Adam Leitman Bailey

Bailey was born in Bayside, Queens. He moved to California at age five and later moved back to New Milford, New Jersey, where he graduated from New Milford High School.{{cite web|title=New Milford Distinguished Alumni|url=http://www.newmilfordschools.org/nmhs/distinguished/adam_bio.html|accessdate=July 19, 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928142008/http://www.newmilfordschools.org/nmhs/distinguished/adam_bio.html|archivedate=September 28, 2011|df=mdy-all}} He graduated with honors from Rutgers University and Syracuse University College of Law.{{cite news |title=Alumni Career Spotlight Archive |url=https://www.alblawfirm.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Adam-Leitman-Bailey_Syracuse_Honors-and-Awards.pdf |access-date=26 May 2023 |work=Syracuse Law |date=December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220526115937/https://www.alblawfirm.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Adam-Leitman-Bailey_Syracuse_Honors-and-Awards.pdf |archive-date=May 26, 2022 |url-status=bot: unknown }}

During his time at Syracuse Law, he was elected to the Moot Court team. Bailey studied under respected lawyers Travis Lewin and Deborah Kenn. Adam Leitman Bailey received New Milford High School’s Distinguished Alumni Award.{{Cite web |last=digitalhelp |date=2008-10-12 |title=Adam L. Bailey L'95 |url=https://law.syracuse.edu/news/adam-l-bailey-l95%EF%BF%BC/ |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=College of Law |language=en-US}}

Bailey has been described as a controversial figure in NYC real estate.{{cite news |last=Taylor |first=Candace |date=June 1, 2010 |title=Public Enemy No. 1 for Developers |url=http://therealdeal.com/issues_articles/public-enemy-no-1-for-developers/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120821121259/https://therealdeal.com/issues_articles/public-enemy-no-1-for-developers/ |archive-date=2012-08-21 |accessdate=2023-05-27 |newspaper=The Real Deal}}{{Cite web |last=Geiger |first=Daniel |date=February 21, 2012 |title=The brouhaha behind the Ground Zero mosque introduced Adam Leitman Bailey to the world. So what's next for real estate's most public attorney? |url=http://observer.com/2012/02/the-brouhaha-behind-the-ground-zero-mosque-introduced-adam-leitman-bailey-to-the-world-so-whats-next-for-real-estates-most-public-attorney/ |access-date=2023-05-27 |website=The New York Observer}}

In 2006, Adam Leitman Bailey represented an 83-year-old Holocaust survivor, Chaim Indig in a homeowner discrimination case. Indig and his son-in-law were rejected by his cooperative board in Brooklyn New York when attempting to buy his apartment - the president of said board then purchased the apartment for himself. Suing based on discrimination, given the fact that Mr. Indig was immobile and unable to speak due to Parkinson’s disease, Bailey prevailed on all claims and Mr. Indig was able to move into his new home.{{Cite web |title=Understanding the Co-op Admission Process - Running the Gauntlet |url=https://cooperatornews.com/article/running-the-gauntlet |access-date=2024-10-06 |website=cooperatornews.com |language=en-US}}   

In 2008, Bailey formed a non-profit entity known as "Save Harlem" to challenge certain zoning changes being proposed by the City of New York, and to serve as lead plaintiff in a challenge to the proposed demolition of a two-story building at 125th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard, and the development of the site as a shopping center.{{cite news|title=Should All of 125th Street Be Declared Historic?|url=http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/21/should-all-of-125th-street-be-declared-historic/|accessdate=July 19, 2011|newspaper=The New York Times|date=February 21, 2008| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20110624101300/http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/21/should-all-of-125th-street-be-declared-historic/| archivedate= June 24, 2011 | url-status= live}}{{cite web |author=Maria Luisa Tucker |date=December 4, 2007 |title=Zoned Out |url=http://www.villagevoice.com/2007-12-04/news/zoned-out/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141031014209/http://www.villagevoice.com/2007-12-04/news/zoned-out/ |archive-date=2014-10-31 |accessdate=2023-05-27 |publisher=Village Voice}} Bailey proposed legislation that would prevent the demolition. Early in 2008, Save Harlem, along with several building tenants (forming a group known as the Coalition to Save Harlem) sued, eventually settling for more than $1 million and gaining the right of the tenants to remain in the building.{{cite news|last=Elkies|first=Laurie|title=Harlem Businesses Settle Suit Against Kimco|url=http://www.ny.therealdeal.net/newyork/articles/harlem-businesses-settle-suit-against-kimco|accessdate=July 19, 2011|newspaper=The Real Deal|date=July 3, 2008}}{{Dead link|date=December 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

