The lawyers below contributed greatly to the success of the firm. Some passed after long illnesses while others died in tragic accidents. We honor them here to remember their contributions.
GRUNDMAN, Neil. Neil Grundman was a founding partner of the firm. He was legendary among the real estate bar and the real estate community. Among his many ground-breaking representations, Grundman represented North American Mortgage Investors and MGI Properties, REITs whose shares were traded on the New York Stock Exchange, Transamerica, Kaufman Organization and other major New York property owners. Olshan partner Thomas Kearns notes that, "Neil was one of the leading real estate transactional lawyers in the city for decades. He had a unique ability to cut to the key parts of a transaction and negotiate them effectively for his clients, always with great humor and professionalism." Olshan began in the 1960's when Grundman joined Marvin Olshan and over the years their two-lawyer firm grew to 80 lawyers. Before retiring in 2003, Grundman was Olshan's senior partner in the Real Estate Group. He graduated from Columbia Law School in 1958 and earned an A.B. in 1955 from New York University.
LUSTIGMAN, Sheldon S. Sheldon Lustigman was the beloved father of Andrew Lustigman and father-in-law to Scott Shaffer. Sheldon practiced law for over 50 years and was an icon in the field of advertising, promotional marketing law and FDA regulatory matters. Throughout his career, Sheldon was sought out by clients from around the world to handle their most challenging legal issues. Clients and regulators alike appreciated his intellect, compassion and creative solutions.
MALIK, Mohammad M. Mohammad Malik, an attorney in the firm's Shareholder Activism Practice, and his wife Dr. Noor Shah Malik died in a tragic accident. They were both shining lights who touched everyone who had the benefit of knowing them. Mohammad was a humble, bright and talented attorney and a truly kind and gentle soul.
OLSHAN, Marvin L. Marvin L. Olshan, along with Neil Grundman, created the firm in the 1960's. Marvin had a thriving and distinguished career in real estate and corporate law and was known for representing large clients, including Seatrain Lines, Inc., E.F. Hutton (NYSE) and North American Mortgage Investors (NYSE). Olshan partner Steve Wolosky noted that "when I joined the firm in 1987 as a young lawyer, Marvin helped me develop my practice. Marvin was a mentor and friend to many of us, and a tenacious golf partner to some." Olshan retired partner, Robert Frome, remembered that "Marvin had a special talent for developing relationships with potential clients on the golf course, and when he started the firm, was indisputably the best golfer of any lawyer in New York." The Olshan firm was one of the first to represent and helped organize REITs after they were created for the industry, including North American Mortgage Investors and Mortgage Growth Investors (MGI) (AMEX), both large stock exchange listed companies. Marvin represented several New York based real estate developers including COL Properties and was the leading lawyer representing bowling alleys in their initial surge in popularity in New York. In addition to his accomplishments as a lawyer, Marvin served on the boards of numerous public companies and supported many non-profit organizations, including the Prostate Cancer Foundation and Ronald McDonald House. Marvin graduated from Yale Law School in 1952 where he was a member of the Barrister Union and Moot Court. A scholarship has been created in his name at Yale Law School.
OPPENHEIMER, Robert J. Our dear friend and colleague Robert “Rob” Oppenheimer practiced law for over 40 years and was a mentor and friend to many of us at Olshan over his long career at the firm. He was one of the leading commercial real estate leasing lawyers in New York and esteemed by his professional peers. Following a successful career, Rob had recently retired to Florida to enjoy his many pursuits.
SUGARMAN, Mark J. Although Mark Sugarman was with the firm for only a few years, he made a lasting contribution as he was known as the leading lawyer in the complex field of ground lease valuations and brought a sharp sense of humor and New Yorker's eye for the weakness in his adversary's case. Mark did not limit his talents to litigation and was a guest lecturer at the NYU School of Journalism on First Amendment issues.
