Hirschen Singer & Epstein

What Hirschen Singer & Epstein does

Hirschen Singer & Epstein LLP (HSE) is a New York City–based boutique real-estate law firm founded in 1978, structured as a Limited Liability Partnership and partner-owned with no external investors. The firm operates with approximately 15–17 attorneys across six integrated practice areas: Affordable Housing & Community Development, Real Estate Financing, Purpose-Built Homeless Shelter Development, Charter & Public School Development, Condominium & Co-Op Law, and Zoning & Land Use. Its core technical capability lies in structuring government-assisted real-estate financing (HPD, HDC, LIHTC, tax-exempt bonds, New Market Tax Credits) and navigating NYC's Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), special permits, variances, and transfers of development rights.

The firm's business model is traditional professional-services billing: hourly or fixed-fee engagements tied to real-estate development transactions, financings, land-use approvals, and ongoing condominium/co-op representation. Go-to-market is sales-led and referral-driven, anchored by the firm's nearly 50-year reputation and relationships with NYC's major for-profit and nonprofit developers (Phipps Houses, BRP Companies, L+M Development Partners, The Hudson Companies, Gotham Organization, Jonathan Rose Companies), institutional financiers (Wells Fargo, Citibank, Bank of America, NYC HDC and HPD), and community organizations. Client concentration is diversified across developer types and all five NYC boroughs, with project-based rather than recurring-SaaS revenue mechanics.

In March 2020 HSE merged with Slater & Beckerman P.C., a premier zoning and land use boutique, materially expanding its land-use bench (including partners Stuart Beckerman and Stefanie Marazzi, and Land Use Counsel Benjamin Stark). The firm has since facilitated hundreds of affordable-housing and community-development transactions and earned repeated industry recognition, including the 2025 AIA Housing Award for Sendero Verde (the world's largest Passive House residential building upon completion), the 2025 CoStar Impact Award, and inclusion of partners Oliver G. Chase and Russell A. Kivler on the 2025 City & State Law Power 100 list. Practice is concentrated in the NYC metropolitan area with no documented geographic expansion signals beyond it.

Name

Hirschen Singer & Epstein

Legal name

Hirschen Singer & Epstein LLP

Website

https://hirschensinger.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hirschen Singer & Epstein LLP is a partner-owned NYC boutique law firm (founded 1978, ~15–17 attorneys) representing for-profit and nonprofit real-estate developers in affordable-housing financing, zoning and land use (including ULURP), condominium/co-op matters, and community-facility development across the NYC metropolitan area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Real Estate Law Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Real Estate & Construction Law (BPAHAAAE)

Keywords

• Real estate law services
• Affordable housing legal counsel
• Zoning and land use
• Real estate financing law
• Community development legal

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Real Estate Transaction Counseling: The firm provides legal representation to developers, property owners, and institutions in real estate transactions including acquisitions, financing, construction, and development of affordable housing, community facilities, and mixed-use projects

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hirschen Singer & Epstein LLP is a New York City real estate law firm that provides legal representation to real estate developers, property owners, lending institutions, and educational institutions. The firm's practice is centered on affordable housing and community development, with additional services spanning real estate financing, zoning and land use, condominium and co-op law, charter and public school facility development, and purpose-built homeless shelter development.

Product overview

Hirschen Singer & Epstein LLP is a New York City real estate law firm founded in 1978 offering legal services as a unified practice focused on affordable housing and community development. The firm provides six integrated practice areas: Affordable Housing & Community Development, Real Estate Financing, Purpose-Built Homeless Shelter Development, Charter & Public School Development, Condominium & Co-Op Law, and Zoning & Land Use. These services work together to facilitate the success of real estate development projects through zealous representation, creative legal structuring, and client partnership. The firm has facilitated hundreds of affordable housing, community impact, and educational institution developments throughout the NYC metropolitan area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Affordable Housing & Community Development Legal Services
• Real Estate Financing Legal Services
• Purpose-Built Homeless Shelter Development Legal Services
• Charter & Public School Development Legal Services
• Condominium & Co-Op Law Services
• Zoning & Land Use Legal Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of affordable housing and community impact developments facilitated since 1978
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• Slater & Beckerman P.C.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 March 2020Effective March 10, 2020, the law practice of Slater & Beckerman P.C. merged into Hirschen Singer & Epstein LLP. Slater & Beckerman was widely recognized as one of the premier zoning and land use firms in NYC, representing developers, property owners, lenders, architects, contractors, and educational institutions. The merger expanded HSE's zoning and land use capabilities.
• Hellenic American Neighborhood Action CommitteesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides on-site social services for senior housing developments
• BisNowminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHSE partners participate in BisNow conferences including the 2024 and 2025 New York Affordable Housing Conference

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Holland & Knight LLP: National law firm with a sizable NYC real estate practice advising developers, owners, lenders, and investors on acquisitions, financing, zoning, and development matters. A larger, multi-jurisdictional incumbent competing in the NYC market.
• Akerman LLP: National law firm with a significant real estate practice including affordable housing, condo/co-op, and zoning capabilities, and an established NYC office. Competes with HSE for NYC real estate development and finance mandates.
• Nixon Peabody LLP: National law firm with a recognized affordable housing and community development finance practice serving for-profit and nonprofit developers on LIHTC, tax-exempt bond, and HUD-financed transactions. Overlaps directly with HSE's affordable housing and financing practice area.
• Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP: National law firm with a notable real estate finance practice including affordable housing and community development work, advising developers, lenders, and public agencies on LIHTC and HUD-related transactions. Competes with HSE for affordable housing finance mandates.
• Fried Frank: Major NYC law firm with one of the city's leading real estate practices serving developers, REITs, lenders, and institutional investors. A larger incumbent competing for the same NYC development and finance mandates as HSE.
• Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP: Full-service NYC law firm with a significant real estate practice advising developers, owners, and investors on acquisitions, financing, zoning, and development matters. Larger and broader in scope than HSE but competes for similar NYC real estate mandates.

Direct peers

• Pryor Cashman LLP: NYC law firm with a recognized real estate practice covering development, zoning, condo/co-op, and finance matters. Comparable to HSE in serving developers and property owners on complex NYC real estate transactions.
• Phillips Nizer LLP: NYC mid-sized law firm with a long-standing real estate and corporate practice serving developers, owners, and lenders on transactions, financing, and zoning matters. Comparable in NYC-centric focus and boutique-to-mid-size service model.
• Belkin Burden Goldman LLP: A boutique New York City real estate law firm with comparable size, client base, and practice mix spanning real estate development, zoning/land use, and affordable housing. Both firms serve NYC developers and institutional owners on complex property matters with a similar partner-led, mid-sized model.
• Carter Ledyard & Milburn LLP: Mid-sized NYC law firm with a substantial real estate practice serving developers, property owners, and financial institutions on transactions, financing, and land use matters. Comparable in scale and NYC real estate market focus to HSE.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hirschen-singer-epstein-llp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Hirschen Singer & Epstein