WASHINGTON – Arent Fox LLP today announced a major expansion of its office with the addition of four of Washington, DC's leading real estate and development professionals -- Edward Rogers and Debra D. Yogodzinski, who join the firm as partners; Ellen M. McCarthy, who comes aboard as the director of planning and land use at Arent Fox; and ElChino M. Martin, who will serve as counsel to the firm's real estate group. Each had held the same position at their former firm, Nixon Peabody LLP.
"We are tremendously pleased and, quite frankly, excited that this group of four talented and enormously respected real estate professionals has joined our firm," said Arent Fox Chairman Marc Fleischaker. "Arent Fox is already considered one of the preeminent real estate law firms in the country, delivering a broad array of legal services to a dynamic, diversified range of national clients, including developers, large institutional investors, investment banks, real estate investment trusts, pension funds, private equity groups, construction companies, asset and property managers, and landlords and tenants.
"With Debra, Ed, Ellen and ElChino now joining us, our real estate practice is reaching even higher levels of talent and experience. More importantly, they will bolster our ability to serve our clients at a time when there is a large measure of uncertainty and numerous challenges for the real estate development industry."
The Rogers-Yogodzinski-McCarthy-Martin team is especially active and well-respected in the District of Columbia, where they have been deeply involved in some of Washington, DC's most complex, high-profile real estate and construction projects of the last several years, including the planning, construction and development of Waterfront Station and development of the Newseum mixed-use project on Pennsylvania Avenue for The Freedom Forum.
About the attorneys:
Edward Rogers, Partner: Mr. Rogers has more than 20 years of experience in real estate development and commercial finance with a focus in the development of large scale, mixed-use projects. He has a national practice focus on all types of real estate transactions and related corporate matters. His clients include major financial institutions, real estate developers, entertainment and communications companies, museum operators, national and regional retailers, hotel and resort operators, and a variety of national and international investors.
Mr. Rogers, 48, is recognized for exceptional standing in the legal community in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business 2008 for real estate work. Mr. Rogers has been recognized in Chambers USA in previous years. He was also designated by the Washington Business Journal as one of the top four real estate attorneys for 2006.
Edward Rogers earned his JD from the University of Virginia School of Law and graduated from the University of Virginia with a BA. Mr. Rogers is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and New York and is a member of the New York, District of Columbia, and American Bar Associations.
Debra D. Yogodzinski, Partner: Ms. Yogodzinski focuses on representing clients in connection with the development, acquisition, ownership, leasing, financing and sale of commercial properties, including office buildings, hospitality, retail and mixed use properties, as well as multifamily apartment complexes and condominium developments. She also has extensive experience in partnership, syndication and securities law matters arising out of real estate transactions, and she has handled numerous transactions involving the acquisition and disposition of both individual mortgage loans and pools of loans. Her practice is national in scope, and her clients include real estate owners, developers, and investors, as well as financial institutions and syndicators of interests in real estate.
Ms. Yogodzinski, 55, has long been recognized for exceptional standing in the legal community in Chambers USA, most recently in 2008 when she was by Chambers USA as one of America's Leading Lawyers for Business 2008 for real estate work.
Ms. Yogodzinski graduated from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law and earned her BA from Pennsylvania State University.
Ellen M. McCarthy, Director of Planning and Land Use: Ms. McCarthy will lead Arent Fox's zoning and land use practice -- the same position she held at Nixon Peabody -- where she will continue to counsel clients in all aspects of zoning and development review, including planned unit developments, re-zonings, variances and special exceptions before the Zoning Commission and Board of Zoning Adjustment. Ms. McCarthy's experience also includes assisting clients with land use issues such as street closings, alley closings, antennas, roof structure reviews, downtown development district compliance, and transfers of development rights.
Ms. McCarthy, 58, has been recognized with an Outstanding Performance Award by the U.S. Department of Transportation, a Chapter Service Award from the National Capital Area Chapter of the American Planning Association as well as a Fannie Mae Housing Fellowship.
Ms. McCarthy graduated from Harvard University with a master's degree in city planning. She is also a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Maryland, where she earned her BA with high honors.
ElChino M. Martin, Counsel: Mr. Martin, 47, has extensive experience in tax increment financing (TIF) projects; industrial revenue bond financing for commercial, educational, and cultural projects; and several affordable housing projects in the District of Columbia. He formerly served as the chief of staff of the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning & Economic Development for the District of Columbia, as well as general counsel and chief of staff of the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust in Washington, DC. Mr. Martin has worked with the National Partnership for Community Investment, which created thousands of housing units nationwide, as well as nearly $1 billion in housing and economic development projects.
In 2008, he was recognized for exceptional standing in the legal community in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business 2008 for real estate work.
Mr. Martin earned his JD from Yale Law School, where he served as the senior editor of the Yale Law & Policy Review. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he earned his BA degree.