Sonia Kaur Bain

Sonia Kaur Bain
Partner
Real Estate

Biography

Sonia Kaur Bain is a transactional commercial real estate lawyer who represents developers, retail companies, hotel groups, landlords and tenants, and family offices with the acquisitions, dispositions, development, ground and space leases, financing, and leasing of numerous types of commercial real estate assets, including mixed-use, residential, retail, hotel, and industrial properties in New York City as well as across the country.

Clients engage Sonia for her significant legal talent, but they value her for her thoughtful guidance, counsel, and partnership. In addition to her strategic legal and business advice, Sonia is frequently sought-after as a speaker, moderator, and panelist on topics relating to the real estate industry. She is also passionate about team building and mentorship, and is notably active in mentoring women entering their careers in the real estate industry.

Outside the Firm

As a mom of two boys, Sonia and her husband, Chris, can be seen on the sidelines of their son Janak’s baseball, basketball, and football games, or listening to their son Caleb’s concert piano recitals. Sonia herself enjoys participating in outdoor activities and sports like golf, tennis, and paddle tennis. She is a longtime NY Mets and NY Knicks fan, and a recent Brooklyn Nets fan!

Related Services

Related Industries

Experience

  • Represented a leading real estate development and investment company based in Singapore in connection with $1.3 billion dollar acquisition of a portfolio of data centers assets across 18 jurisdictions in the United States.
  • Represented a leading real estate development and investment company based in Singapore with its approximately $600 million acquisition of Class A office building in Oakland, California.
  • Represent a leading American department store chain in connection with its strategy for repositioning of real estate assets through contributions and development partnerships.
  • Counsel to a national multi-family and mixed-use developer for the development of a mixed-use project that included negotiations with a historical landmarked institution. The transaction involved the negotiation of the acquisition of parcels and excess development rights; subdivision of parcels; negotiation of construction and development agreements; and addressing commercial condominium issues.
  • Counsel to a luxury New York City co-op corporation for the sale of excess development rights to a developer. The transaction involved a complex zoning lot and development agreement, construction license agreement, fee reimbursement and escrow agreements, and all ancillary development agreements on behalf of the co-op corporation.
  • Counsel to a historical church in connection with the negotiations and structuring of a long-term option agreement for the sale of excess development rights attributable to the church to a New York City developer.
  • Counsel to Sephora USA, Inc., in connection with leasing its 650,000-square-foot distribution center.
  • Counsel to a developer in the ground lease and acquisition of a multi-phase 700-room hotel and 195,000-square-foot retail/entertainment center within the 42nd Street Redevelopment project created by a public-benefit corporation of New York State.
  • Lead counsel to the nation’s largest national retailer in connection with all aspects of the acquisition, development, and leasing of new stores as well as the remodel and expansion of existing stores throughout New York City and state. 
  • Counsel to landowners in connection with their long-term ground leases to developers for the development of a large-scale, mixed-use commercial project in the Hudson Yards district. 
  • Counsel to a developer in the acquisition and financing of the $80M assemblage of parcels in New York City with one million square feet of leasing space.
  • Represented one of the nation’s largest banks in the financing of a 55MW utility-scale solar facility (approximately $250M in value) in New Mexico. The bank provided the construction financing and will provide the long-term financing. 
  • Counsel to a national developer in the acquisition and financing of a $131M New York City residential tower, including the conversion to a residential condominium. 
  • Counsel to a developer/purchaser in the acquisitions, financing, and joint venture of a $86M mixed-use building in New York City. 
  • Counsel to various retailers in connection with leasing and subleasing. 
  • Counsel to a private equity group in their acquisition and financing of a New York City hotel property. 
  • Acting as outside general counsel for a Manhattan co-op board in connection with their acquisitions, sales, and disposition of their real estate interest, including air-rights, retail unit, and financing needs.

News & Views

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Recognitions

  • 2023, New York Metro “Super Lawyer” in Real Estate, listed in Super Lawyers
  • 2022–2023, Power 100, Commercial Real Estate, listed in Commercial Observer
  • 2021–2022, New York Real Estate Law, listed in Best Lawyers in America©
  • 2020, “Lawyers in Real Estate” Award, presented by Connect Media – Commercial Real Estate
  • 2019, “Notable Women in Law,” listed in Crain's New York Business 
  • 2018–2019, “New York Power Women,” listed in Bisnow
  • “Top Women in Real Estate,” listed in New York’s Sokol Media
  • 2011, Honoree, awarded by March of Dimes – Long Island Division

Affiliations

Memberships

  • New York State Bar Association
  • WX, Inc.
Professional Activities

Sonia is an active member of WX, Inc., New York Women Executives in Real Estate, an invite-only membership of experienced women in the industry whose mission is to support and enhance the profile and success of women in the commercial real estate industry. Her service for WX includes:

  • President (2019–2022)
  • Vice President (2018–2019)
  • Board Director (2017–current)
  • Co-Chair, Mentoring Committee (2016–current)
  • Director, Charitable Fund Board

Credentials

Admissions

  • New York
  • U.S. District Court - Eastern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court - Southern District of New York
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

Education

  • New York Law School, JD
  • State University of New York at Stony Brook, BA

A description of the standard or methodology on which the accolades are based can be found here.