Sahn Ward Braff Coschignano

Michael H. Sahn is a Co-Managing Member of the Firm. He concentrates his practice in the areas of zoning and land use, real estate law and transactions, corporate, municipal and environmental law. He also represents the firm's clients in civil litigation and appeals.

Mr. Sahn is a Member of the Board of Advisors of Northwell Health System. He also serves as Chairman of the Board of Zoning Appeals of the Incorporated Village of Flower Hill. He is a Member of the Nassau County Bar Association, and currently serves as the Chairman of the Bar Association’s Government Relations Committee. Previously he served as the Co-Chair of the Real Property Law Committee and as Chairman of the Administrative Agencies Committee. He is frequently invited to lecture before professional groups in his areas of expertise. He also is a regular contributor of editorial and opinion articles to Innovate Long Island.

Mr. Sahn began his legal career as a Deputy Town Attorney of the Town of North Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, in 1977. At the Town of North Hempstead, Mr. Sahn served as Counsel to the Board of Zoning and Appeals from 1978 through 1979, and as Senior Deputy Town Attorney in 1979. He then served as Commissioner of Planning and Research Development for the Town of North Hempstead from 1979 to 1981. In 1981, he joined the law firm of Margiotta & Ricigliano in Uniondale, New York, where he served as a partner of the firm. Additionally, from 1984 through 1997, Mr. Sahn served as Associate Counsel to New York State Senator Michael J. Tully, Jr. representing the Seventh Senate District in the New York State Senate. From 1997 to 1998, he served as Associate Counsel to New York State Senator Michael Balboni, also representing the Seventh Senate District in the New York State Senate.

For every year from 2010 through 2024, Mr. Sahn has been selected to the list of New York Metro Super Lawyers, being recognized in the practice area of Land Use/Zoning. Mr. Sahn was recognized for inclusion in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® in Land Use and Zoning Law. In 2011, he received the Leadership in Law Award from Long Island Business News. He also received awards from other media outlets, including recognition as a Top Business Leader of Nassau County in 2022 from Blank Slate Media and was named to Long Island Business News Top Law Influencers of 2023 and 2024. Mr. Sahn was also recognized by The Herald as one of the Top Chief Officers in 2024.

Mr. Sahn holds an AV Preeminent Rating from Martindale-Hubbell and was named to the 2022 and 2023 AV Preeminent Attorney-Judicial Edition. He is peer rated for the highest level of professional excellence.

Mr. Sahn was admitted to practice in the State of New York in 1977 and was subsequently admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York in 1978, and the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in 1980. He is also admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court.

Mr. Sahn graduated from The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan with High Distinction and from Indiana University School of Law, Bloomington, Indiana, Cum Laude.

Practice Areas

Zoning and Land Use

Real Estate Law and Transactions

Environmental Law

Municipal Law and Legislative Practice

Corporate Law

Litigation and Appeals

Memberships

Member, Northwell Health System Board of Advisors

Previously Trustee, Northwell Health System

Previously Member, Community Board, Southside Hospital

Chairman, Board of Zoning Appeals, Incorporated Village of Flower Hill

Member, Nassau County Bar Association

Chair, Government Relations Committee

Previously Co-Chair, Real Property Law Committee

Previously Chairman, Administrative Agencies Committee of Nassau County Bar Association (1983–1985)

Member, Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York

Bar Admissions

State of New York

Court Admissions

U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York

U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York

United States Supreme Court

Education

University of Michigan (with High Distinction)

Indiana University School of Law (cum laude)

