Tom Ortinau joined GFP in 2014 to lead the firm’s property acquisition efforts. Tom has since been instrumental in making over 10 investments comprising over $1 billion. Tom also handles leasing, asset management and development activities for GFP’s projects.

Prior to joining GFP, Tom was a member of the US Transactions team at PGIM Real Estate where he handled Northeast Acquisitions and Development activities for the firm’s private equity funds. At PREI, Tom handled 34 investments comprising over $5.5 billion. These property and entity level investments were made via common equity, preferred equity and mezzanine debt positions both on a direct basis and through joint ventures.

Tom began his career at WSP Group, a leading design and construction firm in New York. At WSP, Tom worked on the design and construction of over 50 public and private development projects in New York including The Hearst Building, The New York Times Building and The Plaza Hotel.

Tom holds a BSE from the University of Kansas, an MS from New York University, and an MBA from Columbia Business School. Tom is on the board of NYPEN Real Estate and a member of the Real Estate Circle at Columbia Business School. He is also an Adjunct Professor at New York University where he teaches real estate investing to graduate students.

Cecilia Kushner is the Executive Vice President for Planning, Development and Transportation at the New York City Economic Development Corporation where she leads large multidisciplinary teams to deliver on some of the most ambitious and complex urban planning and development projects in New York City. As part of her role, Cecilia oversees $1 billion of active projects geared towards delivering infrastructure and amenities and improving quality of life for New Yorkers across the five Boroughs. With 15 years of experience in urban planning, development and resiliency in New York City, London and Paris, Cecilia has dedicated her career to executing significant initiatives that seek to improve global cities.

Prior to joining the NYCEDC in May 2015, Cecilia served as the Deputy Director for Climate Resilience at the New York City Department of City Planning where she formulated and advocated for some of the first resiliency land use policies to adapt the 520 miles of New York City coastline. She has also previously served as Director of Special Initiatives at NYCDCP, where her responsibilities included managing all external speaking engagements for the Commissioner and leading change management strategies to revamp the agency’s processes. Other past positions include serving as the NYCDCP lead project manager for the Coney Island rezoning, policy advisor for English Heritage, the leading historic preservation organization in the UK, and urban planner for the City of Paris.

Cecilia received her bachelor’s degree from La Sorbonne and holds a master’s degree in Historic Preservation from The Bartlett School of Planning at University College London, and a master’s degree in City Planning from Hunter College, where she has taught planning as an adjunct.

She lives in Brooklyn with her husband John and her children Louis and Eva.

Kate Wittels is Partner at HR&A Advisors, an industry-leading economic development and real estate consulting firm. Kate focuses on how to best shape places, train people, and deliver infrastructure to prepare today’s cities for tomorrow’s opportunities. Kate advises governments, developers, and businesses on leveraging technology and forging connections to create districts, workforces, and economies that are ready for the future. Kate has managed many of HR&A’s most complex projects including the NYC Economic Development Corporation’s 200-acre Sunnyside Yard Overbuild Feasibility study; MTA and Westfield’s public-private management partnership of the $1.4 billion Fulton Center; and David Beckham’s efforts to develop an MLS soccer stadium in Miami. Prior to joining HR&A, Kate served as a Director of Corporate Real Estate for Sony. Kate earned a Master of Science in Real Estate Development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from the University of Pennsylvania.

Zach Redding is a Managing Director of the Colliers Capital Markets group in New York. Mr. Redding has extensive experience arranging commercial investment sales and note sales across all asset classes throughout the New York Metropolitan and Tri-State Area. Mr. Redding currently represents and advises top developers, financial institutions, and family offices within the commercial real estate industry.

Prior to joining Colliers in 2022, Mr. Redding was a Senior Director at B6 Real Estate Advisors based in New York, where he was a top producer of sale transactions. In 2020, Zach Redding was honored as the Real Estate Board of New York’s Most Promising Salesperson of the Year. Mr. Redding was also honored by Commercial Observer as one of the Top 30 Sales & Leasing Professionals Under 30 in the nation in 2019. Prior to B6, Mr. Redding was an Associate Director at Cushman & Wakefield, responsible for all financial analysis and transaction management for Paul J. Massey Jr. (serving as C&W’s President of New York Investment Sales). Mr. Redding also served as Mr. Massey’s Chief of Staff during his candidacy for Mayor of New York City in 2016-2017.

Mr. Redding earned his B.S. from West Virginia University where he served as President of the Student Body and as a member of the Board of Governors. He has also served as an advisory member for several non-profits, including Projected Destined and New Destiny Housing.

