Avi Sommer
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PRACTICE FOCUS
Avi J. Sommer is a skilled attorney who uses his unique professional background to work closely with his clients to provide favorable outcomes in the commercial real estate, hospitality, general business, and education practice areas and industries.
Mr. Sommer serves as general counsel to hotel developers and operators in all aspects of the hospitality industry as well as other business across Maryland. He has extensive experience representing clients in the purchase and sale of hotel properties, as well as the negotiation and closing of construction and acquisition loans for existing hotels and the development of new hospitality properties, including environmentally contaminated land in the Brownfields program, as well as refinancing of existing debt. He also represents owners of shopping centers and standalone triple net commercial properties, handling the purchase, sale, financing, and management related issues for their commercial properties, as well as negotiating commercial retail, office, mixed-use, and restaurant leases for both landlord and tenants. Mr. Sommer assists Real Estate clients in the following areas:
- Acquisition and sale of hotel properties and the accompanying businesses, shopping centers, office, retail, and other commercial properties
- Acquisition and sale of undeveloped land
- 1031 Exchange transactions including reverse and construction exchanges
- Financing and refinancing with relation to acquisition and continued operation at all levels
- Maintenance of client’s loans in times of distress
- Serve as outside general council to businesses in the short-term rental and vacation industries
Mr. Sommer has significant experience representing clients in acquisition and sales in excess of over one-hundred hotel properties in addition to significant experience with other commercial property. He has also served as counsel and represented clients on large real estate transactions including three affiliated hotel portfolio transactions collectively worth over $80-million, a $15-million acquisition of commercial triple net properties as part of a 1031 tax-free exchange, a $10-million sale of a hotel property in the DC Metro area, and the purchase of a $7-million shopping center in suburban Washington, DC to name a few.
Mr. Sommer’s practice extends to Education as he previously served as in-house counsel to Morgan State University. In his Education Law practice, he represents students facing disciplinary action by their educational institutions, including Title IX matters, academic misconduct, student code-of-conduct violations, removal from athletics, suspension, and expulsion. He also advises schools on their disciplinary and Title IX policies and procedures. His practice includes but is not limited to:
- Representing students appealing academic misconduct charges to avoid permanent notations on their transcripts and suspension or expulsion
- Representing and advising undergraduate and graduate students facing Title IX investigations and violations
- Representation of students facing dismissal from graduate programs for academic and non-academic reasons
- Assisting students whose programs have lost their accreditation
- Advising local higher education institutions regarding sexual misconduct/Title IX policies, procedures, and outcomes
Drawing on his experience with the Baltimore Orioles, National Football League, the San Antonio Spurs, Boston Red Sox, and Under Armour, Mr. Sommer’s practice also reaches clients across the sports industry. Prior to joining Offit Kurman, Mr. Sommer wrote and edited for The Sports Esquires, a sports law blog that analyzed and commentated on the sports world with a legal twist. He has represented clients in the sport industry with commercial contracts, branding, and items related to intellectual property licensing and has also served in player operations capacities in the NBA and MLB.
Prior to attending Tulane Law School, Mr. Sommer served on the legislative staffs in the House of Commons, US Senate, and Maryland House of Delegates.
POINTS OF DISTINCTION
- Best Lawyers, Ones to Watch in America - Real Estate Law, 2021