What Herman Katz Cangemi Wilkes & Clyne does

Herman Katz Cangemi Wilkes & Clyne, LLP (HKCWC) is a New York–based law firm organized as a limited liability partnership and operating exclusively in the property tax legal services domain. The firm traces its predecessor to 2005 and adopted its current form following the January 2020 merger of Wilkes Law Group into Herman Katz Cangemi & Clyne. It maintains three offices across New York State — midtown Manhattan (1407 Broadway), Melville on Long Island (538 Broadhollow Rd.), and Westchester County — positioning attorneys in the jurisdictions where the majority of its clients hold real estate. Its services are organized into four practice areas: Real Estate Tax Appeals & Litigation, Eminent Domain & Condemnation, Tax Incentives & Abatements, and Property Tax Advisory. Representative case outcomes range from $1.2 million in pharmaceutical campus refunds to $122 million in assessment reductions on a Bronx mixed-use complex.

The firm serves commercial real estate owners across virtually every asset class — hospitality and resorts, shopping malls, industrial, self-storage, office buildings, multifamily residential, and golf and country clubs — with disclosed clients including Fortune 500 companies, REITs, and large self-storage operators such as Public Storage, Extra Space Storage, and the William Warren Group. The go-to-market is direct enterprise engagement: senior partners originate relationships through decades of accumulated credibility with assessing jurisdictions, industry conferences (IPT, NGCOA, hospitality law events), trade publication authorship (Bloomberg Tax, NYREJ), and professional association leadership. Revenue is generated through quote-based professional services fees on multi-year engagements, with no publicly disclosed pricing or fee schedules.

The firm's competitive position rests on the depth and tenure of its partner bench, proprietary valuation methodologies developed through decades of litigation for specialized property types (golf courses, self-storage, large retail), and regulatory fluency across New York's fragmented assessment systems. It has no disclosed technology platform, AI/ML capabilities, or external institutional ownership. Leadership is held entirely by the named partners, with succession depth supported by recent partner promotions and ongoing associate hiring.

Name

Herman Katz Cangemi Wilkes & Clyne

Legal name

Herman Katz Cangemi Wilkes & Clyne, LLP

Website

https://hermankatz.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Herman Katz Cangemi Wilkes & Clyne is a New York law firm specializing exclusively in property tax law, representing commercial real estate owners across all asset classes in tax certiorari, eminent domain, abatement, and advisory matters throughout New York State.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Property Tax Law

NAICS

Other Activities Related to Real Estate (531390)

akta.pro primary industry

Tax Assessment Appeal & Property Tax Consulting (BPAJAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Real Estate & Construction Law (BPAHAAAE), Eminent Domain / Condemnation & Litigation Support Valuation (BPAJAKAJ)

Keywords

• Property tax appeals
• Tax certiorari litigation
• Eminent domain law
• Real estate tax advisory
• Tax incentive negotiations

Headquarters

HQ city

Manhattan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services for Tax Certiorari: Professional services fees for representing commercial property owners in property tax assessment appeals and litigation. Services include administrative appeals to tax commissions, judicial proceedings, trial representation, and settlement negotiations. The firm handles matters at both administrative and judicial levels throughout New York State.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Herman Katz Cangemi Wilkes & Clyne is a New York State property tax law firm representing commercial real estate owners in assessment appeals, certiorari litigation, eminent domain and condemnation proceedings, tax incentive and abatement negotiations (IDA/PILOT/ICAP), and ongoing property tax advisory. The firm handles matters at both administrative and judicial levels across NYC, Long Island, Westchester, and upstate New York, serving every major asset class including hospitality, retail malls, office, industrial, self-storage, multifamily, and golf properties.

