Agenda – Commercial Observer

New York State of Office Forum

Thursday, November 20, 2025

8:00 AM – 8:40AM: Registration & Networking Breakfast

8:40 AM – 8:45 AM: Opening Remarks

Speakers

Welcome Remarks

Megan R. Abraham

CEO

The Goldie Initiative

Megan R. Abraham

CEO, The Goldie Initiative

An entrepreneurial non-profit builder and executive based in Chicago, Megan has made a career as a leader in nonprofits and associations to expand and scale. Megan was previously Executive Director at The Goldie Initiative from 2016- 2020 and she most recently served as the Chief Advancement Officer of JCC Chicago. Her experience includes roles at the National Association of Realtors,the International Real Property Foundation, the International Consortium of Real Estate. Associations, and other organizations.

In her role as CEO of The Goldie Initiative, Megan is responsible for the overall strategy, resource development and management of the mission-driven organization. She serves as a role model for the next generation of commercial real estate leaders and leads efforts to expand opportunities for mentorship, provide unique and impactful career development activities, and award generous scholarships at esteemed graduate school programs nationwide. Megan is currently overseeing a major programmatic expansion of The Goldie Initiative – a Chicago-based nonprofit – into the Northeast USA.

Megan earned a Master of Science degree in Public Services Management from DePaul University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She also serves on faculty at Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership.

8:45 AM – 9:10 AM: Opening Keynote

Speakers

David Levinson

Chairman & CEO

L&L Holding Company

MODERATOR

JONATHAN MECHANIC

Partner, Real Estate

Fried Frank

9:10 AM – 9:45 AM: Lessons Learned From a Pivotal Year: Office’s Comeback & Forecasts for 2026

Speakers

Christina Chiu

President

Empire State Realty Trust

Christina Chiu

President, Empire State Realty Trust

Christina Chiu is the President of Empire State Realty Trust. Prior to her appointment as President, Ms. Chiu served as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer since May 2020 when she joined ESRT, and was then appointed to both Chief Operating Officer & Chief Financial Officer in December 2022.

Prior to joining ESRT, Ms. Chiu had an 18-year career at Morgan Stanley where she served as Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Global Listed Real Assets Investing business, responsible for business development and capital raising efforts, institutional investor and consultant relationships, oversight of the day-to-day investing business, and execution of strategic initiatives. She began her career as a real estate investment banking analyst on both principal investing and strategic advisory transactions.

Ms. Chiu is a member of the Real Estate Roundtable Real Estate Capital Policy Advisory Committee, Nareit Advisory Board of Governors, NYU Stern Real Estate Board of Advisors, vice chair of the ULI Technology & Real Estate Council, and a David Rockefeller Fellow of the Partnership for NYC. She also serves on the American Red Cross National Board of Governors. Ms. Chiu earned a B.S. in Finance and Accounting summa cum laude from NYU Stern School of Business.

Steven Durels

Executive Vice President, Director of Leasing and Real Property

SL Green Realty Corp.

Steven Durels

EVP, Director of Leading & Real Property, SL Green Realty Corp

Steven M. Durels serves as an Executive Vice President and Director of Leasing and Real Property of SL Green Realty Corp. Mr. Durels is responsible for marketing, structuring, and negotiating all lease transactions of SL Green Realty Corp. and has completed many of the largest and most complex leases in SL Green Realty’s history. He manages a leasing and marketing team of 25 professionals and routinely completes nearly 300 leasing transactions per year. Prior to joining SL Green, Mr. Durels served as Vice President and Director of Leasing and Management of Helmsley-Spear Inc. for 16 years. While there, he was responsible for all leasing, management, and operations of a 2.5-million-square-foot Manhattan office portfolio. He is a member of the Real Estate Board of New York. Mr. Durels received a degree in Economics and Political Science from the University of Iowa.

