Ballard Spahr's Dominic De Simone and Desmond Connall Inducted Into American College of Real Estate Lawyers

Dominic J. De Simone, leader of Ballard Spahr's Real Estate Finance and Capital Markets Group, and Desmond D. Connall, Jr., leader of the firm's Leasing Team, have been inducted as Fellows of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL), a premier professional organization of U.S. real estate attorneys.

Messrs. De Simone and Connall were inducted during ACREL's annual mid-year conference recently in Orlando, Florida.

Admission to ACREL is by invitation only after a rigorous screening process. The organization's distinguished, nationally known lawyers have been elected to fellowship based on their outstanding legal ability, experience, contributions to the profession, and high standards of professional and ethical conduct in the practice of real estate law. ACREL presents continuing educational and networking events, creates and distributes publications on legal topics, plans and executes public service projects, and bestows awards for outstanding service to the organization, profession, and public.

Ballard Spahr is one of the most active firms in ACREL, with a history of membership, service, and leadership within the organization. During the recent conference in Orlando, retired Ballard Spahr Partner Richard R. Goldberg was presented the Frederick S. Lane Award, ACREL's lifetime achievement award and highest honor. Mr. Goldberg, fellow retired Partner Morton Fisher, and current Partner Roger Winston have served as president of ACREL.

Mr. De Simone is based in the firm's Philadelphia office and serves as Team Leader of the Private Equity Real Estate Team as well as leading the Real Estate Finance and Capital Markets Group, which comprises 98 attorneys in 15 offices across the country. His practice focuses on real estate finance, transaction structuring and restructuring, and distressed real estate matters on behalf of lenders, special servicers, investors, and borrowers. Mr. De Simone also has extensive experience representing real estate purchasers and sellers, developers, landlords and tenants, and court-appointed receivers. He speaks regularly on real estate finance topics for industry and professional organizations, including the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, the International Council of Shopping Centers, and The Counselors of Real Estate.

Mr. Connall is based in the firm's Baltimore and Washington, D.C., offices. He concentrates his practice on leasing, purchase and sale, and development matters, and is particularly experienced in office and retail leasing transactions. Mr. Connall has worked on many of the most significant real estate projects in the Baltimore-Washington region on behalf of anchor tenants, landlords, and developers. He is active in the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and has presented numerous leasing-related seminars for ICSC and other organizations. He also serves as the firm's leasing counsel.

About Ballard Spahr
Ballard Spahr LLP, an Am Law 100 law firm with more than 650 lawyers in 15 offices in the United States, provides a range of services in litigation, business and finance, real estate, intellectual property, and public finance. Our clients include Fortune 500 companies, financial institutions, life sciences and technology companies, health systems, investors and developers, government agencies, media companies, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations. The firm combines a national scope of practice with strong regional market knowledge. For more information, please visit www.ballardspahr.com.