Margaret D. Baisley

Margaret D. Baisley, Esq. specializes in a wide variety of real estate transactions throughout the New York area. For over 35 years, she has represented clients in buying, selling, leasing, mortgaging and developing all types of properties: from small cooperative apartments to  multi-million-dollar construction projects, from New York City to Montauk to Woodstock and beyond.

Working in our SoHo office, Margaret Baisley and her team are experienced and knowledgeable in all phases of cooperative, condominium and real property law. They have assisted thousands of clients with their real estate transactions. Margaret represents over 50 cooperative and condominium building owners in Manhattan and Brooklyn and has prepared Offering Plans to convert buildings to condominium or cooperative ownership in New York City. She has been active in retail and office leasing, with a specialty in downtown Manhattan areas, particularly SoHo, NoHo, Tribeca, Greenwich Village and Chelsea. Last year her team refinanced over 40 underlying building mortgages on properties throughout the City.

For many years, Margaret represented many artists and non-artists living in Joint Living/Working Quarters and seeking to be certified by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in order to occupy lofts in Soho and Noho. She represents many buildings which are Interim Multiple Dwellings and registered under the Loft Law. Her firm worked closely with local groups and governmental officials regarding the rezoning of SoHo and NoHo in 2021 and she continues to work with the NYC Department of Buildings, the City Planning Commission, the Landmarks Preservation Commission and related agencies to facilitate the conversion of lofts to legal residential occupancy.

Margaret is a member of the Board of Directors of the SoHo Initiative, a not-for-profit Business Improvement District association that represents businesses, residents, retail stores and offices along the Broadway corridor in SoHo. The BID works to promote clean streets, improve working conditions and reduce noise and traffic congestion in the district.

She is also a volunteer member of Earthwatch, a not-for-profit organization that funds projects to study climate change and biodiversity,  promote conservation and preserve critical habitats. Margaret has worked on many Earthwatch projects throughout Africa, Asia and South America, including studying elephants in Namibia; tracking rhinos in Zimbabwe, Argali sheep in Outer Mongolian and jaguars in Brazil; researching lemurs in Madagascar; and rescuing orangutans in Borneo.

At home, Margaret enjoys exploring all that New York City has to offer, from dance and jazz concerts to restaurants and farmer’s markets.

Member, New York City Bar Association

Cooperative and Condominium Committee and Real Property Law Committee, New York State Bar Association

International Law Committee, Real Property and Probate Committee, American Bar Association

Board of Directors, Audit Committee/Zoning Committee, SoHo Initiative (Broadway Business Improvement District)

SoHo and NoHo Emerge as Next Rezoning Battleground,as City Aims to Add More Affordable Housing, Spectrum News NY1, January 2021.

New poll shows SoHo locals back rezoning push, REAL ESTATE WEEKLY, December 2019.

A Possible Rezoning Raises Questions About the Future of SoHO, Commercial Observer, October 2019.

Soho/Noho rezoning: Non-artist residents, retail remain focus, The Villager, July, 2019.

Outdated regulations shackling SoHo and NoHo, Crain’s New York Business, May 2019.

Tensions running high a city looks to rezone Soho, Uptown Radio, March, 2019

“The Treasure Trove on the Ground Floor”, The New York Times, April 2013.

Illegal Living….In Multi Million Dollar SoHo Lofts, Forbes, July 2012.

“Push to Count SoHo Artists Stirs, Debate”, The Wall Street Journal, July 2012.

Group Hunts Non-Artists Wrongly Living in SoHo and NoHo Lofts, dnainfo new york, April 2012

Wealth, Beauty and Their Many Lovers. The New York Times, November 2011.

Group pushes to rezone SOHO, The Villager, June 2011.

Virtual in the City: SoHo AIRpocalypse, NearSay, June 2011.

Loft Overhaul Urged in Soho, NEW YORK REAL ESTATE, June 2011.

Art attack pains SoHo realty sellers, New York Post, June 2011.

Trying to rezone Soho, from the ground up, downtown express, June 2011

Another look at Soho’s A-I-R requirements, WARBURG, April 2011.

Soho residents wrangle over BID, The Villager, March 2011.

Non-artist residents feel like “criminals” in SoHo, downtown express, January 2011.

Loft Clauses, NEW YORK REAL ESTATE, July 2007.

In a Changed SoHo, Legal Pentimento, The New York Times, June 2003.

Ruling favors art tenant in SoHo eviction dispute, downtown express, October 2003.