Frederick E. Park is a litigation partner at CTBC who handles residential and commercial landlord and tenant cases. He represents his clients in leasing, construction contracts, and license and indemnity agreements. He also serves as advisory counsel to coop and condo boards, and to property owners. Fred has litigated everything from multi-million-dollar cases to small claims cases — each with the same fervor, regardless of scope — and views litigation as the way to increase the value of real property and defend owners’ rights and interests.
Fred knows that his landlord clients are concerned about recent legislative changes, how public perception has demonized them, and that today’s challenging environment has made profitability nearly impossible. He lets his clients know that they still have rights, which helps allay their concerns. He is a tough but honest litigator: While managing his clients’ expectations, he has been known to say, “I’m going to tell you the truth about your case, whether you want to hear it or not.” Clients depend on Fred to get the best results, with the least drama and expense.
Fred has been practicing law for 38 years, starting out as a summer associate with Rosenberg & Estis, P.C. in 1986 and eventually rising to the rank of litigation partner and working with the firm until 2012. He then served as General Counsel and Supervising Attorney for the in-house legal team of a Manhattan-based real estate management firm with a portfolio of more than 2,500 rent-stabilized apartments and retail units, before joining CTBC in 2016.
Education
J.D., St. John’s University School of Law, 1987
B.A., History, SUNY Buffalo, 1984
Court Admissions
New York State
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
Notable Decisions
Forty Four Eighteen Venture v. Rare Medium, Inc., 118 A.D. 3d 237 (1st Dept. 2005) Landlord entitled to withhold consent to assignment where tenant in default in arrears.
Modern Art Services, Ltd. V. OCA Long Is. City, LLC, 84 A.D. 3d 1040 (2nd Dept. 2011) Landlord entitled to summary judgment where tenant failed to demonstrate compensable damages.
Eckstein v. N.Y. Univ., 279 A.D. 2d 208 (1st Dept. 2000) Landlord entitled to dismissal of complaint asserting Rent Controlled status where tenant’s vacatur and relocation from Rent Controlled apartment pursuant to a stipulation of settlement was voluntary and beneficial to him.
N.Y. Univ. v. Eckstein, 190 Misc. 2d 161 (App. T. 1st Dept. 2001) Landlord entitled to refuse to renew lease in favor of recovery for educational use under prior stipulation confirming Rent Stabilized Status of Apartment.
Banchik v. Ruggieri, 1998 N.Y. Misc., Lexis 772 (Civil NY 1998) Landlord granted medical examination of tenant in Owner’s Use Holdover where tenant put her medical condition in issue as an affirmative defense.