Warren Estis Latest Victim of Restaurateur Joe Bastianich

THE COMMERCIALOBSE -RVER June 5, 2012 THE WEEKLY NEWSPAPER QF NEW YORK'S COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY $7.00

Warren Estis Somerset's sole purpose for purchasing 85 10th Avenue, the site of a former Nabisco fac Latest Victim of tory, was to flip it for a profit, and the firm Restaurateur Joe objected to Del Posto's below-market rent al rate, Mr. Bastianich claims. Somerset Bastianich would go on to sell8510th Avenue to Related Companies for $430 Million in 2007. Del Restaurateur and noted garbage Posto is still in business. talker Joe Bastianich has used his "It was easily worth spending a few mil new book, Restaurant Man, to slam just lion to get us the fuck out," he writes in the about everybody and anybody-from book. The New York Post's Steve Cuozzo "They hired Warren Estis, who is like to attorney Warren Estis, whom Mr. the fucking antichrist of landlord-tenant Bastianich angrily refers to as "the lawyers. L&T litigation in New York is noto fucking antichrist of landlord-tenant riously vicious and public, and these guys lawyers." were just pure fucking evil. They hired mul And what does Mr. Estis, a partner tiple law firms and tM Hermann GOring of at Rosenberg & Estis, P.C., have to say publicists:' about the Bastianich barb? Well, he's That publicist is Richard Rubenstein, honored. president of Rubenstein Public Relations, Inastatementsentto TheCommercial an insider told The Commercial Observer. Observer, Mr. Estis had this to say: "I think an apology is in order," said Mr. "It is an honor to be in the prestigious Rubenstein when told of the reference. "It's club of those slammed by Bastianich. a hateful comment, which I am sure he really To have him mention me by name years doesn't mean." after the case shows that I represented If referring to a Jewish publicist as my client very well, and in many ways "Goring," a high-ranking member of the it is great marketing." Avenue to private equity group Somerset Nazi party in World War II, wasn't ill-con In the book, Del Posto-Mr. Partners (who Mr. Bastianich refers to ceived enough: One of Mr. Rubenstein's Bastianich's and business partner as "some hedge-fund jerk-offs") for $300 clients is the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Mario Batali's Italian fine-dining million. global Jewish human rights organization restaurant in Chelsea-found itself "[T]he new landlords immediately that "defends the safety of Jews worldwide in a jam in 2005 when then-building launched a lawsuit," Mr. Bastianich writes. and teaches the lessons of the Holocaust co-owner Irwin Cohen sold 85 10th "It was a full-on frontal attack with one pur for future generations," according to its pose only: to chase us out ofthe building and website. -DER close the restaurant." 6 I June 5, 2012 I The Commercial Observer 8 I June 5, 2012 I The Commercial Observer