Amy McClain > Ballard Spahr LLP > Baltimore, United States > Lawyer Profile

Ballard Spahr LLP ‘delivers an excellent blend of thorough knowledge of the law with commercial business savviness’, led by a sizeable national group of real estate and real estate finance experts, which includes Siobhan O’Donnell in Los Angeles; Thomas Hauser and Amy McClain in Baltimore together with Dominic De Simone in Philadelphia. The team is active on structuring, negotiating, documenting, closing, and servicing a broad range of real estate finance transactions, and routinely represent REITs and developers as borrowers in single- and multi-property loan transactions as well as in joint venture and preferred equity transactions. The firm has also expanded its work in the distressed assets and opportunities space.

Ballard Spahr LLP represents leading banks, special servicers, private equity firms, REITs, CMBS lenders, and borrowers in the full breadth of complex transactional, leasing and development work. It is particularly known for its strength in land use, tax structuring, condominiums and hospitality resort developments. Department chair Amy McClain sits in the Baltimore office, with complementary assistance from Mary Jo George and Molly Bryson in Washington DC, head of its housing finance and affordable housing teams, respectively. James Walston in Minneapolis focuses on real estate development. For hotel developments and distressed assets, Christopher Payne in Denver and Dominic De Simone in Philadelphia, are recommended.

Ballard Spahr LLP combines the wider real estate department’s multi-disciplinary capabilities to undertake a broad range of mandates in the space, with emphasis on strong performance across zoning and land use, leasing, complex development, finance and construction. Highlights for the group include strong work in historic preservation and environmental issues, on behalf of leading business, civic leaders, community and governmental clients. Baltimore’s Amy McClain is a key point of contact as chair of the firm’s real estate department, while Matthew McClure  heads up the land use and zoning team and emphasizes his practice on development, zoning and historic preservation issues. The office was also bolstered by the elevation of Ashley De Luca to partner in 2022. David Gest  has left the firm.