Park51 was a planned Muslim community center located near the site of the World Trade Center. Timothy Brown, a former firefighter, sued to prevent construction of the community center so close to the site of the September 11 attacks.{{cite news|last=Moynihan|first=Colin|title=Fight on Islamic Center Flares Anew as Ex-Firefighter Take His Case to Court|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/16/nyregion/16mosque.html|accessdate=July 19, 2011|newspaper=The New York Times|date=March 15, 2011}} Bailey represented the community center on a pro bono basis, and in July 2011 the New York Supreme Court held that Park51 would be permitted to build its proposed center.

Trump SoHo New York{{citation | last=Kaysen | first=Ronda | title=Trump fires up new plan for Hudson Square hotel | newspaper=The Villager | date=June 6, 2006 | url=http://www.thevillager.com/villager_162/trumpfiresupnew.html | access-date=June 12, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324124258/http://www.thevillager.com/villager_162/trumpfiresupnew.html | archive-date=March 24, 2012 | url-status=dead }} is a $450 million hotel condominium. In February 2011, several prospective buyers of condominiums in the building, including French soccer star Olivier Dacourt, sued the developers in federal court, claiming that they had been tricked into buying the condos by the "deceptive" sales figures, and that the number of apartments sold at Trump Soho had been "fraudulently misrepresented." The plaintiffs were represented by Bailey. The suit was settled with plaintiffs recovering 90 per cent of their deposits.{{citation |author=Cuozzo |first=Steve |title=Occupy Spring St.: Trump SoHo to give 90% refunds on deposits |date=November 3, 2011 |url=http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/occupy_spring_st_QBwJApDlaKgyrYi8CNiLxH#ixzz1xWxqSz3t |newspaper=New York Post |author-link=Steve Cuozzo}}{{Cite news |last=McIntire |first=Mike |date=2016-04-06 |title=Donald Trump Settled a Real Estate Lawsuit, and a Criminal Case Was Closed |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/06/us/politics/donald-trump-soho-settlement.html |access-date=2023-11-30 |issn=0362-4331}} Several years later, the case was described as "a watershed case in the world of condo litigation ... [C]ondo attorneys said that developers are now far more reluctant to disclose sales information to buyers’ attorneys, for fear of legal repercussions if they turn out to be wrong.”{{cite web |last1=Parker |first1=Will |last2=Samtani |first2=Hiten |date=October 4, 2017 |title="I don't think I'd ever received a letter like it": Read the Trump Soho memo that tripped up a criminal investigation |url=https://therealdeal.com/2017/10/04/i-dont-think-ive-ever-received-a-letter-like-it-read-the-trump-soho-memo-written-to-cy-vance-that-tripped-up-a-criminal-investigation/ |access-date=2023-05-20 |website=The Real Deal}}