Accomplishments

Top Broker Award by Connect CRE (2024)

Investment Sales Broker of the Year Selection by Sonoture (2021)

Most Promising Salesperson of the Year by the Real Estate Board of New York (2020)

Ones to Watch by New York Real Estate Journal (2020)

Top 30 Sales & Leasing Professionals Under 30 by Commercial Observer (2019)

Rising Star Selection by Real Estate Weekly (2019

Education

West Virginia University, B.A. in Political Science

Student Body President

WVU Board of Governors

Memberships & Involvements

Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY)

Project Destined - Advisory Board

New Destiny Housing - Junior Advisory Board

YuhTyng (“Tyng”) Patka is chair of the NYC Real Estate Tax and Incentives Practice Group and chair of the firm's NYC Climate Mobilization Act Task Force and PACE Financing Practice.

Tyng provides a road map to her clients for the optimal way to minimize their property tax burden. Tyng represents owners in challenging their property taxes (certiorari) and is one of New York City’s top experts on building tax classifications, having successfully argued and litigated on matters relating to building misclassifications which have led to significant tax refunds.

For Tyng’s developer clients, she advises on strategies to reduce a project’s tax liability and represents developers on NYC tax incentive programs such as 421-a, ICAP, and IDA benefits such as FRESH. Tyng also counsels not-for-profit organizations on how to qualify for property tax exemptions for space that they own and occupy and advises nonprofits on leasehold condominium formation as one popular strategy for successfully obtaining property tax exemptions.

Tyng’s practice also includes representing developers on matters relating to Inclusionary Housing zoning benefits before the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (“HPD”). She regularly represents developers on inclusionary housing applications (VIH, MIH, PFASH/AIRS) and provides her developer clients advice on preserving their project’s rights to property tax and zoning benefits simultaneously. Tyng also regularly represents developers in their acquisition or disposition of inclusionary air rights.

As Senior Vice President of Building Repositioning, Brooks McDaniel provides overall direction and leadership to STOBG’s Building Repositioning Group. He works closely with the NYC-based executive leadership for Pavarini McGovern and Structure Tone to develop long-range strategic plans to help establish STOBG as an expert in building repositioning, particularly in the NYC market, as well as work with leadership across the organization to best leverage the company’s expertise in this important sector.

Brooks was previously Vice President of Design & Development at Extell Development

Company, where he was responsible for the design of millions of square feet of residential,

commercial office, hotels, retail, and educational buildings. Prior to working at Extell, Brooks

was a project director at SHoP Architects in New York, where he worked on various cultural,

residential, and institutional projects. Earlier in his career, he also worked as an architect at

Asymptote Architecture, Davis Brody Bond, and Roger Ferris & Partners. A registered architect, Brooks earned undergraduate degrees in management and in marketing from Lehigh University and a master’s of architecture from Parsons New School in New York.

Robert Huberman is a partner in Herrick's Land Use and Zoning Group where he advises developers, property owners, attorneys, architects and engineers on all aspects of land use and zoning in New York City.

Robert has extensive experience in preparing land use applications and obtaining complex approvals for rezonings, large-scale developments, special permits, authorizations, and certifications form the New York City Planning Commission and New York City Council; variances and special permits from the New York City Board of Standards and Appeals; zoning resolution determinations (ZRD1s) and construction code determinations (CCD1s) from the New York City Department of Buildings; and certificates of no effect, authorizations to proceed, and certificates of appropriateness from the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.

Robert also regularly advises clients on a wide range of zoning and land use issues, including site acquisitions and development options; drafting and negotiating zoning lot development agreements (ZLDAs); transfers of development rights; completing zoning lot mergers and subdivisions; preparing zoning and building code compliance memorandums; reapportioning tax lots; and drafting and negotiating easement agreements, license agreements and restrictive declarations.

Robert was named a Rising Star by Legal 500 since 2022 for his excellence in Land Use and Zoning law and notes that he, "stands out for his ability to advise clients on preparing land use applications and approvals for rezonings, special permits and large-scale developments." In 2020, Robert was named to City & State's 2020 NYC 40 Under 40 Rising Stars list. Since 2020, Robert has been named one of Thomson Reuters' Super Lawyers Rising Stars which rates outstanding lawyers who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.

Robert was the recipient of the 2021 Honorable Milton Mollen Pro Bono Award, given to Herrick attorneys who care passionately about pro bono work and work tirelessly for our clients. Robert partnered with the ASPCA to enable them, under zoning, to provide overnight animal boarding their veterinary clinics. He drafted a zoning memorandum and a Zoning Resolution Determination (ZRD1) which outlined a legal strategy to allow for overnight animal boarding at clinics they operate in the five boroughs.

