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Thomas Smith combines business acumen, entrepreneurial drive and legal expertise in his practice representing institutional and individual clients in connection with real estate, business, development and local government matters.

As a founder and current Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Westchester Bank, Mr. Smith helped the bank grow from the 5700th largest bank in the country with $22 million in capital, to the 900th largest bank with $850 million in capital in ten years. Acting as both developer and attorney, Mr. Smith is directly involved in the rejuvenation of downtown Yonkers and spearheaded the redevelopment of SoNo Corporate Center, a major component of the revitalization of South Norwalk, Connecticut.

This diverse experience allows him to provide unique perspective to clients in connection with conveyances, leasing and financing of office, multifamily and retail properties and the formulation and implementation of development plans involving subdivision approvals, zoning changes, site plan approvals and variance applications.

Mr. Smith previously managed properties in prime and emerging markets which were in the process of converting to cooperative and condominium ownership. Since then, he has represented of sponsors of dozens of cooperative, condominium and HOA conversion and new construction offering plans and numerous tenants associations in connection with such plans. Drawing on his hands on experience in every aspect of the creation and management of these organizations, Mr. Smith serves as general counsel to multiple cooperative, condominium and HOA Boards in the five boroughs of New York and Westchester involving luxury properties with international ownership, properties in emerging markets, and affordable housing properties subject to Federal and state regulation.

Mr. Smith works with all types of business structures, including limited liability companies and unincorporated entities, to publicly traded corporations from formation and capital generation stages to implementation of business plans, governance issues and regulatory compliance. Collaborating with other firm attorneys, Mr. Smith handles a broad range of transactions, employment and executive matters, trademark applications and general contract negotiations working with in house counsel and frequently serving as outside general counsel. Mr. Smith provides similar services to not-for profit companies.

Mr. Smith serves regularly on multiple community, professional and not for profit boards including among others, Yonkers Partners in Education, Theaterworks USA, the Mount Kisco Zoning Board and Recreation Commission, the Martin Act Task Force and the Bedford Central School District Construction Steering Committee.

Mr. Smith is also a decent tenor.

  • Represented clients in various debt restructuring matters leading to the preservation and improvement of numerous properties containing thousands of residential units from stand-alone projects to a several-hundred-million-dollar portfolios.
  • Represented an affiliate of an international publicly traded company in the negotiation and documentation of joint venture to create a bio-refinery to convert effluent streams from a manufacturing facility to biofuels and byproducts.
  • Represented a developer in connection with the 130 lot subdivision and development of property in Chappaqua NY and the development of a 82 unit luxury condominium property in Brian Cliff Manor.
  • Represented the developer in the conversion of a multiple building property from Mitchell Lama status to an HDFC and the subdivision of the property to accommodate development of buildings containing 640 addition affordable housing units.

  • Board of the Southern New York Chapter of the Community Associations Institute
  • Attorney General Dennis Vacco’s Martin Act Task Force
  • Founder of the Council of Westchester Co-ops and Condominiums (CWCC)
  • Member of the Bedford Central School District Construction Steering Committee
  • Treasurer on the Board of Yonkers Partners in Education (YPIE)
  • Member of the Mount Kisco Zoning Board of Appeals
  • Member, New York State Bar Association
  • Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Westchester Bank
  • Board of Directors for The Yonkers Partnership in Education

  • SuperLawyer (2008-2018)
  • AV Rating, Martindale-Hubbell

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What’s the value of the advice that you receive compared to the price you are paying? This is a litmus test I use personally and something I tell my clients to ask. I believe in value and have cultivated the expertise and relationships to drive that value in every matter for my clients.