“Challenging year ahead for Long Island Public Schools” (August 8, 2025)
“Deregulation: Cutting red tape is not so black-and-white” (June 13, 2025)
“Concerns Mount as Lawmakers Increasingly Rely on AI” (April 18, 2025)
“Time to Add Nuclear Back to Long Island’s Energy Mix” (February 28, 2025)
“From NYC, a Golden Chance to Build an ‘Island of Yes’” (January 10, 2025)
“As Faith in Election Integrity Wanes, Leaders Must Lead” (November 1, 2024)
“LI Braces for Change After Monumental Chevron Decision” (September 13, 2024)
“New Ideas Needed as LI Affordable-Housing Debate Rages” (June 28, 2024)
“As Huge Trials Unfold, Little Details Can Play a Big Part” (May 3, 2024)
“The Need for (and Dangers of) Social Media Regulation” (March 8, 2024)
“In Government, An Age-Old Issue with No Easy Solution” (January 5, 2024)
“With the House at Stake, NY’s Redistricting War Rages” (October 13, 2023)
“The Climate’s Already Changed. Will LI Land-Use Laws?” (August 11, 2023)
“As Fatalities Rise, Stiffer DWI Laws Are Just the Ticket” (June 9, 2023)
“As AI Evolves, The Battle for Control Begins in Court” (March 3, 2023)
“Hochul Comes Out Swinging in Rekindled Housing Fight” (January 13, 2023)
“Conservative SCOTUS’s Next Target: Affirmative Action” (November 11, 2022)
“Long Island’s Strong Case for Parking-Mandate Reform” (August 19, 2022)
“Now Hear This: In Zoning, Public Participation Is Busted” (May 27, 2022)
“EV Ambitions Are Nice—But What’s the Action Plan?” (April 15, 2022)
“Legal Levity Abounds, Even In Cold, Calculating Courts” (March 4, 2022)
“Use It or Lose It: LI’s Affordable Housing Crossroads” (December 3, 2021)
“SCOTUS: It All Hangs In the Balance (Or Lack Thereof)” (October 15, 2021)
“Risk, Opportunity In COVID/Climate Change Combo” (September 2, 2021)
“So Much to Gain, Everything to Lose In Offshore Wind” (June 11, 2021 edition)
“As Pandemic Ends, Zoning Laws Must Deal with Reality” (March 19, 2021 edition)
“As Interests Align, Expect ‘Net Zero’ Investment to Rise” (February 5, 2021 edition)
“COVID’s Tough, But Climate Change Is the Bigger Threat” (December 11, 2020 edition)
“As Voting Evolves, National Voting Law Must Follow” (November 5, 2020 edition)
“Covid Will End, But Land Use Will Be Changed Forever” (October 30, 2020 edition)
“Election Day 2020: America Start Your Chaos” (September 25, 2020 edition)
“This Land Is My Land; Eminent Domain to the Rescue?” (August 21, 2020 edition)
“Understanding Executive Orders (At Least, Trying to)” (July 24, 2020 edition)
“Sustainable Land Use—A Pandemic-Recovery Priority” (June 12, 2020 edition)
“The New War of States, And Why We Might All Lose” (May 8, 2020 edition)
“Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail: A Post Pandemic Blueprint” (March 31, 2020)
“As Climate Changes, A Strong Case for New Land Laws” (January 30, 2020 edition)
“Infrastructure Bonding: Pay Now, Or Pay More Later” (August 18, 2016 edition)
“Big Projects Deserve Environmental Oversight” (April 21, 2016 issue)
“Zoning Laws Must Change to Meet Changing Times” (Jan 9–15, 2016 edition of LIBN)
“Ripeness for Land Use Disputes – Williamson is Here to Stay” (September 2016 issue)
“When Is A Local Land Use Dispute Ripe for Federal Court Review?” (October 2015 issue)
“Resiliency and Sustainability – Can Long Island Follow New York City's Lead?” (July 16, 2013 edition)
“NYC Local Law 84 Data Due May 1” (May 24–June 6, 2011 edition)
“Navigating Unchartered Waters in Land Use Development – Proceeding in the Wake of the Supreme Court's Ruling in Koontz v. St. Johns River Water Management District” (September 2013)
“Interpreting Koontz One Year Later” (September 2014)
Nassau Lawyer, The Journal of the Nassau County Bar Association, entitled, “Leveraging the Power of AI: A Municipal and Land Use Attorney’s Guide to Enhanced Efficiency and Effectiveness” (September 2023, Vol. 73, No. 1)
“Uncertainty of the Administrative State After West Virginia v. EPA” (September 2022, Vol. 72, No. 1)
“Deferential Treatment of Zoning and Land Use Applications” (January 2019, Vol. 68, No. 5)

Featured Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

A $560 million, 288,000‑square‑foot surgical tower in Manhasset—North Shore University Hospital’s Petrocelli Surgical Pavilion—is now complete. Designed to “transform healthcare in the region,” the pavilion will complement the health system’s cardiac, neurosurgery, and transplant programs. Following intensive staff training, patients will relocate to new critical care units, and surgeries are scheduled to begin later this month.