Will Silverman

Managing Director

Eastdil Secured

Glen Weiss

Executive Vice President – Office Leasing and Co-Head of Real Estate

Vornado Realty Trust

MODERATOR

ANdrew CHARLES

Partner

HSF Kramer

9:45 AM – 10:15 AM : Between the Headlines: Market Drivers Impacting Office Growth & Talent Acquisition

Speakers

Adam B. Frazier

President & CEO

Columbia Property Trust

Adam B. Frazier

President & CEO, Columbia Property Trust

As President and Chief Executive Officer of Columbia Property Trust,
Adam Frazier is responsible for the Company’s overall business strategy, capital allocation, operations, and the performance of its portfolio of investments.

Mr. Frazier has over two decades of experience in real estate asset
management, development, and investments. Prior to joining Columbia
in 2022, he served for eight years as Vice President at Oxford
Properties, most recently as Head of New York. In this role, he oversaw leasing, operations, and development for the company’s New
York region, covering some of New York City’s most transformative
developments, such as St. John’s Terminal and Hudson Yards.

Before Oxford, Mr. Frazier spent nearly seven years in leadership
positions at Boston Properties (now BXP) in Development and
Leasing, which included managing the development of 250 W 55th Street. He started his career in real estate at Edens & Avant (now
EDENS) as Development Manager, leading the development of large mixed-use projects such as the 30-acre mixed-use Mosaic outside of Washington, DC and acquiring shopping centers in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Mr. Frazier began his career as an equity trader, trading NASDAQ-
listed technology stocks for Salomon Smith Barney/Citibank.

He earned a BSBA from Bucknell University and an MBA from the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business
School. Mr. Frazier is a member of the Bucknell University Real Estate
Advisory Board, a board member of the National Board of Directors for
Autism Speaks, and a board member for Smile Farms, an organization
that provides opportunities for people with disabilities within the
agricultural and hospitality industries.

Mr. Frazier and his wife reside on Long Island with their four sons.

David Goldstein

President, Tri-State

Savills

David Goldstein

President, Savills

David Goldstein began his real estate career with Savills (then Studley) in New York City in 1990. With nearly three decades of avid tenant representation experience, David has provided his clients with advice and expertise in the process of lease negotiations, acquisitions, dispositions, complex deal structuring, municipal incentive negotiations, financial analyses and portfolio optimization. To date, he has executed transactions valued in excess of $4 billion dollars across the tri-state area and the United States.

For over three decades, David has been one of Savills most accomplished real estate professionals. He has played a leading role in positioning the New York office as the premier tenant-focused real estate consultancy in the tri-state region.

As President, Tri-State, he works closely with leaders within his region to develop and execute upon the firm’s tri-state strategic plan and align Savills corporate strategy and vision with its culture, organizational development, financial and growth objectives. He continues to serve clients in a brokerage and advisory capacity and leads his respective team of brokerage professionals.

David is also a member of Savills national Law Firm Practice Group and serves on the firm’s executive committee making high-level decisions that impact the growth and prosperity of Savills occupier-focused business model.

Over the course of his prominent career, David has dedicated his expertise to serving tenants in search of creative, beneficial solutions to their real estate challenges. He has represented clients including Ralph Lauren Corporation, Wilmer Hale LLP, JonesDay, Pillsbury Winthrop LLP, J. Crew, American Securities, The New York Public Library, The Government of Canada, Skidmore Owings & Merrill LLP, Burberry, Covington & Burling, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Abercrombie & Fitch, John Wiley & Sons, Sprinklr, Pinebridge Investments, Freshfields, DKNY, United Healthcare and Tiffany & Co.

TYLER MCCAINE

Senior Director Asset Management, Development New York

Tishman Speyer

Tyler McCaine

Senior Director Asset Management, Development New York, Tishman Speyer

Tyler McCaine joined Tishman Speyer in 2018 and currently leads asset management and predevelopment activities in the firm’s New York region. In his time at the firm, he has focused on over 5 million square feet of commercial office development across projects including The Spiral, Morgan North, The Wheeler, The JACX, and 99 Hudson Boulevard. Additionally, Tyler served as Investment Committee Secretary. Before joining Tishman Speyer, Tyler worked for HFF as a member of the investment sales team focusing on multi-family, development, land, and retail transactions. He holds a BA from Colgate University.

