Profile
Paul Kovachev is an associate in the Real Estate Practice in Greenberg Traurig’s New York office. A licensed certified public accountant and former audit manager for two of the Big Four accounting firms, Paul offers clients a well-rounded understanding of real estate finance and litigation, restructuring and bankruptcy matters.
Paul currently concentrates his practice in sophisticated real estate structures, financings, workouts, restructurings, acquisitions and dispositions of all asset classes of real estate. Paul also has wide-ranging experience representing New York and national real estate owners, managers and developers in all manner of disputes and litigations arising out of the ownership and operation of commercial real estate. Paul helps clients with real estate development fraud investigations and litigations. Other experiences include aircraft finance and acquisitions for major U.S. airlines, project finance, structured finance and offerings, finance leases, sales and leasebacks. Paul has also administered trusts for high-net-worth individuals.
Capabilities
Experience
- Part-Time Law Clerk, Judges Melissa Crane and Lisa Sokoloff, New York State Supreme Court, 2017
- Audit Manager, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ernst & Young LLP, Assurance Asset Management, 2007-2015
- Chief Financial and Compliance Officer, S3 Capital Partners/Spruce Capital Partners, 2015-2017
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA) – NY & IL
Recognition & Leadership
- Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, "Ones to Watch," Real Estate Law, 2025
- Team Member, a Law360 "Real Estate Practice Group of the Year," 2023
- Team Member, U.S. News – Best Lawyers, "Law Firm of the Year: Litigation - Real Estate," 2022
- Legal Aid Society’s Pro Bono Publico Award for outstanding pro bono legal service, 2018
- Association of Certified Fraud Examiners Award, 2006
- Deloitte & Touche Award (Marquette University Accounting Department), 2005
- Member, New York City Bar Association, 2018-Present
- Member, Real Property Law Committee and Structured Finance Committee, 2018-Present
- Volunteer Attorney, EDNY Federal Pro Se Legal Assistance Project, 2024-Present
- Volunteer Attorney, Legal Aid Society, Employment Law Unit, 2018-2019
- Volunteer Attorney, New York Legal Assistance Group, Mobile Legal Help Center and Legal Clinic for Pro Se Litigants in the Southern District of New York, 2015-2019
- Volunteer Attorney, New York State Office of the Attorney General, Economic Justice Division, 2017
- Volunteer Attorney, Legal Services NYC, NYC Bankruptcy Assistance Project, 2015-2016
- Member, Ripple Effect Artists, Inc., Board of Directors, 2015-2016
- Court Liaison, Courtroom Advocates Project, Sanctuary for Families, 2015
- Mentor & Venture Capital Fund Raiser for Start-Ups, Business Mentor NY, 2015
Credentials
- LL.M., Securities & Financial Regulation, Georgetown University Law Center
- J.D., New York Law School
- B.S., magna cum laude, Marquette University
- District of Columbia
- New York
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
- Bulgarian, Native
- German, Conversational
- Russian, Conversational