Following the 2007–2008 financial crisis, Bailey used the Interstate Land Sales Full Disclosure Act of 1968 to relieve purchasers of Sky View Parc, a $1 billion condominium complex in Queens, of their contractual obligations to purchase, and obtained the largest residential condominium settlement in New York history.{{cite web |date=June 30, 2011 |title=Settlement sees 75 percent refunds for Sky View Parc buyers |url=http://therealdeal.com/newyork/articles/settlement-sees-75-percent-refunds-for-sky-view-parc-buyers-in-flushing |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111228003857/http://therealdeal.com:80/newyork/articles/settlement-sees-75-percent-refunds-for-sky-view-parc-buyers-in-flushing |archive-date=2011-12-28 |accessdate=2023-05-20 |website=The Real Deal |publisher=}}{{cite news |last=Barbanel |first=Josh |date=November 16, 2010 |title=Buyers Balk, Claiming No Loans |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703326204575616743038819602 |url-access=subscription |accessdate=July 19, 2011}} The condominium was ordered to refund 75 per cent of the $5 million in down payments to the buyers who backed out of the $50 million project.{{cite news|last=Cuozzo|first=Steve|title=Condo Can't Do|url=http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/condo_can_do_IiIctEDhap4rN9cLnRcMwJ|accessdate=July 19, 2011|newspaper=The New York Post|date=July 10, 2011}} Bailey has been credited with being the first lawyer to use the law in this fashion,{{cite web |last=Samtani |first=Hiten |date=Sep 19, 2014 |title=Senate votes to strike down ILSA requirements for condos |url=http://therealdeal.com/blog/2014/09/19/senate-votes-to-strike-down-ilsa-requirements-for-condos/ |access-date=2023-05-20 |website=The Real Deal}}{{cite web |last=Ugolik |first=Kaitlin |date=Sep 24, 2014 |title=Condo Law Change Could Cut Red Tape For Developers |url=http://www.law360.com/realestate/articles/579129?nl_pk=6c1cbddf-bf49-4547-b2ba-77b47e2cd900 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2023-05-27 |website=Law360}}{{cite web |last=Samtani |first=Hiten |date=Sep 27, 2013 |title=House passes bill loosening ILSA requirements |url=http://therealdeal.com/blog/2013/09/27/house-passes-bill-loosening-ilsa-requirements/ |access-date=2023-05-27 |website=The Real Deal}} and he employed the same approach in a later case in an appeal of an adverse trial court decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.{{cite news|last=Barbanel|first=Josh|title=Buyer's Remorse Gets Lift|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704814204575508391737562172|accessdate=July 19, 2011|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|date=September 23, 2010}}{{cite journal|last=Weiss|first=Debra Cassens|title=Condo Deposit Decision Could Chill Condo Development Nationwide, Lawyers Say|journal=American Bar Association Journal|date=23 September 2010|url=http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/condo_deposit_decision_could_chill_development_nationwide_lawyers_say/|accessdate=July 19, 2011}}{{cite news |last=Raymond |first=Nate |date=2012-12-20 |title=2nd Circuit says developer does not have to refund deposit |work=Thomson Reuters |url=http://newsandinsight.thomsonreuters.com/Legal/News/2012/12_-_December/2nd_Circuit_says_developer_does_not_have_to_refund_deposit/ |accessdate=2023-05-27 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130411235527/http://newsandinsight.thomsonreuters.com/Legal/News/2012/12_-_December/2nd_Circuit_says_developer_does_not_have_to_refund_deposit/ |archive-date=11 April 2013}} Congress later closed the ILSA loophole with Public Law 113-167, which provides an exemption for condominiums from ILSA's registration requirements for all new construction after enactment.

