Law firm gets better with age.

Like vintage wine, the law firm of Borah, Goldstein, Altschuler & Schwartz, P.C., (BGA&S) seems to get better with age.

And that really says something, considering that for the past four decades the firm has not only set the standard for landlord-tenant work in New York, but has been at the forefront of the rapidly changing law affecting both residential and commercial properties.

"We've never been as rich in talent as we are today," said Senior Partner Lawrence Borah. "As a result, we're more involved in all aspects of real estate law and we're better equipped to fight for our clients both in court and at the administration agencies."

Case in point: In recent weeks, BGAS's remarkable court room skills have produced a series of impressive victories for landlords, including the following:

* A New York State Appellate Division ruling that gives property owners the fight to collect legal fees after a successful defense of a tenant-initiated action.

* Another that overturned a decision by the State Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) that had disallowed a landlord's request for a rent increase based on the cost of sheetrocking an apartment. The ruling not only opens the door for landlords to receive rent increases for sheetrocking work during an apartment renovation, but could lead to similar decisions for building wide lead paint encapsolation.

* Another that unanimously reversed a 1994 DHCR ruling that had penalized a rent-stabilized owner for modifying services at a West Side apartment building even though the landlord claimed the actions protected the security and economic well-being of the property and its residents.

Equally impressive on the administrative side, BGA&S, under the direction of its Managing Partner Robert Goldstein, has assumed the leadership position in the area of luxury decontrol, helping the DHCR develop rules and procedures to deal with the yearly applications by owners.

Not surprising, the firm has not only filed more applications under the new law than any other law firm in the state, but has also been extremely aggressive in pursuing its cases, both before the DHCR and in Supreme Court litigation. This has resulted in the issuance of many Orders of Deregulation and countless negotiated settlements with tenants who have entered into destabilized leases. As a member of DHCR's Owner's Advisory Committee, Goldstein has been very involved not only in the implementation of current DHCR luxury decontrol procedures but in ways to improve them. He recently succeeded in convincing DHCR that oral hearings are necessary for certain types of luxury decontrol proceedings.

"We have a very clear position on decontrol," said Goldstein, one of the firm's premier litigators. "No tenant should be permitted to avoid deregulation and thereby benefit from his or her wrongful failure to pay city and state income taxes."

Also quite clear, according to BGA&S partner Richard Schwartz, is the firm's uniqueability to offer highly specialized and individualized services to large and small clients alike.

"That's an unusual quality for a large firm," Schwartz said. "But it's probably the single biggest contributor to our steady growth over the years."

Partner Myron Altschuler agrees, noting that clients of all sizes are struck with the firm's total commitment to diligence, cost consciousness and case successes.

"Smaller clients appreciate the individualized attention they receive from our associates and support staff as well as consultations with the Partner assigned to oversee their case," Altschuler said. "And the hands-on approach of each of our partners is critical to the strong relationship we enjoy with our larger real estate and institutional clients."

With a staff of over 150, including 23 partners and 24 associate attorneys, BGA&S handles, in addition to Civil and Supreme Court Landlord-Tenant litigation, a wide variety of specialized disciplines, including bankruptcy, administrative proceedings, appeals, collections, Loft Law conversions, code violation problems, sales and conveyances, and foreclosures.

As a forerunner in both Landlord-Tenant and real estate litigation, BGA&S has participated, over the years, in numerous cases that have resulted in landmark decisions which have set precedents for future Landlord-tenant litigation. Among the critical decisions it has won are those which clarify the rights of landlords in non-primary residence cases, illegal sublet situations and high rent, high income exemptions from stabilization and rent control under the recently passed rent Regulation Reform Act.

Actively involved in numerous community based political and professional activities, the firm's partners participate in the legislative process through New York City and State Bar Associations' Civic Court and Landlord-tenant Committees. BGA&S partners also serve on committees which advise the board of directors of numerous real estate associations, including RSA, CHIP, ABO, SPONY, and the Real Estate Board of New York, and also serve on Civic Court and Landlord-Tenant related committees of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, New York County Lawyers Association, and the New York State Bar Association.

In addition to Borah, Goldstein, Altschuler & Schwartz, the firm's other principal partners include Edward Siegel, Todd Nahins, Georgia Malone, Jeffrey Metz, Bradley Silverbush, Edward Baer, Lewis Lindenberg and Robert Berman.

With such an abundance of legal talent, it's little wonder that BGA&S has stayed on top in New York's challenging Landlord-Tenant housing arena.