giving them the creative, financial and professional assistance they need to launch their careers including public reading festivals. The Realm presents off-Broadway productions and readings of its playwrights’ works every year, which often receive rave reviews from the New York Times and other critics.
In 2022, Ms. Stern was elected as a Fellow of The New York Bar Foundation, the charitable and philanthropic entity of The New York State Bar Association. The Foundation provides grants to financially support law-related programs of bar associations and legal service, non-profit and other organizations throughout New York State focused on serving the public, improving the administration of justice, legal research and education, and promoting high standards of professional ethics. Fellows of the Foundation are distinguished members of the bench and bar recognized for outstanding professional achievement, dedication to the legal profession, and commitment to the Rule of Law.
Ms. Stern received her law degree from Rutgers Law School and her undergraduate degree from Lafayette College.
2025 AWARD WINNER
Ariel Weinstock, Esq.
Katsky Korins LLP
Ariel Weinstock, passed away unexpectedly in August 2024, following a 14 month battle to recover from a traumatic brain injury he suffered in Cooperstown, NY while attending the State Bar’s House of Delegates meeting as a representative of the Real Property Law Section.
He was a partner in the real estate department at Katsky Korins LLP in New York City. Ariel joined the firm upon graduating from Brooklyn Law School in 2007 and quickly rose to partnership in 2014. His vast knowledge of real estate and construction matters enabled him successfully guide clients and fellow lawyers through the most complex transactions, including purchases and sales, financing, development, property management and access agreements, leases, organizational planning and structuring, tax deferred exchanges, tenancy-in-common arrangements, air rights transactions, and joint ventures. Ariel was a trusted advisor to local and national clients on a broad array of design and construction matters including RFP’s, construction management and alteration projects, mechanics’ liens and surety bonds.
Within the legal community, Ariel served as an Officer of the Executive Committee of the Real Property Law Section of the New York State Bar Association, Co-Chair of the Student Affairs Committee, Secretary of the NYSBA RPLS Construction Law Committee, a Director on the New York County Lawyers Association’s Board of Directors, a member of NYCLA’s Task Force on the Future, Co-chair of both the NYCLA Board’s Building Committee, and the NYCLA Construction Law Committee. Ariel was a Fellow of the prestigious Construction Lawyers Society of America, and was recognized by his peers as a Rising Star and most recently as a Super Lawyer for his outstanding work and commitment to fellow lawyers and the legal profession. Ariel was a frequent lecturer for NYSBA and other organizations at CLE and other educational programs, and authored many often quoted publications. He was a founder and Managing Editor emeritus of NYCLA’s Construction Law Journal. Ariel’s partner, Neil Miller, wrote: “I have so many stories about Ariel; all involve him giving of himself for others. He always thought of himself last. This is an immeasurable loss. Ariel was one of the best people I have had the privilege of knowing.”
NYSBA President, Dominick Napolitano, remarked at a House of Delegates meeting “that attorneys like Ariel Weinstock are recognized by their peers for their outstanding work and commitment to the spirit of the legal profession. Their knowledge of the law, professional work ethic, and advocacy on behalf of their clients allow them to stand out among other attorneys in the field.”
2024 AWARD WINNER
Marvin N. Bagwell, Esq.
Old Republic National Title Insurance Company
I was born, raised and attended the public schools in Accomack County on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. As a senior in high school, I almost won a National Merit Scholarship but “almost” attracted the attention of a Harvard Law alum based in Norfolk who invited me to lunch. That invitation led to a scholarship offer to attend Harvard. I did well at Harvard and graduated with an AB degree magna cum laude in American Government which led to being accepted to Harvard Law School. I worked my way through Law School as a proctor in the Yard (“resident adviser” everywhere else) and as a teaching fellow in American Government. At Law School, I developed an interest in public finance law. My classmates, Michael Evans Mark Neilsen and I co-wrote an article on public bond financing of private projects that was published by the Harvard Journal on Legislation and that well received in financing circles. That led to job offers by bond firms first in Richmond, Virginia and then in New York City.
Unfortunately, the Reagan Administration caught on to the loss of revenue to the government as well as certain unseemly practices in the south, ended the favorable tax treatment of IDA financing. Give me enough time and drinks, I will bore you with my experience of having a developer in Louisiana pulled a gun on me at a closing and threatened to shoot me if I did not sign the tax-exempt opinion letter. Finding myself out of a job and looking for work, I saw an ad in the New York Law Journal by a title insurance company looking for title claims counsels. I applied, got the job and became a title claims attorney. As the result of a later corporate shake-up, I was booted out of the claims department and was offered the opportunity to become a title underwriter instead.
I quickly figured out that I knew next to nothing regarding real property law in New York and set about learning. To that end, I discovered that the way my mind worked I had to research the law and then write about my findings so as to commit my thoughts to memory. As so, my writing career began. At last count, various publications have published 70 or so articles that I written. And the more I wrote, the more I learned, the more I became involved in the industry. I have had the honor of serving as President of both the New York State Land Title Association (2001-2002) and of the Title Insurance Rate Service Association (2013-2014). I was recently elected by my New York State peers as a Fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL).
