Erica A. Leatham

Erica A. Leatham, of counsel in the Real Estate Department, possesses extensive experience in local zoning and land-use matters in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan region, including Montgomery, Prince Georges, Howard, Frederick, and Anne Arundel Counties in Maryland and Arlington and Fairfax Counties in Northern Virginia. She is a member of the firm's Commercial Real Estate Recovery, Eminent Domain, Real Estate Development, Real Estate Tax, and Zoning and Land Use Groups.

Ms. Leatham represents clients before Metropolitan D.C. government bodies and agencies and various state and local administrative boards and committees, including the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission Planning Board, planning commissions, historic preservation commissions, boards of appeals, and sign review boards.

The matters on which Ms. Leatham advises include site plans, special exceptions, subdivision approvals, historic preservation, local map amendments, zoning text amendments, master-plan issues, and building permit issues. She has significant experience with agricultural uses, smart-growth concepts, and development, and is a LEED Accredited Professional, as certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.

On the tax side of her practice, Ms. Leatham has handled numerous appeals of real estate tax assessment and negotiated substantial tax reductions. In addition, she advises on commercial purchase and sale contracts, loan agreements, and leases, and regularly drafts easements and reciprocal easement agreements.

Representative Work 

• Served as land-use counsel for a quasi-governmental agency in the State of Maryland
• Advised several major developers in implementation of Fallsgrove, in Rockville, Maryland, including about 1 million square feet of commercial development and 1,100 residential units
• Assisted Combined Properties, Inc., in planning and zoning analysis, and in advocacy with the community, planning staff, and elected/appointed officials related to the transit-oriented White Flint Sector Plan, Montgomery County, Maryland
• Represented Lerner Enterprises in development of the Fallsgrove Hilton Garden Inn, Executive Plaza, and Corporate Center; assisted in obtaining a high-level amendment to entitlements, and in negotiations with the community, planning staff, and elected officials
• Represented Triumph Development LLC in the development of 4901 Hampden Lane, a boutique condominium building near a transit station in Bethesda, Maryland; assisted in obtaining zoning approval and entitlements for the project, which was originally denied rezoning
• Represented a Maryland-based custom homebuilder and developer in the redevelopment of an operating quarry in Potomac, Maryland, as a townhouse and single-family homes project, requiring community outreach and plan revisions driven by changes in the economy
• Represented a large religious institution in the analysis and viability of various properties for relocation, including community outreach and management of a team of consultants
• Advocated on behalf of a large, privately held development firm in revision of the Montgomery County Master Plan
• Analyzed potential sites for a large institutional user and led the entitlement process
• Represented a private developer in a real estate tax appeal centered on the value of partially entitled holdings
  

Professional Activities

Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Maryland Suburban blog (marylandsuburbancrew.org/blog), contributing member

CREW National Capital Committee, Immediate past Chair

CREW Maryland Suburban, past President

Leadership Montgomery, Class of 2009

National Association of Industrial and Office Properties, Maryland Chapter

Maryland-National Capital Building Industry Association

Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce

Recognition & Accomplishments

Named among 2012's Top 100 Women in Maryland by The Daily Record, in recognition of "high-achieving Maryland women who are making an impact through their leadership, community service and mentoring"

Recipient, 2010 Commercial Real Estate Women Network's "20 Under 40" award, recognizing leaders in commercial real estate

Recipient, 2010 Washington Business Journal's 2010 "40 Under 40" award, honoring professionals based on business success and community involvement; one of only three attorneys to receive the award in 2010

2008-2009 Class of Leadership Montgomery

Recipient, 2008 Bisnow Real Estate "35 Under 35" award

Recipient, 2007 Bisnow on Business "One to Watch" award

Recipient, 2005 Washington Business Journal's "Top Washington Lawyers, Young Gun" award

Publications

"Legislature Extends Plan Validity Periods," Maryland-National Capital Building Industry Association BUILDING magazine, May/June 2010

"Green Homes and Building Codes – One of These Things is Not Like the Other," Maryland-National Capital Building Industry Association BUILDING magazine, December 2009

"Easements 101," Maryland-National Capital Building Industry Association BUILDING magazine, January/February 2008

"Keep Local Changes on Your Radar," Land Development Today, July/August 2007

"A Check on Sprawl?" Legal Times, December 4, 2006

Speaking Engagements

Panelist, Urban Innovation Series 2012 ULI Spring Meeting, May 9, 2012

Mentor, "Learn from the Best," ULI Washington Young Leaders Group, Washington, D.C., February 28, 2012 

Panelist, "Rockville's Pike Master Plan: Seeking Opportunity in Change," Ballard Spahr LLP and Rodgers Consulting, Inc., January 13, 2011

Panelist, "Montgomery County's Newest Master Plans," Commercial Real Estate Women, Inc. (CREW) – Suburban Maryland, Sept. 8, 2010

"Planning and Zoning: The Basics," Lawline.com Online Continuing Legal Education

"Development 2009," CREW CEO Seminar, Mary 19, 2009 

 Speaker and moderator, "2009 Plat and Subdivision Law in Maryland," Lorman Education Services seminar, March 18, 2009

Board Memberships

Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, Vice Chair

Coalition Homes, Secretary

Rockville Chamber of Commerce, past Board Member

George Washington University Law School (J.D. 1999)

Florida State University (B.A. 1996)

District of Columbia

Maryland

Virginia