David I. Haas practices in the area of real estate law, with particular emphasis on real estate development (including residential, commercial and industrial), joint venture transactions and financing, planned community and condominium development, structure and creation of condominium, homeowners association and other governance regimes, commercial leases, construction contracts, zoning and land use. His practice also includes real estate loan restructurings, workouts, receiverships, financing and foreclosures.

A member of the Real Property, Trust and Probate Section of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, he is co-chair of the Section's Common Interest Ownership Committee, the chair of the Planned Residential Development Subcommittee and a member of the Condominium Subcommittee. He is a former member of the Executive Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association's Real Property Section.

Mr. Haas served as chief draftsman of the Pennsylvania Uniform Planned Community Act and as a co-draftsman for amendments to the Pennsylvania Uniform Condominium Act.

He is a past president of the Delaware Valley Chapter of the Community Associations Institute and a past member of the Chapter's Pennsylvania Legislative Action Committee.

Admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, he is a 1979 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School and a summa cum laude graduate (Phi Beta Kappa) of the University of Pennsylvania.

Areas Of Practice

Commercial and residential real estate development, transactions and financing
Real estate joint ventures and equity investments
Partnerships and limited liability companies
Planned community and condominium development and governance regimes
Construction, Architect and Development Contracts
Commercial Leases
Zoning and Land Use

Representative Matters

Representation of real estate development/management firm in joint venture for new construction "LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certified" multi-building office complex acquisition in Washington, D.C. area. Project is more than 300,000 square feet.
Representation of primary equity syndicator in $70,000,000 acquisition of interests in 460,000 square foot regional East Coast retail outlet shopping center. Structured acquisition to avoid transfer tax exposure on acquisition. Created ground lease and distribution loan structure to facility primary and mezzanine level securitized acquisition financing and meet commercial mortgage-backed securities rating bureau standards.
Ongoing representation of a major real estate opportunity fund in its major equity investments in the real estate projects and developments nationwide - including recent acquisition of multi-complex apartment properties portfolio with more than 4,000 units; assisted-living facilities, residential waterfront development; and urban telecom-switching facilities.
Representation of equity general and limited partners in real estate investment partnerships in connection with joint-venture on regional performing arts center private parking facility in Philadelphia and various suburban office buildings.
Representing a private golf club partnership in its parcel assemblage, land acquisitions and zoning and development approvals for development of a second 18-hole golf course and accompanying housing sites in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Also served as real estate counsel for the land acquisition, design and construction of the client's first 18-hole course.
Counsel to a regional home-builder in connection with all of its corporate, financing and development activities as well as its sale of company assets to a national home-builder.
Representation of a regional urban residential developer of market housing for its joint ventures for the development of urban sites.
Serve as corporate and business counsel to a multi-site amusement and water park owner and operator ranked among the top ten amusement park companies in the United States.
Representation of architectural firm in the negotiation of design contracts for a hi-rise office Philadelphia tower, multi-phase waterfront residential development, and other private and public development projects.
Representation of partners in a shopping mall developer with regard to a transfer of partnership interests to a public real estate investment trust
Representation of purchaser of mixed use residential and retail high-rise building in transaction with planned condominium conversion for the residential component of the building.

Professional Activities

Chief Draftsman of Pennsylvania Uniform Planned Community Act (68 P.S. § 5401 et seq.)
Pennsylvania Bar Association
- Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section
-- Chairman, Common Interest Ownership Committee
--- Uniform Condominium Act Subcommittee
--- Chairman, Uniform Planned Community Act Subcommittee
-- Legislative Relations Committee
- Corporation, Banking and Business Law Section
Philadelphia Bar Association
- Real Property Section
-- Former Member, Executive Committee
-- Chairman, Condominium, Cooperative and Planned Community Committee
-- Nominating Committee, 1994
Co-Draftsman of Amendments (1992) to Pennsylvania Uniform Condominium Act (68 P.S. §3101 et seq.)
Lead witness, House Bill 1757, the Uniform Planned Community Act, hearing of the Pennsylvania Senate Urban Affairs and Housing Committee, June 1996.
Chairman, Common Interest Ownership Committee and Planned Residential Development Subcommittee of Pennsylvania Bar Association Real Property, Trust and Probate Section
Delaware Valley Chapter of Community Associations Institute (CAI) - Attorneys' Committee - Board of Directors, 1983-1990 - President, 1985-1987
Chairman, Planned Residential Development Subcommittee and member of the Condominium Subcommittee of Pennsylvania Bar Association Real Property, Trust and Probate Section
Pennsylvania Legislative Action Committee
Chairman, Condominium, Cooperative and Planned Community Committee, Philadelphia Bar Association Real Property Section

Admissions

New Jersey
Pennsylvania
United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Supreme Court of New Jersey

Education

University of Pennsylvania Law School, J.D., 1979
University of Pennsylvania, B.A., Economics and History, summa cum laude, 1976