The James, Smith, Dietterick and Connelly, LLP is led by James F. Spade. Jim handles virtually all aspects of real estate law including commercial and residential development work; real estate lending; tax-increment financing; corporate, securities and tax aspects of real estate transactions; commercial leasing, including extensive shopping center, office and industrial leasing on behalf of owners; landlord and tenant enforcement matters; annexation and zoning; environmental law; mortgage and real estate brokerage matters; condominium and homeowner's associations; and real estate workouts.

The firm, through lawyers both within and outside the Real Estate Law Group, also has extensive litigation experience involving a wide range of real estate-related issues, including accounting actions, commercial mortgage foreclosures, problems that arise in bankruptcy and mechanics’ liens which is led by Scott A. Dietterick.

The primary clients of the Real Estate Law Group are real estate development companies, major institutional property owners and real estate lenders. The real estate development companies range from entrepreneurial residential builders to institutional commercial developers. Institutional property owners include those with investment in office buildings and shopping centers. Real estate lending clients include banks, savings and loan associations, mortgage bankers and life insurance companies. The group also handles a substantial number of commercial and residential real estate transactions for clients of the firm whose main business is not in the real estate area.

Land Use/Zoning

In the fields of land use and zoning law, our attorneys have handled simple parking lot variations to high-rise office structures, we have been successful in all aspects of land use regulation and land development innovation. This includes mixed use and planned unit developments, brownfields reuse, real estate tax abatement development incentives, wetlands banking and mitigation, enterprise zones to preserve manufacturing, and tax increment financing districts.

Leasing

We represent lessors, lessees, lenders and underwriters in a full range of leasing transactions. Our clients include leasing companies, banks, and investment banks as arrangers and underwriters. Our lawyers help structure leveraged leases, operating leases and traditional lending. We also work on equipment financings which include offerings of securities. In fact, we work in all aspects of the debtor/creditor relationship, including the negotiation and documentation of sophisticated commercial loans.

Real Estate Lending

We advise banks, savings and loan associations, and insurance companies regarding general real estate lending policies and represent financial institutions in negotiating and making real estate loans, including major commercial loans, for office buildings, hotels and residential projects. Our lawyers also handle foreclosures of all sizes and arrange workouts of loans for properties that are not performing as they should, arrangements that are frequently both extensive and complex. Other lending services include assistance with the preparation and issuance of industrial revenue bonds.

Purchases and Sales

The firm routinely represents buyers and sellers of virtually all types of real estate, including commercial and industrial, farm and residential. A significant portion of the firm’s work is done on behalf of leading commercial and industrial corporations that are not in the real estate field as such, but whose businesses actively involve them in substantial real estate transactions. The firm also represents condominium converters.

For additional information regarding our Real Estate Law Group, please contact James F. Spade or Scott A. Dietterick.