Philip S. Lapatin is a member of the Real Estate Department and concentrates his practice in the representation of landlords and tenants in commercial leasing transactions. In particular, Mr. Lapatin is counsel to owners of several downtown Boston office buildings.
Mr. Lapatin has been providing legal advice as general counsel to the Greater Boston Real Estate Board and its divisions since 1973, including suits in which rent control ordinances and condominium conversion restrictions were invalidated; the state licensing agency was barred from enforcing a regulation which obligated brokers to become involved in the resolution of deposit disputes; and the City of Boston was prevented from taxing the owners of large buildings in order to fund fire department costs. His work for the Real Estate Board has also brought him before legislative committees and various regulatory agencies.
Mr. Lapatin is the author of The Massachusetts Landlord Survival Guide, a regularly updated explanation of apartment leasing, and the Real Estate Board's Standard Forms Guide and Legal Desk Book. In addition, he has written a series of pamphlets on brokerage law and contributes monthly legal articles to newsletters published by the Real Estate Board's various divisions. He lectures frequently and has been a guest on television and radio programs discussing real estate topics. He also serves as case commentator for the Real Estate Bar Association of Massachusetts, reviewing and analyzing new court decisions of interest to practitioners.
Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Lapatin held various leadership positions in the Real Estate Departments at his previous firms.