Edward (Ned) Sack, ICSC’s very first general counsel, died May 19. He was 89.
Sack was a graduate of Harvard Law School and worked for several organizations before joining ICSC, in its infancy. He oversaw ICSC’s legal matters for some two decades, retiring in 2002. The very next year he received the Trustees’ Distinguished Service Award.
During his tenure at ICSC, Sack played a pivotal role in establishing the government-relations division, now called the Office of Global Public Policy, in Washington, D.C. He also helped organize the association's U.S. and Canadian law conferences, establish its U.S. Law Committee and produce its legal publications and databases. Known for his keen mind and ability to explain complex legal issues in clear, concise language, Sack also coordinated the issuance of amicus briefs related to landmark issues involving shopping centers. He is credited with helping the industry to lobby Congress successfully for the Bankruptcy Code reforms of 2005. Advocates say these reforms helped level the playing field between retailers and landlords involved in bankruptcy proceedings.
“I had the privilege of working closely with Ned for many years at ICSC, where he was in charge of everything legal,” said Norman Kranzdorf, an ICSC past trustee and a charter member of the association. “Ned was a legal genius with a firm grasp on solving legal problems, even before many of us even knew what they were.”
“Ned was very careful and always made sure that everything we did at ICSC was legal and within the scope of a tax-free organization”
Aside from overseeing legal matters, Sacks helped keep ICSC afloat during its early years. He worked with Kranzdorf on a plan to borrow money from some member companies to meet payroll until the association grew large enough, in terms of membership, to cover its costs.
“Ned was very careful and always made sure that everything we did at ICSC was legal and within the scope of a tax-free organization,” said Kranzdorf, a lawyer by training.
Sack and his wife, Sue, who survives him, were married for about six decades and shared an appreciation for classical music and the opera. They lived in Brooklyn Heights, N.Y., where Sack served for years on the board of the former Long Island College Hospital.
Family members, friends and colleagues describe Sack as witty, gentle and unpretentious.
He is survived also by his brother, Paul, and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
By Anna Robaton
Contributor, Commerce + Communities Today