Overview
Daniel “Doni” Kessler focuses his practice on counseling and representing clients in their transactional real estate needs. His clientele is diverse, including lending institutions, institutional investors, Fortune 100 companies, family offices, contractors, developers, hospitality and resort operators, individuals and various sized entities.
He is skilled in negotiating and drafting purchase and sale agreements and complex financing documents, including senior, construction, and mezzanine loans, representing both lenders and borrowers on transactions exceeding $100 million. Doni also handles commercial leases, access and license agreements, construction agreements, operating agreements, and shareholder agreements.
In addition, Doni manages transactions and advises condominium associations and cooperative apartment corporations on issues concerning shareholders and unit owners.
Services
Practice Areas
Experience
Representative Matters
- Represented borrowers in connection with acquisition financing exceeding $700 million for an industrial property portfolio spanning multiple states.*
- Represented a developer with its $135 million construction financing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.*
- Represented purchasers in the acquisition and financing of a portfolio with more than 20 industrial properties.*
- Represented lender in connection with the making of an approximately $77.5 million construction loan for a mixed-use (retail and multifamily) property in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.*
- Represented sellers of an approximately $150 million industrial property portfolio.*
- Represented purchaser in the acquisition and financing of a nine-property portfolio involving six unrelated sellers.*
- Represented multiple developers with their construction financings in New York City ranging from $33 million to $150 million.*
- Represented lender in connection with the making of a $50 million loan for a mixed-use (retail and multifamily) property in Massachusetts.*
- Represented lender in connection with the making of a $30 million loan for a mixed-use (retail and multifamily) property in Jersey City, New Jersey.*
- Represented borrower in connection with a $54 million refinancing of a mixed-use property.*
- Represented purchaser in the acquisition and financing of an approximately $50 million multifamily property in Texas.*
- Represented seller of a hotel located in the Times Square area of Manhattan.*
- Represented purchaser of a $40 million affordable housing complex in New York City.*
- Represented purchaser in the acquisition and financing of an approximately $41 million multifamily property in Atlanta, Georgia.*
- Represented landlord in connection with drafting and negotiating industrial leases ranging from thousands of square feet to close to 100K square feet, including provisions concerning NNN items, tenant improvements, and landlord improvements.*
- Represented landlords and borrower with office, restaurant, and shopping center leases, including CAM/additional rent items and profit sharing provisions.*
*matter handled prior to joining Honigman LLP
Prior Experience
- Seyfarth Shaw LLP, Associate
- Watson Farley & Williams LLP, Associate
Credentials
Education
Admissions
- New Jersey
- New York
Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New Jersey
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
Recognition
Awards
- Best Lawyers in America, "Ones to Watch,” 2026
- Recognized in the area of Real Estate Law
- Super Lawyers, “Rising Star,” 2017-2025
Professional & Community Involvement
- Lecturer: "Topic concerned surveyors, survey maps and physical real property concerns," New York State Bar Association
- Lecturer: "Stop Overlooking the Insurance!" New York State Bar Association.
- Lecturer: "Stop Overlooking the Insurance! Common Mistakes in Real Estate and Construction Contracts and How to Avoid Them," New York County Lawyer’s Association.