MODERATOR

Julia Sanabria

Partner

Lowenstein Sandler

Julia Sanabria

Partner, Lowenstein Sandler LLP

Julia Sanabria represents clients in a wide range of real estate matters, with a particular focus on commercial leasing.

Julia works with institutional and non-institutional clients in the leasing and subleasing of office and retail space throughout the United States. She has extensive experience negotiating commercial leases for a wide range of uses, including office, retail, medical, industrial, and studio, in some of New York City’s most iconic spaces. Julia’s clients include some of the largest real estate property owners and developers in the United States.

Julia has practiced with several top ten Am Law 100 firms, as well as in-house at a Fortune 500 corporation. She serves on the Board of Directors for Creative Art Works, an organization that provides youth development through the arts to New York City children in under-resourced neighborhoods.

10:15 AM – 10:30 AM : Networking Break

10:30 AM – 10:55 AM : Fireside Chat

Speakers

PHILIPPE B. VISSER

President, Office Development

Philippe B. Visser

President, Related Office Development

Philippe B. Visser is President of Related Office Development where he leads the company’s expansive
commercial office development efforts nationally, focused on Related’s efforts to create the optimum 21 st
century workplace for its corporate partners and employees. Mr. Visser has led the execution of real estate projects and transactions valued at billions of dollars including the Hudson Yards project, the largest ever private development in the U.S. He has structured leases of over 10 million sf with the world’s leading companies including Meta, KKR, WarnerMedia and Wells Fargo. Prior to joining Related, Philippe
served as Director of World Trade Center Redevelopment for the Port Authority and has over 25 years of
experience leading large scale real estate projects at Tishman Speyer, Vornado Realty and Forest City. Philippe has served on multiple non-profit boards including the YMCA of New York, the Regional Planning Association and the Downtown Alliance. He is also a proud partner of Project Destined and is a
founding board member of a new urban center of Jewish life in Brooklyn.

MODERATOR

Joanne Franzel

Partner

Gibson Dunn

MODERATOR

Jennifer Yashar

Partner

Gibson Dunn & Crutcher

Jennifer Yasher

Partner, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher

Jennifer Yashar is a partner in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and a member of the Real Estate Practice Group. She represents clients on commercial real estate transactions, with a focus on sophisticated commercial leasing transactions on behalf of prominent owners, developers, financial institutions, law firms, and corporations.

Jen advises many distinguished landlords, including Brookfield Properties, RXR Realty, and Related Companies, with significant experience in the lease-up of developments under construction. She also regularly counsels many law firms, financial institutions, and other corporations on their headquarter leases, including Warner Bros. Discovery, McKinsey, Christie’s, Milbank, Fox, and News Corp.

10:55 AM – 11:25 AM: Office & Mixed-use: Bringing the 15-Minute City Concept to the Heart of the Big Apple

Speakers

Jessica Lappin

President

Downtown Alliance

Alex Liscio

Senior Vice President

Brookfield Properties

Alex Liscio

Senior Vice President, Brookfield Properties

Alex Liscio is a Senior Vice President at Brookfield Properties and leads Asset Management for Brookfield’s New York commercial office portfolio. Alex joined Brookfield in 2009 and has since held a number of asset management, leasing, and investment roles across the organization in New York, London, and Berlin.
Alex holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hobart College, is a member of the Real Estate Board of New York and serves on the Development Committee for the Go Project.

