Martin Gold

Martin E. Gold is an Adjunct Professor of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, teaching courses at Columbia GSAPP on real estate development law and commercial leasing since 1988. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Law at Columbia Law School, where he teaches a popular law course on Real Estate Development. He received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University (where he was graduating class president and class marshal). He received Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School and a Master of Public Administration degree from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government in a joint degree program and then spent two years as a Ford Foundation Fellow. He was an associate at the law firm of Debevoise & Plimpton. He subsequently became the founder, and the head, of the Economic Development Division of the NYC Law Department and then served as Director of Corporate Law for New York City (1978 to 1985). As the City’s chief corporate and real estate attorney, he supervised City lawyers doing contracts, public finance and various development projects, starting with South Street Seaport and Theater Row and ending with the 42nd Street-Times Square Project. While in government, Mr. Gold was the recipient of grant awards from the Rockefeller Bros. Foundation and The Fund for the City of New York.

In 1985, Mr. Gold joined Sidley Austin LLP, one of the largest and most respected law firms in the world. He has served as a partner and a senior counsel for more than three decades. His practice has focused on all types of real estate (especially complex development) and infrastructure. His clients have included U.S. and foreign governments, developers, large corporations, not-for-profits, financial institutions and various colleges, including Columbia University.