Adam Laver concentrates his practice in the areas of real estate development, zoning and land use, and real property tax. He works closely with elected officials and municipal agencies such as the Philadelphia Zoning Board of Adjustment, the Philadelphia Historical Commission, the Department of Licenses and Inspections, the City Planning Commission, and the Streets Department to obtain zoning, use, building, and related permits for both regional and national developers of real estate. Mr. Laver also represents owners and developers in connection with real estate tax exemption, abatement, and market-value assessment appeals before the Board of Revision of Taxes.
Mr. Laver has written numerous articles about the real estate development approval process, several of which have been published in the Legal Intelligencer. His articles include "Current Issues, Trends in Philadelphia Real Estate Development" and "Leeward Case Sends Message to Developers: Violators Must Pay." Mr. Laver is also a frequent lecturer on issues relating to real property tax, as well as zoning and land use. His recent speaking engagements include CLE presentations at the Pennsylvania Bar Institute's "Philadelphia Local Taxes" seminar, as well as its annual "Real Estate Institute."
In 2008, Adam Laver was selected by the Legal Intelligencer and the Pennsylvania Law Weekly as one of Pennsylvania's "Lawyers on the Fast Track," a designation given to only 35 lawyers throughout the Commonwealth under the age of 40 determined to have influenced the legal community based on their development of the law, commitment to the community and service to the bar.
Representative Matters
· Regional entrepreneurial real estate investment firm in extensive high profile mixed-use redevelopments
· National restaurant chain in obtaining zoning and related approvals for Center City District restaurants
· Prominent hotel developer in securing approvals and financing for new Philadelphia-area hotels
· Real estate developer as land use counsel in connection with multi-family development projects throughout the Philadelphia area
· "America's Luxury Home Builder" in securing significant tax savings in connection with real estate tax abatements and assessment appeals
Community Service & Affiliations
Mr. Laver is immediate past Chancellor of the Louis D. Brandeis Law Society. He is a Vice Chair of Jewish Family & Children's Service of Greater Philadelphia, and serves on the Board of Directors of the Committee of Seventy, the Louis D. Brandeis Law Society Foundation, the Board of Trustees of Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, and the Jewish Publishing Group. He is also a past Co-chairman of the Jewish Law Day Committee. Additionally, he is a Democratic committeeman and a member of Philadelphia's Eighth Ward Democratic Executive Committee, as well as a member of the Urban Land Institute-for which he was a founding member of its Urban Issues Initiative Council.
Mr. Laver also serves as an investigator in the Investigative Division of the Philadelphia Bar Association's Commission on Judicial Selection and Retention, which helps to set standards for judicial service on Philadelphia's Common Pleas and Municipal Courts and, by communicating its findings to the public, helps to ensure an informed electorate.
Mr. Laver is a recipient of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's MS Leadership Award, Class of 2008. He is also a 2008 recipient of the Association of Jewish Family & Children's Agencies' Distinguished Service & Leadership Award. In 2007, he received the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia Myer and Rosaline Feinstein Young Leadership Award, as well as the Jewish Business Network's "Lights of Tomorrow" Award. Mr. Laver has been named to the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania's Pro Bono Honor Roll and received pro bono service awards for his volunteer legal work, each year, since the inception of the Honor Roll in 2006.
Memberships
American Bar Association
Pennsylvania Bar Association
Philadelphia Bar Association
Publications
CITY OF PHILADELPHIA ANNOUNCES STORMWATER MANAGEMENT GRANT PROGRAM
[Alert]
Real Estate Update
January 2012 (No. 1)
Peter Foster Kelsen, Thomas A. Chapman, Adam E. Laver and Reed Douglas Lyons
PHILADELPHIA CITY COUNCIL ADOPTS A NEW ZONING CODE
[Alert]
Real Estate Update
December 2011 (No. 5)
Peter Foster Kelsen, Thomas A. Chapman, Adam E. Laver and Reed Douglas Lyons
PENNSYLVANIA PERMIT EXTENSION LAW SIGNED INTO LAW BY THE GOVERNOR
[Alert]
Real Estate Update
July 2010 (No. 3)
Thomas A. Chapman, Peter Foster Kelsen and Adam E. Laver
NEW STORM WATER MANAGEMENT CHARGES TAKE EFFECT JULY 1, 2010 IN PHILADELPHIA
[Alert]
Real Estate Update
June 2010 (No. 2)
Thomas A. Chapman and Adam E. Laver
News
BLANK ROME ELECTS TEN NEW PARTNERS TO THE FIRM
[Press Release]
December 15, 2010
Lisa Casey Spaniel, Jennifer Hale Eagland, Dacia A. Haddad, Brian Wm. Higgins, Adam E. Laver, Evan H. Lechtman, et al.
DEVELOPING GOOD LAWYERS-AND GOOD CITIZENS
[Media Coverage]
April 22, 2010
Fred Blume, Carl M. Buchholz, Lawrence S. Chane, T. Michael Dyer, Gary R. Goldenberg, Alan J. Hoffman, et al.
ADAM E. LAVER APPOINTED CHANCELLOR OF THE LOUIS D. BRANDEIS LAW SOCIETY
[Press Release]
November 17, 2009
Adam E. Laver
ADAM E. LAVER HONORED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF JEWISH FAMILY & CHILDREN'S AGENCIES
[Press Release]
March 31, 2008
Adam E. Laver
ADAM E. LAVER RECOGNIZED BY THREE PROMINENT JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS
[Press Release]
December 18, 2007
Adam E. Laver
ADAM LAVER ELECTED VICE CHAIRMAN, JEWISH FAMILY & CHILDREN'S SERVICE
[Press Release]
June 14, 2006
Adam E. Laver
Cases and Deals
DRA ADVISORS ACQUIRES 29 PROPERTIES FOR $245 MILLION
[Deal]
December 20, 2007
Martin Luskin, G. Craig Lord, Pelayo Coll, Barry Friedman, Samuel M. Walker, David M. Kuchinos, et al.
DRA Advisors LLC in its joint venture acquisition with Brandywine Realty Trust of 29 properties valued at $245 million.
BLANK ROME HANDLES ONE OF LARGEST RETAIL PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS IN 2007
[Deal]
August 10, 2007
Martin Luskin, Michael Pollack, David M. Kuchinos, Brian Michael Fogarty, Peter Foster Kelsen and Adam E. Laver
DRA Advisors in sale of Ardmore, Pennsylvania's historic Suburban Square shopping center to Kimco Realty.
Recognition
BLANK ROME ATTORNEYS NAMED 2008 LAWYERS ON THE FAST TRACK
[Award]
August 2008
Adam E. Laver and Matthew D. Lee