Kathleen Shields

I joined Griffin, Coogan, Blose & Sulzer, P.C. in September 2007 and am an associate at the Firm. My area of practice is Real Estate Tax Assessment Litigation. 

I am a graduate of Loyola University of Chicago (B.A. 2004) and Pace University School of Law (J.D., 2007).  I am admitted to practice before the courts of the State of New York and Connecticut, and I am a member of various Bar associations.

Our Firm has over 35 plus years of experience in real estate tax assessment litigation “commonly referred to as tax certiorari” and general assessment related issues. Our clients include many large corporations, REIT’s, financial institutions, country clubs, real estate developers, and locally based property owners. We have successfully tried many of the “signature” cases in the Westchester County Supreme Court including Union Carbide Corp. v. Assessor of Town of Greenburgh, 277 AD 2d 242, (2000); Fifth Ave. Office Center Co. v. City of Mount Vernon, 89 NY 2d 735 (1997); DGM Partners v. Assessor of City of Rye, 237 AD 2d 519 (1997); Fifth Ave. Office Center Co. v. City of Mount Vernon, 219 AD 2d 405 (1996); DeLeonardis v. Assessor of City of Mount Vernon, 226 AD 2d 530 (1996); Interlaken Owners, Inc. v. Assessor of Town of Eastchester, 225 AD 2d 696 (1996); Mundinger v. Assessor of City of Rye, 187 AD 2d 594 (1992); Technicon Instruments Corp. v. Assessor of Town of Greenburgh, 173 AD 2d 833 (1991); New York Telephone Co. v. City Assessor of City of Yonkers, 143 AD 2d 1020 (1988); Chemical Bank v. Davis, 133 AD 2d 756 (1987); Technicon Instruments Corp. v. Assessor of Town of Greenburgh, 133 AD 2d 271 (1987). Our experience includes success in the Appellate Division and Court of Appeals and our reputation for having successfully tried these cases adds to our ability to produce meaningful settlements.

We have been successful in reducing the assessments for nursing homes, country clubs, tennis and swim clubs, golf clubs, utility properties, condominiums, yacht clubs, banks, private residences, cooperatives, hotels, motels, shopping centers, apartment complexes, restaurants, vacant land, office buildings, corporate headquarters, hospitals, real estate investment trusts, airport hangers, industrial and manufacturing facilities, among many other property types. We also have experience in matters relating to exemptions, tax planning and forecasting, PILOT agreements, environmental contamination and remediation, equalization issues, business enterprise value and appraisal review and consulting.