Firm Obtains Key Municipal Approvals for the Construction and Development of New Audi Dealership

Co-Managing Member, Michael H. Sahn, and Associate, Samuel Bifulco, recently obtained key municipal approvals for the construction and development of a state-of-the-art Audi dealership in Westbury. The project began with securing site plan approval from the Town of Oyster Bay Planning Advisory Board and culminated with an approval from the Zoning Board of Appeals granting several key variances, allowing the project to move forward accordingly. This project demonstrates the strategic legal services and guidance we provide in coordinating the approval process for large, complex development projects with a highly talented team of experts and design professionals, our clients’ representatives and municipal officials, boards and agencies to bring the project to reality.

Re-Imagined Shopping Center Coming to Carle Place with Raising Cane Restaurant and DSW Shoe Warehouse

Michael Sahn, Partner Josh Brookstein, and Associate Meaghan Hassan guided approvals from the Town of North Hempstead and other agencies for the creative redevelopment of the commercial center on Old Country Road in Carle Place, where the former Chateau Briand catering and restaurant was located and which remains the home of the DSW Shoe Warehouse. Working with our clients, Scotto Brothers, and a talented team of architectural, land use, engineering, and site plan design consultants, the re‑imagined center will include Long Island’s first Raising Cane restaurant, the DSW with new exterior treatment, a bank, and a new retail and commercial use building. The project took shape through close collaboration with Town and civic officials in a true partnership to bring about a first‑class reuse of the property.

New 45-Unit Waterfront Apartment Building Approvals in Village of Roslyn

Co‑Managing Partner Michael Sahn, along with associate Meaghan Hassan, successfully guided land use and zoning approvals from the Village of Roslyn Board of Trustees for an innovative 45‑unit waterfront apartment building on Hempstead Harbor. After a series of public hearings, our team secured key development incentive bonuses that made this transformative project possible. We are especially grateful to the BOT and building officials of the Village of Roslyn for their thoughtful review and consideration, which will result in a public waterfront walkway connecting the site to downtown Roslyn—a true win for residents and the broader community.

This approval reflects a truly collaborative effort with a standout team: the building’s innovative design by UpStudio, landscape architecture from Bayview Landscape Architecture, civil engineering by Northcoast Civil, and expert traffic analysis by R&M Engineering. It was a pleasure to work alongside each of these firms—and we’re excited to see this vision come to fruition.

Concerns Mount as Lawmakers Increasingly Rely on AI

Artificial intelligence is fast becoming an integral resource in government decision‑making and policy initiatives—a risky proposition at best. Just as in the private sector, AI can transform government services, improve efficiency, and boost productivity. But it can also be misused, leading to faulty decisions and harmful policies with unintended consequences.

Firm Guides Client in Approvals for a New Pickleball Facility

Co-Managing Member, Michael Sahn, and Associate, Samuel Bifulco, secured municipal approvals before the Town of Oyster Bay for the construction of a new pickleball facility, designed to bring expanded recreational and social options to the community. The project includes 7 pickleball courts, social and seating areas, a grab-and-go food station, and a retail space, a unique destination for residents and visitors alike. Michael and Sam first obtained a Special Permit from the Town Board to allow for the recreational use, followed by a Zoning Board of Appeals approval for significant parking-related relief, allowing this vibrant project to move forward. As a firm, we recognize the value of community-driven recreational development across Long Island and are proud to support projects that enhance the quality of life for all those who live, work, and recreate on Long Island.

Michael H. Sahn

Attorney Biography

Professional Profile