Time for another installment of Lawyerly Lairs, in which we follow the high-end real estate purchases of high-profile attorneys. Today’s subject is Allen Grubman, the hotshot entertainment lawyer with oodles of celebrity clients, who has become a celebrity in his own right.

From the New York Observer:

[The Grubmans] paid $3.07 million for a condo and two storage rooms at 200 Chambers Street, a glitzy new development in Tribeca.

Their new plush place has 2,201 square feet, not including those two storage spaces. Mr. Grubman can drive down in his 1961 Jaguar convertible, a gift from his wife.

The monster Park Avenue music lawyer, whose clients include Springsteen and U2, plus Martha Stewart and Barbara Walters, might have heard about the place from his wife, Corcoran Group power broker Deborah Grubman.

Sounds pretty faboo, right? Well, not so fast….

From real estate blog Curbed:

[O]ver at the Wired New York forum, they’ve been trashing the place. Writes monknyc, “The interior courtyard, with its puny waterfall, resembles the plaza design of a New Jersey suburban office building… Given the lackluster design and poor material quality, the people behind 200 Chambers Street should get up off their high horse and quit insisting that it’s a premier luxury building.”

As a celebrity lawyer, Allen Grubman understands the power of publicity. His daughter, Lizzie Grubman, is a queen of public relations (even though she’s had some bad publicity herself).

Could his purchase be intended to generate favorable buzz for 200 Chambers Street — and help move some inventory for his broker wife Deborah, who currently has two listings in the building? How long will the Grubmans hold on to their condo before flipping it? We’re pegging the over/under at about eight months.

Mom and Pop Grubman Go Downtown—The Boss’ Lawyer Buys Tribeca Condo [New York Observer]
200 Chambers St. Nearly Half Full [Curbed]
200 Chambers Street [official website]