Maximillian R. Mahalek
“Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood.” – Daniel Burnham (Architect and City Planner)
Max is an Associate in the Firm’s Land Use, Zoning & Development, and Digital Infrastructure groups. He counsels clients in a wide range of local and state permitting matters and regularly represents applicants before administrative and legislative bodies. He also guides clients through the SEQRA review process and provides counsel in relation to development agreements, easements, and deed restrictions.
While at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law, Max received the Distinguished Service Award from the highly regarded Land Use Law Center. Max also served as a Judicial Intern for the Honorable Dora L. Irizarry, Chief Judge for the Eastern District of New York, and interned for the Village of Ossining, NY Corporation Counsel, as well as for Johnson, Haslun & Hogeman, a boutique land use law firm in Greenwich, CT.
Education
- Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, J.D., magna cum laude, 2019
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Bachelor of the Arts in Urban Planning, 2014
- Master of Urban Planning, 2015
Admissions/Courts
- New York
- Connecticut
Awards + Recognitions
- Super Lawyers® New York Metro Edition Rising Stars (2025 and 2026)
- Recipient of the Distinguished Young Attorney Award, Pace Land Use Law Center (2025)
- Distinguished Service Award, Land Use Law Center, Elisabeth Haub School of Law (2019)
- Eagle Scout, Boy Scouts of America (2008)
Professional Associations
- American Planning Association, Planning & Law Division – Chair (2024–2026), Chair-Elect (2023–2024), Secretary and Treasurer (2020–2022).
- White Plains, NY Bar Association; Board Member, 2023-Present
Presentations + Publications
“New and Wide-Ranging Implications for Land Use Exactions: Application of the Supreme Court’s Decision in Sheetz v. County of El Dorado, California”
New York Zoning Law and Practice Report
Co-author
June – 2026
“Affirmatively furthering affordable housing and obligations under the Fair Housing Act (FHA)”
National Planning Association Annual Online Conference
Moderator
May 27, 2026
“U.S. Supreme Court Adopts More Scrutiny for Exactions: What It Means for Developers and Planners”
Pace University Land Use Law Conference
Panelist
December 5, 2025
“New York State Wetlands Regulation Changes”
New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) Annual Meeting
Panelist
January 16, 2025
“From Euclid to Darwin: The Unavoidable Evolution of Zoning in the Post-COVID-19 World”
New York State Bar Association Journal (2020)
From the Blog
Community Service
- Advisory Board Member; Urban Land Institute, Westchester/Fairfield Chapter (2021-Present)
- Fellow, Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress (2019-2020)
Related Updates
Client Successes • Jun 18, 2026
28 Pearl Street Development Breaks Ground on New Residential Project in Port Chester
Construction is underway on a new nine-story residential development at 28 Pearl Street in Port Chester, following a groundbreaking ceremony attended by members of the project team, including Cuddy + Feder attorneys Anthony Gioffre and Daniel Patrick. Representing 28 Pearl Street Development LLC, the Cuddy + Feder team successfully guided the project through the entitlement process, securing the approvals and permits necessary to move the development forward. The project, a ...
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News + Events • Jun 25, 2026
