NY Foreign Investment

A native of Woodside, Queens and lifelong New Yorker, Joe has served the people of the Bronx and Queens in Congress since 1998. Before being elected to Congress, Joe received a bachelor’s degree from Queens College, ran a successful small business for nearly a decade and represented the 30th Assembly District in the New York State legislature. Throughout his career in public service, Joe has been driven by a desire to protect New York’s middle class. As Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus, the fifth-highest ranking position in House Democratic Leadership, Joe’s efforts in Congress are focused on building strong communities, creating jobs, increasing access to health care and housing, protecting seniors’ hard-earned benefits, and opening up educational opportunities for working families. His seat on the prestigious Committee on Ways and Means allows Joe to work directly on issues of importance to the residents of the 14th District – keeping Medicare and Social Security strong, improving health care for all Americans and creating a fair and equitable tax code for American families and small businesses. Joe is dedicated to making the Bronx-Queens community more prosperous and secure. He established the Crime Stoppers program in 2002 to support local organizations that are working to reduce crime and improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods, and it has delivered more than $1 million in federal funding to the Bronx-Queens community for graffiti clean-up, after-school programming, and civic patrol efforts. He is focused on further strengthening and expanding urban hospitals and specialty health centers, such as the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Westchester Square. These are not only world-class medical facilities, but large and reputable employers in the area. Joe is also firmly committed to preparing all young Americans for work in the 21st century by advocating for public education, championing increased federal support for Head Start and other pre-kindergarten programs and fighting to maintain critical financial aid, such as Pell Grants, so more students can afford a college education. The 14th Congressional District is one of the most diverse areas in the country. Through his work with a range of local organizations, Joe has enriched his understanding of international affairs and become a leading voice in efforts to promote democracy and human rights around the world. He successfully introduced and passed legislation to honor Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi with the Congressional Gold Medal for her tireless efforts to bring peace and democracy to Burma. He has also fought for women’s rights both in the U.S. and overseas by introducing and spearheading the passage of the Girls Protection Act, legislation that prohibits the transport of minors abroad for the purpose of female genital mutilation. Like most New Yorkers, Joe’s life was profoundly changed on September 11, 2001. Tragically, his cousin, Fire Department Battalion Chief John Moran, was among the brave first responders who died that day in World Trade Center Tower 2. To make sure we never forget the sacrifices made that day, Joe spearheaded an initiative to honor the first responders who lost their lives trying to help their fellow New Yorkers with a Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor. And, to ensure that New York and the nation are better prepared for future threats, Joe led efforts to create the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) which targets homeland security funding to at-risk urban centers, such as New York City. To date, New York City has received over $950 million in funding to make our airports, train stations and ports safer and more secure. Joe was also instrumental in passing the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act to provide 9/11 first responders and workers with health monitoring and care. Both local and national media have recognized Joe for his effective and impressive record of leadership in Congress. In 2010, National Journal magazine named Joe “a rising star” in the Democratic Caucus and The New York Times has noted that his peers consider him to be a “hard working representative” who is “an impassioned advocate for his district.” Joe has been married to his wife, Kasey Crowley, for over a decade and they have three young children.

Jeff DeBoer is the founding President and CEO of The Real Estate Roundtable. The Real Estate Roundtable represents the leadership of the nation’s top 150 privately owned and publicly-held real estate ownership development, lending and management firms, as well as the elected leaders of the 17 major national real estate industry trade associations. Collectively, Roundtable members’ portfolios contain over 5 billion square feet of office, retail and industrial properties valued at more than $1 trillion; over 1.5 million apartment units; and nearly 2 million hotel rooms. Mr. DeBoer has served as President and CEO of The Real Estate Roundtable since 1997, and through a variety of positions, he has been at the forefront of legislation affecting the real estate industry during the last thirty years. In addition to his position at the Roundtable, Mr. DeBoer serves as Chairman of the Real Estate Industry Information Sharing and Analysis Center (RE-ISAC), an organization dedicated to enhancing communication between the industry and federal policymakers on matters relating to building security, terrorist threats, and incident reporting. He also serves as chairman of the National Real Estate Organizations, a coalition of real estate trade associations working to enhance the industry’s overall Washington advocacy efforts. Previously he served as co-chairman of the Advisory Board of the RAND Corporation’s Center for Terrorism Risk Management Policy, and was a founding member of the steering committee of the Coalition to Insure Against Terrorism (CIAT). Mr. DeBoer also serves on the Advisory Board of the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, DC. Mr. DeBoer has discussed real estate and economic policy issues on FOX News, Bloomberg Television and CNBC; and his editorials have been published in the Wall Street Journal and USA Today. In 2010, Mr. DeBoer was named a “top 10 Industry Newsmaker of the Decade” by GlobeSt.com and in 2013 he was selected by Commercial Property Executive as one of the "30 most influential people in real estate". He is a member of the Virginia Bar Association and the American Bar Association. Mr. DeBoer holds degrees from Washington and Lee University School of Law and from Yankton College.

