Best Lawyers in District of Columbia, United States for Real Estate Law
Whitney L. Smith is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Real Estate Law. Whitney L., who practices law in Washington, District of Columbia, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Whitney L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Edward L. Wender is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Real Estate Law. Edward L., who practices law in Washington, District of Columbia, has been recognized since 2010. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Edward L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Betsy Karmin's clients rely on her as a trusted business advisor who has extensive knowledge of a wide range of real estate matters as well as a practical "can do" approach to getting deals done. She concentrates her practice on a broad range of commercial real estate transactions, including financing, restructuring, joint ventures, development, leasing, acquisitions and sales. Betsy has extensive experience representing landlords and tenants in office and retail leasing, as well as lenders a...
R. Alex DuFour II is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Real Estate Law. R. Alex, who practices law in Washington, District of Columbia, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which R. Alex is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Robert C. MacKichan Jr. is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Real Estate and Real Estate Law. Robert C., who practices law in Washington, District of Columbia, has been recognized since 2008. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Robert C. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Christine M. Shiker is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Real Estate Law. Christine M., who practices law in Washington, District of Columbia, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Christine M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Christopher J. Reynolds is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Real Estate Law. Christopher J., who practices law in Washington, District of Columbia, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Christopher J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Dara Newman Histed is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Real Estate Law. Dara Newman, who practices law in Washington, District of Columbia, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Dara Newman is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Orlando J. Cabrera is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Real Estate Law. Orlando J., who practices law in Washington, District of Columbia, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Orlando J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
James Grier Hoyt is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Real Estate Law. James Grier, who practices law in Washington, District of Columbia, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which James Grier is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
David C. Silver is a partner in the law firm of Holland & Knight. He practices in the areas of real estate acquisition, development, financing and commercial leasing. His practice includes the representation of large developers, pension funds and institutional owners, as well as large corporations in connection with their real estate activities in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area and nationally. This representation includes the buying, selling, development, financing and/or leasing...
Nelson F. Migdal focuses his practice on hotel acquisitions, operations, development and finance, large mixed-use projects, condo hotels, hotel management agreements, general commercial real estate acquisitions, commercial leasing, lender representation, and the representation of property owners on telecommunications matters. Nelson is experienced in representing clients in connection with matters relating to hotels, commercial real estate, and telecommunications. Nelson's practice emphasizes...
Saba Winston is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Banking and Finance Law and Real Estate Law. Saba, who practices law in Washington, District of Columbia, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Saba is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Nicholas P. Tsimortos is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Real Estate Law. Nicholas P., who practices law in Washington, District of Columbia, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Nicholas P. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Maxwell Hsu is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Real Estate Law. Maxwell, who practices law in Washington, District of Columbia, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Maxwell is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Shanellah Verna Harris is an Associate in the firm’s Commercial Real Estate Development and Finance and Hospitality Practices. Shanellah focuses her practice on matters involving diverse real estate projects and transactions. She has experience drafting and reviewing documents related to new construction, rehabilitation and refinancing projects, including loan documents, lease agreements and legal opinions. Prior to joining Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP, Shanellah practiced at an Am...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.