Product overview

Herman Katz Cangemi Wilkes & Clyne is a law firm offering a unified suite of property tax legal services for commercial real estate owners operating in New York State. The firm provides four integrated practice areas: Real Estate Tax Appeals & Litigation, Eminent Domain & Condemnation, Tax Incentives & Abatements, and Property Tax Advisory. The firm serves clients across all major New York jurisdictions including New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County, representing diverse property types including hospitality, retail, office, industrial, self-storage, multifamily residential, and golf courses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Real Estate Tax Appeals & Litigation Legal representation for commercial property owners to challenge and reduce property tax assessments through administrative appeals and judicial proceedings in New York State. Serves owners of hospitality, retail, office, industrial, self-storage, multifamily, and golf properties.
• Eminent Domain & Condemnation Legal counsel for property owners facing government acquisition of real property, ensuring fair compensation under eminent domain proceedings in New York State.
• Tax Incentives & Abatements Assistance with Industrial Development Agency (IDA) agreements, PILOT programs, ICAP benefits, and other property tax incentive programs in New York jurisdictions, including advice on dissolving PILOT agreements and restoring properties to tax rolls.
• Property Tax Advisory Strategic consultation on property tax planning, acquisition due diligence, assessment review, and ongoing portfolio management for commercial real estate owners, including oversight of property portfolios across the United States.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple assessment reductions exceeding 50% achieved for golf courses
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• The Counselors of Real Estate (CRE)minorOthersProfessional membership organization. Partners Jay Herman and Kevin Clyne hold credentials with CRE. Jay Herman conducts membership interviews for prospective candidates. David Wilkes has been a designated Counselor of Real Estate since 2006.
• Institute for Professionals in Taxation (IPT)minorOthersProfessional organization for tax professionals. Multiple HK partners speak at IPT events including Annual Property Tax Symposia and Annual Conferences. Partners serve on conference planning committees.
• Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY)minorOthersNYC's leading real estate trade association. Partner David Wilkes appointed to Economic Development Committee which works with senior city officials on broad-based economic development initiatives.
• Suffolk County Bar AssociationminorOthersBar association where multiple partners serve in leadership. Jacquelyn Mascetti appointed Director. Jay Herman served as Co-Chair of Tax Certiorari and Condemnation Committee.
• Long Island Chapter of Appraisal InstituteminorOthersProfessional appraisal organization. HK partners co-chair joint educational programs and mock tax certiorari trials with this chapter.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ryan, LLC: Ryan is the largest dedicated property tax consulting firm in North America, providing assessment appeal and tax advisory services across the U.S. and Canada. It is a broad incumbent competing with HK on multi-state commercial real estate mandates, especially from REITs and Fortune 500 clients.
• JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle) — Tax Advisory: JLL's valuation and tax advisory services include property tax appeal support for institutional real estate owners. It competes with HK for REIT and large commercial owner engagements as part of a global real estate services platform.
• Bond, Schoeneck & King: Bond, Schoeneck & King is a full-service New York law firm with a recognized property tax certiorari practice. It competes with HK on NY commercial tax appeals as part of a broader legal service portfolio rather than as a pure-play specialist.
• Cushman & Wakefield — Tax Services: Cushman & Wakefield provides property tax consulting and appeal services as part of its global commercial real estate platform. It is a broad incumbent competing with HK for institutional and REIT mandates across asset classes.
• Altus Group: Altus Group is a leading global provider of property tax and appraisal services to commercial real estate owners. It competes with HK for institutional and REIT property tax engagements and offers tech-enabled mass appraisal at scale that HK does not currently match.
• KPMG Property Tax Services: KPMG's Real Estate practice includes property tax compliance and appeal services for large corporate and institutional clients. It is a broad incumbent competing with HK for Fortune 500 property tax mandates as part of a wider advisory portfolio.

Direct peers

• Marvin F. Poer & Company: Marvin F. Poer is one of the largest U.S. property tax consulting firms, providing real estate tax compliance and appeal services nationwide. It competes with HK on commercial property tax mandates, particularly for institutional clients with multi-state portfolios.
• Popp, Gray & Hutchison: Popp Gray & Hutchison is a New York-based law firm specializing in property tax certiorari, eminent domain, and real estate tax appeals. It is the closest direct peer to HK in NY, serving a similar commercial property owner client base with comparable practice areas.

Regional players

• Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis: Greenbaum Rowe is a New Jersey-based full-service law firm with a property tax practice serving commercial property owners. It is comparable to HK as a regional real estate tax firm but is anchored in NJ rather than NY, with limited jurisdictional overlap.
• Phillips Lytle: Phillips Lytle is a Western New York full-service law firm with a real estate and property tax practice. It is a regional comparable for HK's upstate NY work, particularly in Buffalo/Rochester, though smaller and broader in scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HermanKatzLaw1
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@hermankatzlaw
• Facebookfacebook.com/HermanKatzLaw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/herman-katz-cangemi-wilkes-clyne-llp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Herman Katz Cangemi Wilkes & Clyne