Zach Bernstein provides practical solutions for clients involved in real estate development and land use matters. Private developers, not-for-profits, religious organizations, and other clients seek Zach’s advice with regard to the purchase and sale of development rights, analysis of development potential, and applications with governmental agencies including the New York City Planning Commission, the Board of Standards and Appeals, the Department of Buildings, and the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Chambers and Partners recognizes Zach’s capabilities in Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use (New York), commending his ability to give “very practical advice” and noting that he is “incredibly well connected and knowledgeable.” Zach also has been recognized by Legal 500  as a Leading Lawyer in the Real Estate Land Use and Zoning category and was selected by Crain’s New York Business for its annual “40 Under 40” list of the most accomplished New York City-based business professionals under age 40. Zach received his JD from Fordham University School of Law in 2005 and his BS from Cornell University in 2001. He is admitted to practice in New York.

Chris is Co-Founding Principal of Fogarty Finger. He oversees the concept and design development of all architecture projects in the office. After studying architecture at University College’s Bartlett in London, he received his Masters in Architecture from University of Edinburgh. Prior to founding Fogarty Finger in 2003, Chris was a Senior Designer at Skidmore Owings and Merrill Architects (SOM) in the London, Washington D.C. and New York Offices, playing a significant role in national and international competitions and completing many award-winning office and mixed-use buildings. Chris’ current and recently completed projects include The Dime in Williamsburg, Brooklyn: a 23-story, 345,000 SF tower merging commercial, retail and multifamily residential units adjoining the existing Dime Bank; 141 Willoughby in Downtown Brooklyn: a 24-story, 400,000 SF commercial building; five new buildings totaling over 1 million SF in Gowanus, Brooklyn; and Astoria West in Astoria, Queens: a three-building complex encompassing 508,000 SF. His ability to work across many building types is underpinned by the intellectual rigor with which every project is approached. Each design is seamlessly integrated into contexts with meticulous thought to the surrounding space and visual importance.

Luis Hernandez has nearly 20 years of experience working at the intersection of advocacy, policy, and communications on behalf of political campaigns, nonprofits, startups, and fortune 500 companies. Currently, Luis is the Director of Advocacy and Planning at Con Edison where he leads policy and communication initiatives with a focus on advancing New York State Climate Laws and maintaining a safe and reliable energy system. Luis has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Dayton and a Master of Urban Planning from New York University. Luis is on the advisory board of NYU Rudin Center for Transportation and is a class parent at his local Brooklyn Public School where he lives with his wife and son.

Jee Mee Kim is a City Executive for Arcadis — a global design and engineering firm that works with public and private sector clients to develop sustainable solutions that improve quality of life. As City Executive for the New York metro area, Jee Mee leads the firm’s operations and client relationships in the region, pursues new business development opportunities and partnerships, and shapes strategic growth initiatives. In addition, as part of the Mace-Parsons-Arcadis (MPA) Delivery Partner team, Jee Mee supports government affairs and community outreach for the Gateway Development Commission. Jee Mee brings 20 years of experience in managing complex urban development and transportation projects across the United States. Prior to joining Arcadis, Jee Mee was appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio to serve as the Chief Strategy Officer for the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) where she oversaw the Policy, Intergovernmental Affairs, Press/Communications, and Safety Education teams. During her tenure at the NYCDOT, she advanced Mayor de Blasio’s 2021 transportation commitments, developed a strategic plan for the BQE triple cantilever, and helped author Delivering Green, a progressive vision for freight movement in the city. She is a recognized thought leader and practitioner on urban transportation and mobility issues, real estate and economic development, transit-oriented development, and infrastructure funding and financing. Before joining NYCDOT, Jee Mee led a range of complex transportation, land use, real estate, and community planning projects at consulting firms HR&A Advisors and Sam Schwartz Engineering. She has also served as an assistant adjunct professor at NYU’s Wagner School, teaching Transportation Planning. She serves on the Board of the Regional Plan Association, acting as co-chair of the New York committee. Jee Mee also serves on the Board of the Kent Memorial Library based in Kent, CT. Jee Mee has a BFA from Parsons School of Design and a BA in American Studies from Eugene Lang College, the New School. She has a Masters of Urban Planning from NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service.

For more than a decade, Varun has contributed to major architecture firms as well as his own studio in New York, integrating environmental analytics and sustainable design ranging from urban scale resiliency and decarbonization to major commercial, education, aviation, and mixed-use development projects, both domestically and internationally. Passionate about ecology within the built environment, Varun challenges architects to move closer to net-zero. As the Director of Sustainability at Corgan, Varun provides leadership for high-performance projects and strives to maximize environmental sustainability and social equity while addressing climate change adaptation and resiliency at the building and urban scale. With a focus on integrating environmental sensitivities in design, Varun has collaborated with Yale Center for Ecosystems + Architecture (CEA) researchers on novel pedagogical models for environmental design and has taught courses at Harvard GSD and RPI (CASE). He is a frequent critic at Princeton School of Architecture and U-Penn Design, contributes to books and peer-reviewed journals, and speaks at many conferences and forums, and affiliated organizations. He recently authored a chapter in Energy Modeling in Architecture; A practice guide, published by RIBA and currently serves on the board of Pokhrama Foundation, working to build a net-zero school to provide K-12 education in a remote region of northern India.

Alison is a real estate development executive with a focus on sustainable and equitable development. She is co-founder of Upside Collaboration Company, a new community shared ownership model and digital platform in commercial real estate, and CEO of Humane Works, a platform advancing innovation in real estate. Prior to founding these companies, she was head of Sidewalk Labs’ urban development group which provided advisory services to clients across the United States. She joined Sidewalk Labs after nearly 15 years with The Hudson Companies Inc, where she served as principal, co-founded and was chair of a WBE construction company and worked closely with the affiliated property management business. As Hudson principal, Alison was fluent in all aspects of the firm and its development of over 4,500 housing units for New York City residents in all five boroughs. She also managed investor relations with Hudson’s institutional and family office investors. Today, Alison serves as a board director for the Urban Design Forum, and the Osborne Association and as a Trustee for the Citizens’ Budget Commission, as well as advisor to several private real estate firms.

May Yu is the Program Director of the Mission Real Estate Development initiative at Trinity Church NYC Philanthropies, where she manages Trinity’s grantmaking, real estate advisory, and impact investing to empower mission partners in NYC and around the world to leverage their real estate assets for social impact. May has led public-private real estate and economic development initiatives at the NYC Economic Development Corporation, NYC Department of Small Business Services, and the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Chicago and a Master of Urban Planning from Columbia University. May is a proud immigrant and former Angeleno, who now calls Brooklyn, NY her home.