Landlord-Tenant Basics Made Easy: Essential Legal Strategies

The NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers is the largest statewide trial bar in the US with 5,700+ lawyer and judge members. We are committed to protecting, preserving and enhancing the civil justice system. Our highly acclaimed CLE programming features extraordinary presenters covering the most timely and important topics.

Michael Kohan, Esq., is a graduate of Queens College with a degree in political science and dual minors in history and psychology. He was named to the Dean’s List every semester and graduated magna cum laude. Michael went on to receive his Juris Doctor degree from Hofstra University School of Law, where he was a New York State Bar Association Trial Lawyers Section Statewide Trial Team Champion. As part of his studies, Michael was a student of the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. In 2018, the Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division, Second Department, appointed Michael to the Court’s Committees on Character and Fitness, to which he was reappointed in 2022 and where he continues to serve proudly. As the founding partner of Kohan Law Group, PC, a boutique civil litigation firm, Michael has significant experience handling complex civil litigation matters from inception through trial or settlement. He has proudly volunteered his time as the inaugural member of the personal injury division at Legally Links, a nonprofit organization serving the needy, including indigent widows and widowers. Michael serves as president of the Network of Bar Leaders and has been an adjunct professor of law at Hofstra Law School, teaching trial and litigation skills courses. He is also the former president of the Queens County Brandeis Bar Association.

Adam left a Manhattan law firm and joined Kohan Law Group in 2019, bringing with him his experience in all aspects of commercial and residential real estate litigation and negotiation, with an emphasis on landlord-tenant disputes, as well as general commercial litigation. Adam also has experience in numerous other areas of law, involving civil litigation and transactions, such as personal injury, medical malpractice, matrimonial, and trust and estate litigation. Adam has handled matters in all five boroughs of New York City and Nassau and Suffolk, including appellate courts, and has earned a reputation for being well-versed in the law, yet pragmatic and practical for the purpose of dispute resolution. Adam’s recent career highlights include an appearance in the New York Law Journal for a rare but successful argument in support of a late notice of claim against a municipal entity during the COVID-19 era, CLE courses he taught for the Nassau County Bar Association and Queens County Women’s Bar Association related to recent changes in landlord-tenant law, COVID-19’s significant impact on landlord-tenant law, procedure, and dispute resolution, force majeure and commercial leasing strategies in a post-COVID world, and notices of claims against municipal entities. Adam has been recognized as a New York Metro Super Lawyers Rising Star. Adam earned his Juris Doctor from Hofstra University School of Law. While a student, Adam clerked for a well-known personal injury and medical malpractice firm, as well as for a former administrative law judge who concentrated in personal injury and estate disputes. Adam earned his B.A. in History from Binghamton University, where he was active in the Chabad Jewish Student Center and served as the business manager for a popular student-run on-campus newspaper. Adam is an active board member of the Brandeis Association and a member of the Nassau County Bar Association (NCBA) and has participated in NCBA’s mentorship program, serving local middle school children. In his time outside the office, Adam enjoys spending time with his wife and daughters and is an avid sports fan (Knicks, Mets, and Giants).

Judge Enedina Pilar Sanchez has served as a Housing Court Judge since June 2014. Judge Sanchez was assigned to Bronx County for multiple years, where she presided over the NYCHA Part, including resolution, HP actions, and trials. Currently, she is presiding in the Queens County HP and trial parts. During the global pandemic, her part remained open, and she presided over multiple trials and hearings regarding lockouts and emergency repairs. Prior to her judicial appointment, Judge Sanchez practiced housing law at the Legal Services Offices in South Jersey – a rural setting serving farm migrant workers. She continued practicing housing law in the private sector with a small boutique firm and later as a solo practitioner to incorporate a flexible parenting schedule. Judge Sanchez has also worked with CUNY Law and Community Legal Network Resources, mentoring and providing legal services to housing clinics in underserved communities. Judge Sanchez is the first Cuban-born Housing Court Judge in New York City. Since her arrival in New York, Judge Sanchez has resided in Queens, where she and her beloved husband raised their two adult daughters. In her spare time, Judge Sanchez pursues her passion for the artistry of flamenco dancing.