Edward Hovatter is a shareholder and a member of the Firm's Executive Committee. Mr. Hovatter is a member of the Firm's Real Estate Group and is known for his keen business sense. He is rated AV Preeminent, the highest level of professional excellence, by the Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings. The ratings are an objective indicator of a lawyer's high ethical standards and professional ability, generated from evaluations of lawyers by other members of the bar and the judiciary in the United States and Canada.

Mr. Hovatter's practice embraces the full array of business matters in general and real estate matters in particular, including:

• Acquisition, development, and sale of residential and commercial real estate, including zoning and land use work, appearing before government authorities and obtaining municipal, county, state, and federal approvals.
• Construction, including contracts with general contractors, architects, engineers, and environmental consultants.
• Commercial leases.
• Real estate finance.
• Contracts with brokers and other real estate professionals.

Mr. Hovatter also has special expertise in tax liens and foreclosures, and the disposition of foreclosed property.

In addition to his noted business and real estate expertise, Mr. Hovatter has developed—through his long-standing involvement with a local preeminent school—appreciable knowledge of education law.

Mr. Hovatter's portfolio of clients is both impressive and diverse; among them are:

• National companies expanding their businesses across the United States.
• Landlords and tenants.
• Professional athletes.
• Entrepreneurs.
• Owners, buyers, and sellers of tax lien portfolios.
• Individuals buying their first home.

Here are a few of Mr. Hovatter's recent projects:

• Subdividing a property into a 276-lot residential community and subsequently selling it to a public construction company.
• Representing a national furniture store in its land use applications.
• Establishing a food distribution center for a national food company.
• Expanding a local preeminent private school campus to 48 acres by acquiring additional property.
• Rehabilitating and renovating an historic building into housing for medical students.