PITTSBURGH, July 7, 2025 — Cozen O'Connor today welcomed real estate attorney Thomas Wechsler to its award-winning cross border Real Estate practice. Wechsler has over a decade of experience at Am Law Top 10 law firms and in-house general counsel experience. He joins the firm from Ropes & Gray LLP as a member, splitting his time between Cozen O’Connor’s New York City and Pittsburgh offices.
Wechsler has broad transactional experience guiding clients in all aspects and stages of real estate transactions. He collaborates with developers and investors alike, engaging in joint ventures, mortgage and mezzanine financing, complex ground lease and sale-leaseback transactions, and acquisitions and dispositions.
“Tom has worked with many of the top real estate developers, investors, and owner-managers in New York City and across the country and excels at navigating clients through the complexities of large projects,” said Jonathan W. Knipe, co-chair of Cozen O’Connor’s Real Estate practice. “Having also served as in-house counsel, he understands the business requirements and motivations of both developers and investors. He’s an excellent addition to our practice and I’m delighted to welcome Tom to Cozen O’Connor.”
Wechsler has played a significant role in several large-scale development projects, including the redevelopment of the World Trade Center campus in downtown Manhattan, the redevelopment of New York’s James A. Farley Post Office Building into the Moynihan Train Hall and associated commercial space, and the development of an approximately 300 bed hospital in the Northeast corridor. He has guided both developers and investors making him uniquely positioned to understand motivations of all parties in multi-party strategic partnerships.
“Tom is well-steeped in the complexities of the corporate level financial transactions our real estate development and capital markets attorneys work with on a daily basis,” said Jeremiah G. Garvey, office managing partner of the firm’s Pittsburgh office. “He’s played a role in the development/redevelopment of some of the biggest projects in New York City history. He’s a great addition to our firm and I’m looking forward to working with him here in Pittsburgh.”
Wechsler has also been at the forefront of the evolving ground/net lease business taking hold across the United States. He has represented several private equity funds and operating companies on single asset and portfolio sale-leaseback and other net lease transactions, both domestically and cross border, involving industrial, manufacturing, retail, office, and health care assets.
“Joining a prominent and expanding real estate practice with broad capabilities to guide clients on all aspects and phases of project development and investment is a unique opportunity,” Wechler said. “I’m excited to join my new colleagues and help the continued growth of the Cozen O’Connor Real Estate practice.”
Wechsler earned his J.D. at Vanderbilt University Law School, and his B.A in economics at Bucknell University.
About Cozen O’Connor
Established in 1970, Cozen O’Connor has over 925 attorneys who help clients manage risk and make better business decisions. The firm counsels clients on their most sophisticated legal matters in all areas of the law, including litigation, corporate, and regulatory law. Representing a broad array of leading global corporations and middle market companies, Cozen O’Connor serves its clients’ needs through 33 offices across two continents.
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