Ran Korolik is Executive Vice President and Partner of Victor Group. Ran oversees every aspect of Victor Group’s operations, including property acquisitions, selection of design teams, project financing, and marketing, alongside Moshe Shuster. During his tenure with Victor Group, Ran has managed the development of more than 1,000 residential condominiums, hundreds of single-family homes, and several hundred thousand square feet of office and retail properties. Ran began his twenty-year career with Victor Group while attending New York University. After graduating in 1994, he became the Controller and then quickly moved up the company ladder. By 2001, he had assumed responsibility for managing the daily operations of the company, and in 2004, he became a Partner. Since that time, Ran has worked hand-in-hand with Moshe Shuster to help build Victor Group into the esteemed development company that it is today. Ran graduated from the Stern School of Business at New York University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. He also serves on the board of Colonial American Bank.

Dawn M. Lurie is recognized in the legal community as a sophisticated and forward thinking immigration compliance authority and EB-5 investment strategist. She focuses on visa, workforce, and global mobility issues. Dawn is proud to be considered a trusted partner to corporate clients and is relied on for her ability to spot impending government enforcement trends. Her deftness in balancing business necessity with regulatory reality is also highly valued. When advising clients, Dawn presents creative, yet compliant, solutions and identifies issues long before they become problematic. Her practice includes a range of cases, from routine to the most complex, involving: Visa processing (including naturalization, residency and security issues) Immigration compliance (including Form I-9 and E-Verify related matters) EB-5 foreign investment (including representation of regional centers, investors, project developers, overseas agent as well as targeted due diligence services) Dawn has represented clients in the EB-5 program since the early years of the program’s inception, in the 1990s. Her experience has evolved over the last two decades as the EB-5 program progressed from an obscure means of obtaining U.S. residency, to a viable mechanism of funding a significant portion of the capital stack for large-scale projects and infrastructure building across industries. Attending EB-5 Board Hearings in D.C. and participating in the stakeholder conversation process with the agencies for many years, provides her clients with a unique Washington perspective. Dawn’s Form I-9 and E-Verify experience is nationally recognized. By developing and managing corporate immigration compliance programs, including training and internal audit components, she minimizes exposure and liability, saving her clients millions of dollars. Dawn assists federal government contractors in meeting the FAR mandatory E-Verify compliance rules and flow-down clause. In addition, she regularly advises on immigration compliance issues in mergers, acquisitions, and contracting relationships. She represents companies in Immigration and Customs Enforcement matters and defends those facing government investigations including ones initiated by the DOL or DOS. Her experience also includes representing colleges and universities with SEVIS related issues as well as with routine compliance planning. Dawn is consistently able to negotiate favorable settlements and resolve even the most adversarial of matters because of her solution oriented approach and her ability to work cohesively with government agencies.

Demetri Yatrakis has over 10 years of tax related experience with an extensive background in structuring complex real estate transactions and a particular emphasis on partnership taxation, corporate taxation, REITs and tax matters relating to international and tax-exempt investors. He also has expertise in structuring investments in U.S. real property for a diverse array of international clients, including sovereign wealth funds and in-depth knowledge of the application of the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act (“FIRPTA”), U.S. withholding taxation and tax treaties. Demetri has worked on the tax structuring of international joint venture projects in Europe and Asia. He regularly advises clients on a diverse array of tax issues, including matters related to structuring joint ventures and partnerships, REITs, the acquisition and disposition of debt instruments, the work-out of distressed projects and the acquisition and disposition of real property. Demetri has worked on multiple global funds with extensive international reporting requirements and open-ended funds with complex allocations and rebalancing transactions. He has overseen the preparation of federal, state, and local tax and information returns at the fund level and the deal level and has extensive real estate and infrastructure fund compliance experience. Prior to practicing in the private sector, Demetri was an attorney in the Office of Chief Counsel for the Internal Revenue Service in Washington, DC. While at the IRS, Demetri participated in the issuance of IRS pronouncements, including proposed regulations regarding compensatory partnership interests. Demetri received his B.A. from New York University, College of Arts and Science, his J.D. from Fordham University School of Law and his LL.M in Taxation from New York University School of Law. Demetri is admitted to the bar of the State of New York.

