Lecturer Bios
Jason Gafner, Esq.
Jason Ganfer co-chairs the Title Litigation Practice and is Counsel in the Real Estate Transactions and Cooperatives and Condominiums Practices.
A Reliable Ally in Both Deals and Disputes.
Mr. Ganfer has extensive experience with title insurance coverage disputes and claims resolution. Prior to joining the firm, he was counsel at a national title insurance company handling major claims seeking indemnification for potential losses totaling more than $100,000,000. These matters involve everything from recording issues and boundary disputes to foreign transactions and complex fraudulent schemes. Applying his first-hand industry knowledge, Mr. Ganfer offers clients insightful counsel and unique approaches.
In his transactional work, Mr. Ganfer represents individuals and companies in buying, selling, and leasing residential and commercial property. He prepares offering plans for cooperatives and condominiums and facilitates the sale of groups of units or unsold shares. On behalf of developers, Mr. Ganfer facilitates the acquisition and financing of blocks of cooperative and condominium units.
Margaret T. Ling, Esq.
Margaret T. Ling has been a real estate attorney since 1986. Her real estate experience commenced with a private real estate practice for almost a decade. Prior to practicing as a real estate attorney, Ms. Ling was a Law Clerk for Chief Judge Constance Baker Motley of the United States District Court –Southern District of New York. Following her clerkship, she focused on the area of immigration law before transitioning into real estate law.
Currently, Ms. Ling is the Senior Underwriting Counsel at MacGregor Abstract with offices in Long Island. For the past twenty years, she has been in-house counsel in the title insurance industry working in First Nationwide Title Insurance Company, Skyline TRG Title Agency, Summit Associates LLC, Liberty Title Agency LLC, Couch Braunsdorf Insurance Group, Landstar Title Agency Inc., Intracoastal Abstract Co. Inc., and Titleserv Inc. At these firms, she was responsible for all legal title underwriting, reading, clearing and processing of all title files for closing. She coordinated all title underwriting requirements with the Agent’s respective Title Underwriters and also addressed all post-closing escrow and policy matters. Ms. Ling also held positions at major New York title underwriters including Stewart Title Insurance Company and Ticor Title Insurance Company- The Fidelity Title Group. She provided underwriting and legal support for over 300 New York State Title Agents and Direct Operations.
She is active in many associations including serving as Co-Chairperson of both the Real Estate and Asia Practice Committees of the Asian American Bar Association of New York. She is also a member of the National Asian Pacific Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, the Queens Asian Bar Association, the Korean Lawyers Association of Greater New York and the Asian Pacific American Lawyer’s Association of New Jersey. She is a member of the Board of Directors for Asian Real Estate Professional Association, Asian Columbia Alumni Association, and New York Law School Alumnae Association. She was awarded the “Most Valuable Player Award” in 2013 for outstanding dedication and service to AABANY and the New York Law School Award in 2010 for Distinguished Service in Diversity and Progress.
Ms. Ling is also a member of the United States Golf Association and the New Jersey PGA Golf Foundation. Since 2012, she has been on the Pro Am Team for the LPGA Shoprite Acer Classic.
Ms. Ling received her Bachelor of Arts degree in History, Cum Laude and Dean’s List from Barnard College – Columbia University and her Juris Doctor degree from New York Law School. She is admitted to practice law in the State of New York, Appellate Division, and Second Department.
Sarah Fiona Phillips, Esq.
Sarah Fiona Phillips joined Borah, Goldstein Altschuler, Nahins & Goidel, P.C in 2017. Ms. Phillips spent twenty years working for the City of New York. Ms. Phillips prosecuted Building Code violations for the Department of Buildings from 2004-2015. Ms. Phillips has extensive experience defending property owners against DOB, FDNY and other city issued violations.
Ms. Phillips regularly represents property owners at OATH (formerly ECB) on transient use, illegal occupancies, public assembly, work without a permit, construction site, fire safety and other violations. She also appears on criminal court summonses and before the Department of Buildings to lift stop work and vacate orders. Ms. Phillips represents clients in DHCR matters including substantial rehabilitation applications, lease renewal, and decrease in service complaints.
Significant cases involving transient use and fines for illegal occupancies include:
- DOB v 25 Avenue C Realty, LLC, DOB OATH decision that found the City failed to prove transient use, dismissing almost $10,000 in fines.
- DOB v SJS Properties, OATH decision where the fines for illegal occupancies were reduced by $34,000. Ms. Phillips was successful in arguing transient use summonses dismissed based on JNPJ Tenth Ave LLC v Dept of Buildings of New York 178 A.D. 3d 636 (1st Dept 2019).
- DOB v JD Broadway Realty, LLC, OATH Appeals Unit reverses the judge's decision and dismissed the work without a permit summons in favor of our client.
Ms. Phillips received her J.D. from SUNY Buffalo School of Law and is a graduate of Barnard College, Columbia University and Groton School. She is admitted in New York and California.
Frank Pizzuro, Esq.
For Frank, architecture is not just his life’s journey and intrinsic to who he is, it is in his bloodline. Frank
is the great grandnephew of Rosario Candela, the prominent New York City architect whose prewar
residential designs featuring terraced setbacks and signature penthouses are still sought after by New
York City’s elite. His lineage comes from both sides, as Candela’s mother was also a Pizzurro. This
explains Frank’s innate eye for design and construction, which was ignited early on during a family trip
to Montelepre, Sicily, the birthplace of both his father and his great uncle. Frank marveled at how the
rules of science in building these great cathedrals overlapped with art, and his fascination grew into a
passion. By the age of 15 he was committed to pursuing a career in architecture and interior design.
Frank was educated at Brown University and Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and earned a
Bachelor in Architecture and Fine Arts from RISD. He immediately joined one of New York City’s most
prominent architecture firms, and for the next 15 years worked with some of the most highly regarded
architects in the business. There he gained experience as the architect and manager for numerous
residential and commercial projects, including household names such as Merrill Lynch, Sheraton and
UBS.
In his last corporate job, Frank worked on rebuilding the Word Financial Center after the World Trade
Center fell in 2001. This involvement in the recovery of New York, along with his previous experience,
gave him the courage and credibility to form Frank Pizzurro, Jr. Architects, which would later expand
to include Interiors and Consulting.
Today, Frank Pizzurro Architects is regarded for its expertise in historic preservation and landmark
consulting. Frank is intimately familiar with the design and style of Rosario Candela’s neo-classical
limestones as well as Greek Revival, Tudor, Gothic, mid-century modernist, and others used in the
historic buildings of New York City. This knowledge of historical decorative styles with his expertise in
preservation requirements and ability to restore and add on to landmark properties in a way that
honors their original splendor have earned him numerous prominent restoration projects. Over the
past 30 years, Frank has worked with some of the most prominent developers, hoteliers, and families
in New York City and abroad, managing co-op and condominium bylaws, zoning, pro forma budgets,
the NYC Department of Buildings permits, and landmark preservation requirements with a 100% track
record of approval.
Jacqueline N. Roman, Esq.
Jacqueline N. Roman is an experienced litigator representing a range of clients in business and
commercial matters, including high-value real estate and complex commercial disputes involving
breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and fraud, as well as complex title litigation.
Managing matters from inception through resolution, Jacqueline regularly appears in state and
federal court and in arbitration before AAA and JAMS. Jacqueline’s experience also includes
defending high-exposure labor law and premises liability matters, and acting as general counsel
to condominium and cooperative boards in New York City. She earned a BA from Boston
College and a JD from Brooklyn Law School.
