ATTORNEYS AT LAW

Leon I. Behar P.C

Tel: (212) 242-0500

Leon I. Behar, Esq.


Mr. Behar is the founding member of the Firm and a senior litigator.

Mr. Behar has tried innumerable landlord-tenant cases, including complicated non-primary residence, owner occupancy proceedings, illegal sublet, nuisance, non-payment, squatter proceedings, declaratory actions, and ejectment actions.  Leon also advises clients on real estate transactions, including real estate sales and purchases, leases, and Section 1031 exchanges.  Additionally, Leon negotiates and drafts contracts and lease agreements, reviews financing documents, and performs real estate closings.  Leon also helps defend clients against mortgage foreclosure, pro bono.  No matter how small you think your legal rights are, we take your rights seriously and will advocate passionately on your behalf.  For over 25 years in mind, Leon has his clients best interests in mind at all times.

When it comes to corporate litigations, there's no such thing as "Mr. Nice Guy."  Whether Leon has brought suit to pierce the corporate veil and recover damages from shareholders' assets, sue corporate officers for breach of fiduciary duties, or bring suit for an accounting of the books and records, Leon is a fierce litigator.  

Mr. Behar is admitted to practice in both the State and Federal Courts of New York and New Jersey and is a member of the New York State Bar Association. He is a former member of the Judiciary and Supreme Court Committees of the New York County Lawyers Association and Association of the City Bar of New York.

Leon was born in Santa Clara, Cuba and migrated to the United States in 1962. After graduating Yeshiva University, cum laude, double majoring in history and sociology, Mr. Behar attended the University of Pennsylvania Law School where he graduated in 1981. After graduation, Mr. Behar focused on practicing Real Estate Law, representing landlords and tenants for over 20 years in all aspects of trial practice in the Civil and Supreme Courts, Federal Courts, and appellate litigation.  Mr. Behar also represents New York landlords and tenants in a administrative law matters, including legal issues administered by New York State and City agencies (e.g. Division of Housing and Community Renewal, Division of Human Rights, Department of Housing Preservation and Development).

Mr. Behar began his career at the firm of Bachner, Tally, Misher & Polovey and later joined the firm of Rosenberg & Estis, P.C. After a few years at Rosenberg & Estis, Mr. Behar joined Jacobs and Zinns.  From 1990 - 1995, he was Vice-President of Behar & Greer, P.C., where he headed the firm’s Real Estate litigation department. In 1995, Mr. Behar became President of Leon I. Behar, P.C.

Mr. Behar’s expertise and dedication has established Leon I. Behar, P.C. as one of New York City’s leading real estate litigation firms. He is frequently Of Counsel to many New York City attorneys in landlord-tenant matters.



Susan Kuznicki, Esq.


Ms. Kuznicki graduated Brooklyn Law School in 1994 and was admitted to the Bar of the State of New York in 1995. She is a magna cum laude graduate of Brooklyn College with honors in economics. During law school, Ms. Kuznicki worked as an intern for Brooklyn Legal Services’ Senior Citizen Law Office assisting clients with state and federal entitlement programs, representing elderly citizens in nonpayment and holdover proceedings, lease renewals and settlement agreements. After graduating law school, Ms. Kuznicki worked for one year for a practitioner of Social Security Disability Benefits and Workers’ Compensation Benefits, performing legal research, writing memoranda and pleadings, and attended prehearing conferences and administrative hearings in claims for Disability Benefits.

Ms. Kuznicki began working for Leon I. Behar, P.C. as an associate on September 1, 1995 and became a junior partner in January 2002. Ms. Kuznicki deals with an array of landlord-tenant matters. She represents residential and commercial property owners, as well as tenants, in all aspects of landlord-tenant matters before the New York State Civil, Supreme and Appellate Courts, and the United States Bankruptcy Court. Ms. Kuznicki has considerable experience in nonpayment and holdover proceedings, lease renewals, lease enforcement, negotiations with opposing counsel, preparing pleadings and discovery demands, drafting and researching motions and legal memoranda and conducting oral argument at numerous hearings before judges in New York State Supreme and Civil Courts.



Nicole Ausubel, Esq.


Ms. Ausubel is a 2010 St. John’s University Law  School graduate and admitted member of the Bar of the State of New York and New Jersey. During law school, Ms. Ausubel was secretary of the Latin American Law Student Association and was awarded the CALI award for excellence in legal writing seminar. She is a dean’s list graduate of the University of Maryland with a major in Government and Politics and was a member of the Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society.

During law school, Ms. Ausubel  worked as an intern for the Hon. Esther M. Morgenstern  who is one of the New York Supreme Court Justices in the Integrated Domestic Violence Court. Also, during Law School, Ms. Ausubel clerked for the law offices of Barton R. Resnicoff assisting clients with their matrimonial problems, and researching issues of law relating to child support, maintenance agreements and stipulations of settlement.

Ms. Ausubel currently deals with an array of landlord-tenant matters researching issues of law concerning residential and commercial property owners, as well as tenants. Ms. Ausubel is proficient in Spanish.