Prior to joining Herrick, Robert practiced law at Slater & Beckerman, P.C. for four years and previously was a code compliance manager at Design 2147, Ltd. – a firm specializing in zoning and code compliance, expediting, and obtaining New York City municipal approvals.

Adam Greene is Senior Vice President of Development at RXR and the development manager for 175 Park Avenue, a 2.9 million square foot, mixed-use, super-tall adjacent to Grand Central Terminal planned by RXR and TF Cornerstone and designed by SOM. Additionally, Adam lead’s RXR’s adaptive-reuse team on various office to residential conversion projects including 5 Times Square, 61 Broadway and 47 Hall Street.

Previously, Adam was a Principal at MAG Partners, and prior to that, Managing Director at L&L MAG. At L&L MAG, Adam led the $1.7 billion redevelopment of Terminal Warehouse, a 1.2 million square foot historic warehouse to office conversion. Adam also led the execution of the hospitality program for Foster + Partners’ 425 Park Avenue.

Prior to L&L MAG, Adam served as Vice President of Residential Development and Construction at Forest City Ratner Companies, managing the development of Pacific Park Brooklyn, the $5 billion, 22-acre mixed-use development. His work at Pacific Park included the open space master-planning and the development of 1,200 units of housing with COOKFOX and SHoP across 535 Carlton Avenue and 550 Vanderbilt, and 38 6th Avenue and 461 Dean Street, the tallest modular residential high-rise in the world at time of construction.

Before joining Forest City, Adam worked as an architect at Richard Meier & Partners on residential and commercial projects across the world, and as a design critic teaching first-year studio at Cornell University’s Department of Architecture.

Adam received his Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University and his Master of Architecture in Urban Design from Harvard University. Adam is a Registered Architect in New York and a LEED Accredited Professional.

Andrew Dolan brings over 17 years of experience as a structural engineer specializing in renovation and adaptive reuse projects. His expertise includes notable office-to-residential conversions in New York City such as 160 Water, 25 Water, Flatiron, 980 Sixth Avenue, and 77 Water. In addition to his conversion work, Andrew has led significant renovation efforts on projects like 1221 Avenue of the Americas Plaza, 7 Hanover Square, 560 Broadway, and 135 West 50th Street.

He is a registered Professional Engineer in New York, and a registered Professional Structural Engineer in California. Mr. Dolan is an executive committee member of ACEC’s Coalition of American Structural Engineers (CASE) and holds a MS in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech and a BS in Civil Engineering from Manhattan College.

As a hands-on leader at CetraRuddy Architecture, Eugene Flotteron helps oversee and orchestrate the award-winning global design firm’s architects and interior designers in their project work, from inception to completion. Unwaveringly committed to his clients and their project goals, he personally stays immersed in the overall process throughout all phases.

With a sophisticated knowledge of zoning, site conditions and building statutes, Eugene collaborates with clients and colleagues to solve complex regulatory and design challenges, including those related to climate change. His excellent design skills are coupled with strong technical knowledge of the latest sustainability and resiliency measures, and hands-on construction expertise from a wide range of ground-up and renovation/adaptive reuse projects. Eugene leads office-to-residential conversion projects in New York City, including the 1.1 million-square-foot residential tower at 25 Water.

Eugene received a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Pratt Institute and is a member of the American Institute of Architects, the Municipal Arts Society (MASNYC), and the Urban Land Institute.

Sarah is a partner in the firm’s Construction practice group. She has extensive experience representing a wide array of construction industry clients, including property owners, real estate developers, commercial lessees, design builders, construction managers, design professionals, and contractors in transactional, corporate governance, risk management, and litigation matters. Her experience includes front-end advising on the selection of appropriate project delivery methods, drafting and negotiating complex design and construction agreements, risk management and insurance advising, and managing and litigating complex construction claims.

Prior to joining Thompson Hine, Sarah founded her own construction law firm representing a broad array of East Coast-based construction industry clients in transactional matters. Sarah also served as in-house counsel for one of the largest international architecture and engineering firms in the world, where she negotiated construction project agreements, managed complex construction litigation claims, and advised on corporate compliance, risk management, and insurance matters, both nationally and globally. Before serving as in-house counsel, Sarah developed expertise at a boutique construction law firm, where her practice included representing New York City-based construction industry clients on both transactional and litigation matters.

Sarah believes that every successful construction client relationship starts with an understanding of the unique aspects of a project. Through years of experience, she has developed a practical understanding of various project types, delivery models, and players, enabling her to expertly serve her clients during entity formation, project planning, contract negotiation, design and construction phases, and litigation. Her dual law firm and in-house counsel experience, as well as experience with both litigation and transactional work, gives her a unique business-centric perspective on advising clients on how to “get to yes” while appropriately mitigating risk.