Senior Counsel Joel Sachs and Member Patrick O’Sullivan recently handled the closing on a $5M historic mansion located in Irvington, New York, known as Villa Lowero. The Mansion was built in 1919 by Madame C.J. Walker, who was the first female African-American millionaire in the United States. The story of her life will be the subject of a Netflix series to be aired this spring. The purchaser, whom Keane & Beane represented, is an entity owned by Richilieu Dennis, the founder of Shea Moisture (now owned by Unilever) and other women’s cosmetic products. Mr. Dennis also owns Essence Magazine, formerly owned by Time Inc.
Keane & Beane will continue to represent the client in converting Villa Lowero into an educational conference center and museum. Villa Lowero is also subject to a conservation easement held by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, located in Washington D.C.
