Women in CRE: Terri Adler

Terri Adler

When Terri Adler began her career, she was one of the very few women in real estate law and in industry overall. Today, she is often not the only woman in the room, but she would still like to see more of them.

“Making space for other women to join the ranks through recruiting and mentoring was not an easy task, but years later we have made progress and demographics are shifting,” Adler said. “There is still a need for stronger representation of women in senior management and decision-making positions, but trailblazing women in CRE are proving to young female professionals, and those still in school, that there are seats for them at the table.” 

Fresh out of law school, Adler found a job as a first-year associate at a small real estate law firm where she met Bruce Stachenfeld, who saw potential in the young attorney. A year later, they both left and started a new firm then known as Duval & Stachenfeld LLP.

Adler, who specializes in corporate real estate transactions involving complicated structuring, rose through the ranks quickly at the New York City-based law firm. By 2018, she had been made managing partner. Earlier this year, the firm was renamed Adler & Stachenfeld LLP.

Time to Excel

A&S specializes exclusively in commercial real estate law, and has facilitated some of New York’s largest, most complicated and most innovating real estate transactions. The firm’s clients include many of the leading CRE industry investors and developers and is well known for its market-leading corporate real estate/joint venture practice group. Its attorneys have broken ground within the industry on new trends, including C-PACE financing, ground lease financing and Opportunity Zones.

“I attribute my success to being supported by those around me who either provided me with opportunities to excel or enabled me to have the time and energy to reach my potential,” Adler said. “I have great friends, an amazing spouse and great partners.” 

“Each deal is fast-paced and complex. To be a successful real estate lawyer, you need to be determined. The fact that I love this industry, the people and the deals makes real estate law a perfect fit for me.”

Read the March 2023 issue of CPE.