In a well reported familial celebrity case Scarlett Johansson fired her daughter, Melanie Sloan, as her agent and subsequently entered into a realty dispute. Prior to Ms. Sloan's dismissal, she had entered a contract to buy a two-bedroom apartment on West 43rd Street, Manhattan, New York. Using the reasoning that she no longer had the funds to purchase the apartment after her daughter had fired her, Ms. Sloan sued the sellers for her entire deposit back. Bailey represented the sellers, and while Ms. Sloan received a small part of the down payment back with the sellers retained the rest of the monies. The sellers put the property back on the market and it was listed in contract a week later.{{Cite web |title=Scarlett Johansson Latest Celeb to Fire Parent |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/scarlett-johansson-latest-star-fire-parent/story?id=15322565 |access-date=2024-07-11 |website=ABC News |language=en}}

In 2011 Bailey successfully represented a landlord to obtain a money judgement against a tenant owing significant arrears. The tenant, a memorabilia collector, was attempting to sell the white suit John Lennon wore on the cover of the Beatles’ “Abbey Road” album. In order to collect his client’s money, Bailey sued the gallery auctioning the late Beatles’ suit, advising them not to go through with the sale until its clients debt was paid. Bailey was quoted as saying, “We’re all coming together over John Lennon” when the debt was resolved and paid in full.{{Cite web |date=2011-01-16 |title=NYC Landlord Wants Money From Lennon Suit Auction - CBS New York |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/nyc-landlord-wants-money-from-lennon-suit-auction/ |access-date=2025-01-11 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}

In 2014, Bailey represented a condo board at 3 E. 78th St., to successfully halt a proposed NYU's expansion plan. NYU was seeking to connect their fine arts institute to a donated space in the condominium building via a breezeway. While NYU claims the bylaws allow alterations, the board argued it needed their approval. Bailey accused NYU of misrepresenting itself in the application and sought its rejection. Pointing to bylaws protecting the building's structure, as it was designed by American architect C.P.H. Gilbert in 1899, Bailey successfully stopped the NYU expansion.{{Cite news |last=Chaban |first=Matt A. V. |date=2014-06-03 |title=Seeking to Expand an Uptown Site, N.Y.U. Finds Itself in an Alley Fight |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/03/nyregion/seeking-to-expand-an-uptown-site-nyu-finds-itself-in-an-alley-fight.html |access-date=2024-05-03 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}

In an ambitious plan to reconfigure a four-apartment house in the Chelsea district of New York City, into a home, former owners of the Mets, Sterling Equities Planning were rejected by the city Landmarks Preservation Commission. Adam Leitman Bailey represented both a next-door neighbor Adriana Cisneros, and the local block association. Successfully stopping the development, Bailey later told the Wall Street Journal “Now the owners can spend more money on the Mets rather than building a McMansion in a neighborhood where it doesn’t belong.”{{Cite web |last=Barbanel |first=Josh |date=September 12, 2016 |title=Battle Over Chelsea Townhouse Reflects War Being Waged in New York City's Historic Districts |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/battle-over-chelsea-townhouse-reflects-war-being-waged-in-new-york-citys-historic-districts-1473729002 |access-date=November 18, 2024 |website=Wall Street Journal}}

Adam Leitman Bailey also represented Rosario Dawson and her family in a well publicized real estate matter in New York’s East Village. Dawson’s family were in a dispute with the co-op management of the building where they purchased their family home. Originally a squatter building, Dawsons’s family earned the right to purchase their apartment when the building was converted to affordable housing. Although Rosario Dawson no longer lives in the building, a number of years ago, other family members including Rosario’s mother purchased the family’s apartments in the building with Adam Leitman Bailey’s assistance.{{Cite web |title=Rosario Dawson's family wants to buy low-income housing units in the East Village {{!}} 6sqft |url=https://www.6sqft.com/rosario-dawsons-family-wants-to-buy-low-income-housing-units-in-the-east-village/ |access-date=2025-03-04 |language=en-US}}

On May 3, 2019, Bailey was suspended from practicing law for a four-month term. The suspension was imposed for undignified conduct (including telling a party suing Bailey's client that he "should commit suicide") and for threatening criminal charges to obtain an advantage in a civil matter.{{cite news |last1=Newsham |first1=Jack |title=First Department Suspends Adam Leitman Bailey for 4 Months |url=https://www.law.com/newyorklawjournal/2019/04/02/first-department-suspends-adam-leitman-bailey-for-four-months/ |work=New York Law Journal |date=2 April 2019}}

