Long Island real estate giants, also father and son, end legal battle with settlement

A multiyear legal battle between father and son real estate developers behind some of Long Island’s most notable assisted living and rental communities has ended in a settlement, according to officials involved in the matter.

Regional real estate developer Scott Burman and principals of B2K Development, including his father, Jan Burman, reached a settlement Tuesday, as first reported in Long Island Business News. The settlement comes after a complex web of multimillion dollar lawsuits and countersuits that first began in 2023, according to documents filed in Nassau and Manhattan supreme courts.

"The disputes have been resolved by mutual agreement," B2K CEO Steven Krieger and Scott Burman both said in statements issued to Newsday on Wednesday.

Terms of the settlement were not disclosed. 

In October 2023, Scott Burman filed suit against B2K and its principals, Chairman Jan Burman, David Burman, president of development, Krieger, Jonathan Weiss, president of construction, and general counsel Craig Masheb, seeking $14 million over allegations they had excluded him from the formation of B2K, according to court documents.

B2K Development was founded in 2022 by the former principals of the Engel Burman Group, the development company best known for its 16 upscale Bristal Assisted Living communities on Long Island.

Jan Burman co-founded Engel Burman in 1999. Scott Burman joined Engel Burman in 2001, legal filings showed.

The 2023 complaint alleges that officials with B2K had "schemed to unlawfully expel [Scott Burman] from the very business," he was "critical to developing and maintaining for over two decades," according to court filings.

In a February 2024 counter suit filed against Scott Burman by at least 20 other business entities associated with principals at B2K Development, the plaintiffs sought more than $15 million in compensatory damages and $7.5 million in punitive damages, court documents show.

The plaintiffs alleged that Scott Burman had failed "to devote the appropriate time and effort to Plaintiffs’ projects in violation of his contractual and fiduciary duties," and were seeking to "claw back" millions of dollars paid to Burman in the form of distributions and salary, the suit showed.

In 2024, Scott Burman went on to found Burman Real Estate and has built a $500 million development pipeline across the New York metro area, focused on the development of retail, transit-oriented housing and senior living.

“I look forward to devoting my full attention to Burman Real Estate and the work we are doing to support the long-term vitality of our communities here on Long Island and throughout the region,” Burman said in a statement issued to Newsday.

The legal contests ultimately concluded after three years and 8 lawsuits.

Following the legal battle, a company spokesperson for B2K said in a statement that the development firm "will continue to sustain and expand its pursuit of growth opportunities both on and off the island."

Leaders in local real estate and economic development said the settlement is good for Long Island’s economic growth.

'Whether you are a senior seeking to age in place or a resident seeking a beautiful beachfront apartment, the Burman, Krieger and Weiss families have been creating homes for decades on Long Island," said Kyle Strober, executive director of the Association for a Better Long Island, a leading economic development advocacy organization.

ABLI represents major commercial, industrial and residential real estate developers, landlords, real estate attorneys and financial professionals, according to its website.

"Business partners disagree in all industries, so this mutual agreement allows both entities to move forward and create housing to strengthen our region's economic viability," Strober said Wednesday.