smitnick@gfrlaw.com
410-576-4107
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Business
Energy & Environmental
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Real Estate
Searle was named to Best Lawyers 2020 for Real Estate Law.
I believe that the most important thing in life is relationships.
For fifty years, Searle has gained a regional reputation providing legal counsel to real estate and business clients, including commercial real estate developers, residential apartment owners, and borrowers and lenders in loan transactions and workouts. He has formed entities such as partnerships, limited liability companies and corporations which own and operate real estate and other businesses and has handled major leasing transactions representing national and local landlords and tenants in office buildings and retail centers.
Searle's experience includes handling matters involving bond financing and mortgage insurance and/or subsidies from HUD and agencies of the State of Maryland. He has completed transactions involving development and financing of many projects containing thousands of units. He has provided counsel in the creation of numerous condominium developments.
Searle has represented mortgage companies and banks with regard to acquisition, development and construction financing of real estate; represented sellers of real property to real estate investment trusts (REITS) and represented REITS. He has represented major institutional clients in the sale and acquisition of large mixed-use projects.
Searle’s real estate experience includes matters that involve solar projects representing property owners and solar developers.
Searle has appeared in court as an expert witness on a number of occasions on cases involving real estate, business, and professional liability matters. He has been a frequent presenter for numerous industry and professional seminars, including the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, the Real Estate Section of the Maryland State Bar Association, the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) Law Conference, and the Maryland Institute for Continuing Professional Education for Lawyers (MICPEL).
Searle also serves a number of clients as a trusted family advisor, often in a trustee capacity. He is experienced in dealing with as many as three generations of families and assisting them with the myriad types of issues that frequently arise. Searle confers regularly with Gordon Feinblatt’s trust and estate, business and tax lawyers in arriving at creative solutions for their planning and administrative needs.
Prior to joining Gordon Feinblatt in 2003, Searle was a partner in the Baltimore law firm of Tydings & Rosenberg LLP. Immediately prior to joining Tydings & Rosenberg, he was a partner in the firm of Kaplan, Heyman, Greenberg, Engelman, Belgrad, P.A. Before joining Kaplan, he served as a law clerk to the Honorable Frederick J. Singley, Jr. of the Court of Appeals of Maryland.
Fellow, American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL)
AV Preeminent™ rating in Martindale-Hubbell®
Named to Best Lawyers in America® for Real Estate Law since 2007
Named to Maryland Super Lawyers® for Real Estate Law and Business/Corporate Law since 2012 and 2007-2009
Member, American Bar Association, Real Property Section
Member, Maryland State Bar Association, Real Property Section Council
Member, Maryland State Bar Association Board of Governors
Member, Bar Association of Baltimore City
Past President, Maryland Institute for Continuing Professional Education of Lawyers (MICPEL)
J.D., University of Pennsylvania Law School, 1969
B.S., Loyola College, 1966
U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Tax Court
Maryland, 1969