Bailey established the “Raymond 'Hap' Harrison” scholarship in 2008, named after his former high school track coach. Since then, he has given four-year academic awards to 17 students: 10 from New Milford and seven from New York City schools.{{Cite web |last=DeVencentis |first=Philip |title=Giving is second nature to New Milford alum |url=https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/bergen/new-milford/2017/04/20/new-milford-education-foundation-humanitarian-award-adam-leitman-bailey/100594202/ |access-date=2024-01-03 |website=North Jersey Media Group |language=en-US}}

Bailey wrote three scenes for the 2014 Ramin Bahrani movie, 99 Homes. As a result, the attorney foreclosing on homes in the movie, played by Jonathan Vane, was named “Lawyer Bailey”.{{Cite web |last=Maurer |first=Mark |date=2015-09-18 |title=Top real estate lawyer makes silver-screen consulting debut with "99 Homes" |url=https://therealdeal.com/new-york/2015/09/18/top-re-lawyer-makes-silver-screen-consulting-debut-with-99-homes/ |access-date=2024-08-14 |website=The Real Deal |language=en}} Bailey also appeared on an episode of Dateline NBC investigating the art of persuasion.{{Cite web |title=Adam Leitman Bailey {{!}} Actor |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8248676/ |access-date=2024-08-14 |website=IMDb |language=en-US}}

In 2011, Bailey wrote Finding The Uncommon Deal: A Top New York Lawyer Explains How to Buy a Home for the Lowest Possible Price. The book gained Bailey the 2012 "First Time Author" award granted by the National Association of Real Estate Editors.{{cite web |author= |date=January 29, 2013 |title=National Association of Real Estate Editors Announces 2012 Robert Bruss Real Estate Book Award Winners |url=http://www.realestaterama.com/2013/01/29/national-association-of-real-estate-editors-announces-2012-robert-bruss-real-estate-book-award-winners-ID018439.html |accessdate=July 28, 2015 |work=RealEstateRama}}

Bailey has written a children’s book, Home, which was named a Silver winner in the category Picture Book/Early Reader by Literary Classics.{{Cite web |title=2018 Award Winning Books |url=http://www.clcawards.org/2018_Award_Winning_Books.html |access-date=2023-05-27 |website=Literary Classics}}

Bailey was named one of New York’s "Most Powerful Real Estate Attorneys" by the Commercial Observer in 2015.{{Cite web |last=Schlanger |first=Danielle |date=April 29, 2015 |title=Leading Legals: New York's Most Powerful Real Estate Attorneys |url=http://commercialobserver.com/2015/04/leading-legals-new-yorks-most-powerful-real-estate-attorneys/ |access-date=2023-05-27 |website=Commercial Observer}}

Bailey was named one of New York's Top Real Estate litigators by Chambers & Partners in 2021.{{Cite web |last=Bailey |first=Adam Leitman |title=Lawyer profile: Adam Leitman Bailey |url=https://chambers.com/lawyer/adam-leitman-bailey-usa-5:268003 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200810084354/https://chambers.com/lawyer/adam-leitman-bailey-usa-5:268003 |archive-date=2020-08-10 |website=Chambers and Partners}}

Bailey was also recognized in The Best Lawyers in America since 2015 in Real Estate Law New York, New York.{{Cite web |last=Smulison |first=Justin |date=2023-08-16 |title=Best Lawyers Over the Years |url=https://www.bestlawyers.com/article/best-lawyers-over-the-years/5398 |access-date=2024-03-18 |website=Best Lawyers |language=en}}

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Category:1970 births

Category:Living people

Category:New Milford High School (New Jersey) alumni

Category:New York (state) lawyers

Category:People from New Milford, New Jersey

Category:People from Bayside, Queens

Category:Rutgers University alumni

Category:Syracuse University College of Law alumni