Chris Mongeluzo

Vice Chairman

Newmark

Jeremy MOSS

Executive Vice President

Silverstein Properties

MODERATOR

Danielle Lesser

Partner & Chair, Business Litigation

Morrison Cohen LLP

Danielle Lesser

Partner & Chair, Business Litigation, Morrison Cohen

Danielle Lesser is an experienced trial attorney whose diverse practice involves all phases of litigation. As Chair of Morrison Cohen’s Business Litigation Department, Danielle leverages her extensive litigation experience to resolve a broad range of business, real estate and employment-related disputes.

Clients turn to Danielle for guidance in crisis and dispute resolution. Respected by peers and opposing counsel for her keen ability to combine commercial sensibilities with litigation savvy, including at trial, Danielle’s no-nonsense approach and reputation benefit all parties, paving the way to practical solutions whenever possible.

Among other real estate related disputes Danielle regularly litigates, she also represents retail and other tenants in their disputes with their landlords. She has litigated key lease terms commonly found in retail and commercial office leases. When clients are concerned about their lease obligations and want to understand what rights they have under their leases, she can help them quickly investigate and formulate a plan of action.

In a testament to Danielle’s reputation and quality of service, she was appointed chair of the NYC Bar Judiciary Committee in 2023 after a careful selection process. As committee chair, Danielle evaluates candidates for election, reelection, appointment, reappointment, designation and certification to justice administration offices in New York State courts. She plays a key role in ensuring that candidates meet appropriate standards of professional competence and integrity and helping to encourage merit appointments and nominations for elective judicial office.

11:25 AM – 11:55 AM : Spotlight Case Studies: Inside the Developments Delivering World-class Workplaces & Guest Experiences

Speakers

Brian Holland

SVP of Global Real Estate

Convene

Brian Holland

Senior Vice President of Global Real Estate, Convene

Brian Holland is Senior Vice President of Global Real Estate for Convene, a premium hospitality company that designs and operates premium meeting, event, flexible office, and building amenity spaces. In this role, he is responsible for expanding the company’s global portfolio of brands via market growth, landlord partnerships, and acquisitions. Brian was instrumental in stabilizing the company’s real estate portfolio during the pandemic, its expansion into San Francisco, and continued growth in New York City and London. Prior to Convene, Brian held senior-level positions at real estate development firm OliverMcMillan and commercial real estate company Brookfield Properties, where he was integral in the acquisition and development of more than $2 billion in real estate projects nationwide. His experience across the real estate sector is all-encompassing from site selection through to entitlements,capitalization, construction, management, and disposition; and he also serves as principal at HollandandCo, a boutique real estate development and investment firm based in California. Prior to his real estate career, Brian clerked for a federal judge and worked for a regional law firm in San Diego. He holds a B.A. from Westmont College, and a J.D. from University of San Diego School of Law.

Jonathan IGER

Chief Executive Officer

Sage Realty

Jonathan Igner

CEO, Sage Realty

Jonathan Kaufman Iger is the great-grandson of William Kaufman, who founded his namesake firm in 1924. For 100 years, the Kaufman family has been developing and owning office properties, and has always been a disruptor as it was the first to integrate a concierge into office properties in the 1970s. As a fourth-generation Kaufman, Jonathan joined Sage in 2010 and later became CEO & President in 2014, and has kept up with the tradition of disrupting the market by renaming the company to Sage and implementing a ‘flagging’ concept to its business model, drawing inspiration from the hotel industry’s practice of hotels branding and managing buildings rather than owning them. Prior to joining Sage, he served as Vice President at P&L Investments, LLC, a boutique real estate investment and asset management firm, and was founder and CEO of UrbanGradRealty, a boutique residential brokerage company that focused on the recent college graduate submarket.

Alan Schmerzler

Vice Chair

Cushman & Wakefield

MODERATOR

Nina M. Roket

Co-Managing Partner; Co-Chair, Real Estate Law Practice; Chair, Commercial Leasing Practice

Olshan Frome Wolosky LLP

11:55 AM – 12:00 PM : Closing Remarks

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