Holland & Knight Announces Janis Schiff Appointed Section Leader of the Firm's National Real Estate Section
October 10, 2007
Janis Boyarsky Schiff- Washington
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Holland & Knight announced today that Janis Schiff, a partner in the firm's Washington, D.C. office, has been appointed Section Leader of the firm's 250-lawyer Real Estate Section by Holland & Knight Managing Partner Howell W. Melton Jr. The appointment is effective January 2008.
"I am tremendously pleased to appoint Janis to the important position of Section Leader for our firm's Real Estate Section, the largest group of real estate lawyers in the country," said Melton. "Janis possesses exceptional talent, energy and drive along with the proven leadership skills necessary to be an outstanding leader for our national Real Estate Section."
Schiff has extensive experience representing both landlords and tenants in commercial leasing of shopping centers, office buildings, restaurants, business parks, warehouses and unimproved land. Her practice also focuses on lease workouts and restructurings, acquisition and sales contracts for improved and unimproved properties, development agreements, reciprocal easement and operating agreements, partnership agreements, condominium documents and real estate financing, including borrower and lender representation.
She has held a number of leadership roles within Holland & Knight, currently serving as National Marketing Partner and as a member of the Practice Management Committee. She also coordinates the firm's Rising Stars mentoring and leadership program for women lawyers, which she founded in 2001. Previously, Schiff served on the firm's Directors Committee from 2001 to 2005; as Real Estate Deputy Section Leader from 2003 to 2005; and as Team Leader for the Retail Development Team from 2001 to 2003.
Schiff is also actively involved in a number of prominent national organizations within the real estate industry. She has served as the State Director, Government Affairs Chair, and State Operations Chair for the Maryland/D.C./Northern Virginia Chapter of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). She is a past president of the Suburban Maryland Chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) and is an active member of Women in Retail Real Estate (WIRRE). Schiff has also served on the Washington, D.C. District Council of the Urban Land Institute. She is an Adjunct Professor at the Johns Hopkins University Berman Real Estate Institute and is on the Board of the Georgetown University Law School Advanced Commercial Leasing Institute.
Schiff was recognized by the 2006 and 2007 edition of Chambers USA as an outstanding real estate lawyer. In 2005, she was recognized by the Washington Business Journal as a finalist for the Top Washington Lawyer in Real Estate and received the 2004 Outstanding Achievement Award from the District of Columbia Chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women. She is a frequent author and lecturer on leasing and general real estate transactional topics.
Contact: Susan Bass (813) 769-4326