2023 AWARD WINNER
Nancy A. Connery
Nancy Connery’s area of concentration is real estate law. She has a general real estate practice and has represented individuals, public and private companies, utilities, not-for-profit entities, government entities and public benefit corporations in a variety of real estate matters, including:
Leasing and Other Space Transactions: Ms.Connery has negotiated, among other things, office, loft, retail, and industrial space leases, garage leases, ground leases, easements, licenses, access agreements, tenancy-in-common agreements, and tenant buyouts. In 2020, she closed on the ground lease of an office/garage building in Harlem that included an office condominium unit, a not-for-profit unit, a retail unit and a retail unit.
Purchases and Sales: As part of her commercial practice Ms.Connery also has represented clients in the purchase and sale of office buildings, loft buildings, industrial buildings, and other commercial space; and overseen the real estate aspects of government-granted economic benefits. Ms.Connery also represents her private and corporate clients in the purchase and sale of residential real-estate, including cooperative apartments, condominiums, and houses. Transactions have included a sale of development rights coupled with grant of an easement for a roof deck and related access agreements, the conveyance of school buildings, and sale of a retail building.
2022 AWARD WINNER
Dennis H. Greenstein
Partner, Seyfarth Shaw LLP.
Dennis focuses his practice on cooperative and condominium law and provides counsel to approximately 125 cooperatives and condominium buildings located in New York City.
Prior to starting his practice, Dennis served as a New York State Assistant Attorney General in the Real Estate Financing Bureau, Cooperative and Condominium Section.
Dennis is currently on the Executive Committee of the Real Property Law Section of the New York State Bar Association and served as the co-chair of the Committee on Condominiums and Cooperatives of the section from 2006-2016. He previously served as a member of the New York State Bar Association’s liaison committee with the Department of Law (Attorney General’s Office) on co-op and condo conversions. He is a frequent contributor to, and often quoted in, publications such as The New York Times, addressing issues relating to cooperative and condominium law. In addition, Dennis has written articles for or lectured and conducted seminars and workshops on the subject of cooperatives and condominiums at the Real Estate Board of New York, CNYC, The Cooperator, HABITAT Magazine, New York University’s Continuing Education Program and the office of the Attorney General.
2021 AWARD WINNER
Leon T. Sawyko
Harris Beach PLLC
A lifelong resident of Rochester, Leon graduated from St. John Fisher College and Columbia University School of Law. Upon graduation he joined the firm of Harris Beach & Wilcox (now Harris Beach PLLC) where he spent his entire legal career. In 2014 Leon retired but remains Counsel to the firm.
Leon’s practice involved all aspects of purchase, sale and financing of real property. In addition, he had extensive experience in condominium and homeowner association filings. He represented real estate developers in all areas, including acquisitions, financing, development, leasing, zoning and planning and subdivision development. He also represented various not-for-profit and business corporations in County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency and Housing Finance Agency bond financing.
Leon has been an active member of both his local and State Bar Associations throughout his career. He served as a member and chairman of the Monroe County Bar Real Estate Council and was a longtime member and chairman of that Bar Association’s Professional Performance Committee. He also served as a member of its Board of Trustees.
On the state level he has been on the Executive Committee of the Real Property Law Section for over 25 years. While on the committee, he has chaired the Section’s Development, Financing and Not-for-Profit committees. He currently is co-chair of the Legislation Committee. From June 2014 through May 2015 he served as chair of the Section.
Since April 2017 he has been a member of the Attorney Grievance Committee for the Appellate Division, Fourth Department, Seventh District.
Over the years he has served on the boards of various not-for-profits, including DePaul Group, The Catholic Courier, Nazareth Schools, and the Northwest Branch of the YMCA of Greater Rochester. In addition he served on the Alumni Board at St. John Fisher College, including as its chair. He also served on the college’s Board of Trustees from 1982 through 1987.
He continues to serve on the Boards of Seneca Waterways Council, Boy Scouts of America and on the Health Care Services Board of the Rochester Regional Health System. In addition, Leon serves as co-chair of the Rochester Regional Health Foundation.
Leon and Anne, his wife of 53 years, have been blessed with five children and eleven grandchildren.
Leon says, “I enjoyed actively practicing law for 45 years; it enabled me to raise a great family and, perhaps, do some good for my fellow lawyers and the community.”
PAST RECIPIENTS OF THE PROFESSIONALISM AWARD
2000 – Eugene Morris
2001 – James M. Pedowitz
2003 – Bernard Rifkin
2004 – John E. Blyth
2005 – Harold A. Lubell
2006 – John Hall
2007 – Prof. Robert Zinman
2008 – Mel Mitzner
2009 – Lorraine Power Tharp (posthumous)
2010 – Bill Colavito
2011 – Joshua Stein
2012 – Karl Holtzschue
2013 – no award presented
2014 – Michael J. Berey
2015 – Peter V. Coffey
2016 – Andrew L. Herz
2017 – Anne Reynolds Copps
2018 – Richard S. Fries
2019 – Francis X. Carroll
2020 – Carol A. Sigmond
2021 – Leon T. Sawyko
2022 – Dennis H. Greenstein
2023 – Nancy A. Connery