Elise Wagner Named Co-Chair of Land Use Practice

Kramer Levin announced today that Elise Wagner will serve as co-chair of the Land Use practice with Paul D. Selver. Elise succeeds Gary R. Tarnoff, who was integral to the success of the practice as co-chair and partner and will continue both to share his experience and expertise with colleagues and to provide services to clients as counsel to the firm. Elise will be a leader of one of the most experienced and established Land Use practices in New York City, with partners who have practiced together for more than 35 years, and who have unmatched experience in their field.

Since joining the firm in 2005, Elise has advised real estate owners, developers and nonprofit institutions regarding the land use issues they face when planning and developing new buildings, and when rehabilitating and repositioning existing buildings. Elise's work also encompasses coordinating the public approval processes for major public-private development projects, consulting about the most efficient and cost-effective strategies for obtaining approval of use changes and enlargements, negotiating multi-party transactions for the transfer of development rights, and performing due diligence for the purchase and financing of major properties. 

During her tenure at Kramer Levin, Elise has counseled clients on numerous high-profile matters. She is serving as land use counsel for Plaxall in connection with the proposed rezoning of their property surrounding the Anable Basin in Long Island City to create a new live-work district along the waterfront. She also obtained a rezoning, special permit, and other approvals for a market rate, senior, and affordable housing development and the headquarters for the Chinese-American Planning Council on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, owned by The Gotham Organization. Additionally, Elise advised The Walt Disney Company on zoning and historic preservation matters in the sale of their West 66th Street campus and West End Avenue facilities to Silverstein Properties, while simultaneously advising on the acquisition of the property at 310 Hudson Street, which will be Disney’s New York headquarters.  

Elise is also involved in the real estate community through her work with New York-based industry organizations. She serves on the Board of Advisors for the Urban Land Institute (ULI) New York, on the Board of Directors for New York Building Congress and on the Board of Advisors for the Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy of New York University School of Law. Additionally, Elise is a member of the Programming Committee for WX Women Executives in Real Estate, and was named the organization’s “Woman of the Year” in 2021.  

Later this month, Elise will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at City & State’s and AARP’s 8th annual 50 Over Fifty Awards: The Age Disruptors. The award honors New York’s most prominent leaders in government, business and media over the age of fifty. Elise is frequently sought after as an expert by the media on the topics of land use and development in New York City and has authored numerous well-regarded op-ed articles on the subject.