The Hamptons – Montauk beach (by David Lat).
When you think of lawyerly lairs in the Hamptons, your mind probably reels. You imagine a Biglaw partner’s $6 million mansion (now worth more like $8 million), or the $11 million retreat of a highly successful (but ethically challenged) plaintiffs’ attorney.
So it might come as a pleasant surprise to learn that one can buy a place in the Hamptons for under $1 million. It might not be in the toniest town, or right on the beach, or south of the highway. But if you have a car — and of course you have a car, if you’re going to be summering in the Hamptons — then you can still enjoy the pristine beaches and charming towns that have made the Hamptons famous. (Yes, you’ll have to put up with a certain amount of Hamptons douchery, but even that can’t spoil the natural beauty.)
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Buying a Hamptons place for under $1 million was the mission of John Minardo and Jeff Sniggs, the latest subjects of Joyce Cohen’s addictive New York Times column, The Hunt:
Mr. Minardo, 42, a lawyer for a pharmaceutical company, decided that the summer rent [they paid in East Hampton] was so high that they might as well buy a place. Mr. Sniggs, 37, who is from Utah and pursuing a doctor of pharmacy degree, liked the idea of escaping from the city on weekends year round.
They sought a house that was large enough for friends and family — at least three bedrooms — with a pool or space to add one. Their budget was up to $700,000.
In case you’re curious, the pharma company that employs Minardo appears to be Novartis. Minardo handles a wide range of matters for the company, and he has an impressive background:
John Minardo (via NYCID)
John provides general business counseling, corporate governance, regulatory and advertising counseling, antitrust, litigation and compliance counseling. John is a Member of the Novartis Vaccines North America Management Team and Global Legal Leadership Team. He has served in this role since 2012….
Prior to joining Novartis [in 2007], John worked as an Associate for Kaye Scholer, LLP, a law firm based in New York City from September 2001 to October 2007. He specialized is complex litigation matters, including products liability, white collar criminal defense, commercial litigation, bankruptcy litigation and securities litigation.
John graduated with honors in 1997 from Boston College, with a degree in Political Science. He attended the London School of Economics in 1995. In 2001, John received a law degree from Brooklyn Law School, where he was an Articles Editor of the Brooklyn Law Review and a member of the Moot Court Honors Society.
John Minardo sounds like a true problem solver. But was he up to the challenge of finding a home in the Hamptons for just $700,000? Let’s find out….