Gonzalo Carbajo, Partner, Assoc. AIA, MArch After graduating from University of Architecture and Urban Design in Rosario, Argentina, Gonzalo has won the “Fundacion Arquitectonica” scholarship and joined Zaha Hadid, where he met Inanc. He worked there for 2.5 years and moved to NYC to join Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, spending 6 years of his career there, leading important projects such as the Baccarat Hotel and Residences. Gonzalo currently teaches Comprehensive Design at Pratt Institute.

Eran Polack is CEO-NY and Co-Founder of HAP Investments, a New York-based real estate investment group that specializes in the development of residential and commercial properties including 500 Summit Avenue in Jersey City. He is also CEO of HAP Construction, a full-service construction management company. As CEO of HAP Investments, Mr. Polack oversees a diverse portfolio of residential and commercial real estate that is renowned for its location, proximity to mass transit, and innovative construction and design. He is an established entrepreneur with a long history of successful real estate ventures in Eastern Europe, Israel, and the United States. In the U.S., Mr. Polack has overseen the construction and development of 12 residential properties totaling over 2 million square feet. His strengths include the early identification of emerging regions, and the development of projects tailored for those markets. He also has a deep understanding of the budget, schedule, and quality necessary to achieve success for any real estate project. Mr. Polack was one of the first developers to identify East Harlem as well as the Journal Square neighborhood of Jersey City as areas in preliminary stages of urban revitalization. He was also an early leader in the revival of Neve Tzedek, a highly coveted neighborhood in the heart of Tel Aviv.

Will Silverman is Managing Director/Group Head of Investment Sales in Hodges Ward Elliott’s New York Office. He was hired in 2015 to expand the company’s offerings to office, retail, multifamily in land, specializing in New York City. Prior to joining HWE, Will was an Executive Managing Director in the Capital Transactions Group at Savills Studley, where he worked on nearly $6B of transactions since joining the firm in 2003. Since joining HWE, Will has transacted on office, retail and multifamily deals for clients including Westbrook, Rockpoint, Carlyle Group, Savanna and Normandy. Will has consistently succeeded at bringing an institutional investor audience to new locations, property types and strategies through a pioneering strategy that emphasizes quantitative research and data analytics. Will graduated cum laude from Tufts University with a degree in International Relations. He is a father of three sons and a native New Yorker.

Kai-yan LEE is the Managing Director for Vanke Holdings USA. He manages the strategic expansion of Vanke, the largest residential developer of China, into the U.S. market since 2012. Under his leadership, Vanke currently has major projects in San Francisco and New York, with a total asset value forecast to exceed ~USD 3 billion by 2016. Prior to setting up Vanke’s US company, Kai was the Head of the Real Estate Industry at the World Economic Forum, responsible for its efforts on global real estate industry recovery and integration with a safer financial market. Before that, he was at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston for mortgage market stabilization and housing market recovery during the great financial crisis. He had spent a decade in California prior to moving to the East Coast, included serving as a Redevelopment Commissioner and working on regional infrastructure projects. Kai obtained his B.A. summa cum laude at the University of California, Berkeley, and his graduate degrees from Harvard University and MIT. He sits on various boards of national nonprofit organizations and industry/professional associations. Kai enjoys traveling, long-distance running, architecture, modern art, and hiking.

John Liang, Executive Vice President, Managing Director of U.S. Operations, Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd. Mr. John Liang is Executive Vice President of Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd. (NYSE: XIN), the only China-based real estate development company listed on the New York Stock Exchange, which has residential development projects in 10 Chinese provinces with annual sales of about $1.5 billion. He is responsible for Xinyuan's corporate strategic planning and international business development, and also serves as Managing Director of Xinyuan's Overseas Operations, including North America and Southeast Asia. Among projects Xinyuan is undertaking in the U.S., he is currently leading a 500,000 square-foot, $270 million condo development project in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, which is the first major ground-up development project in NYC by a Chinese developer without a JV partner. Prior to Xinyuan, Mr. Liang was Chief Financial Officer with a Chinese real estate development company backed by U.S. private equity investors. He has broad experience in real estate finance, investment and development in both China and the U.S. From 2008 to 2010, he served as Senior Director of Real Estate Development at the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co. (“A&P”, NYSE: GAP), where he oversaw the development, construction, financing and management of over 450 supermarket stores and 40 company owned shopping centers nationwide. Prior to A&P, Mr. Liang served as Senior Asset Manager at General Growth Properties (NYSE: GGP), managing the development and re-development of some of the largest shopping malls in the country. Mr. Liang earned his MBA in Finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and Bachelor's Degree in Architecture from the University of Arkansas; he is also a U.S. licensed architect, having spent 8 years of his early career designing and managing large-scale residential, office and hospitality projects.

Jeffrey Dvorett is the Executive Vice President and Head of Development for Kuafu Properties, where he is responsible for the planning, development, management, marketing and sales of new developments. Prior to this he was the Senior Vice President for Development at Extell Development Company, one of the most active developers in New York City. While at Extell, Mr. Dvorett managed and oversaw the development of over two million square feet of mixed used, residential and hospitality projects including the Hyatt Times Square, a 487 key hotel located in the heart of Times Square and ONE57, the most luxurious residential building in New York. ONE57 achieved numerous records for residential and hotel sales. It features 94 ultra­-luxury residences above the 210 key flagship Park Hyatt Hotel. Prior to joining Extell, Mr. Dvorett was a member of the development team at the Clarett Group, a New York residential development company. He has also served as a strategy and operations consultant to some of the world’s largest multinational corporations. He is a frequent guest lecturer and panelist on topics ranging from design and construction to economic trends in real estate development and served on the board of directors of several leading New York real estate organizations.

Dean Shapiro is a Senior Vice President and Head of US Development at Oxford Properties Group and is primarily responsible for Oxford’s investment in the Hudson Yards development project. He previously served as Chief Operating Officer and Partner at Building and Land Technology in Stamford where he executed major leases with Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Cornell University, and Louis Dreyfus Highbridge Energy. He was formerly Executive Managing Director of CBRE where he managed the revenue operations of the New York City market, and held various positions at Insignia/ESG.

Belinda Schwartz has chaired Herrick’s Real Estate Department since 2014, is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee since 2017 and is a 30+ year veteran of New York City’s commercial real estate market. She is a leader and mentor for 50+ attorneys and urban planners (23 of which are women) and one of the only women in the country to chair a major commercial real estate practice. One of the industry’s most creative real estate dealmakers, Belinda’s clients value her ability to find common ground in negotiations and achieve a desirable outcome as swiftly as possible. Her clients include prominent developers, owners, funds, investors and family-owned real estate businesses, whom she advises in complex debt and equity transactions including real estate restructurings and workouts; fund formation; property acquisitions and sales; joint ventures; development deals; construction matters; ground leases and commercial leases. Belinda frequently advises clients in single asset and portfolio transactions involving residential, hospitality, office and retail properties across the U.S. She has also advised on several of New York City’s largest development projects, including Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Empire Stores complex, Downtown Brooklyn’s 1.8 million square-foot City Point project, and one of the largest land swaps in Manhattan history, a deal which won REBNY’s coveted Most Ingenious Deal of the Year Award. Recently, Belinda has been leading her clients through the impact of COVID-19 on their real estate transactions, development projects, workouts and restructurings, loans and leases as a critical addition to her clients' business team. Belinda has consistently been ranked one of New York City’s leading real estate lawyers by Chambers USA, Super Lawyers, City & State and Real Estate Forum, which has twice named her a “woman of influence.” Belinda was named one of National Law Journal's Trailblazers in Real Estate/Construction Law in 2020. In 2019, Belinda was named one of Real Estate Weekly's, Real Estate Dealmakers, and in 2018, one of Real Estate Weekly’s Leading Ladies of Real Estate. In 2017, Belinda was named one of Crain’s New York Business’ top 100 women lawyers and for the past number of years she has been named one of Bisnow’s New York power women.