Lisa Anne Hawkins focuses her practice on commercial
real estate and financing transactions, including sale and acquisition
of real estate; development and construction of mixed-use planned
communities, commercial subdivisions and residential subdivisions; condominium
formation and conversion; development
of industrial parks; construction and permanent financing of real estate
projects; ground, office and retail leasing; zoning, subdivision and other
land use matters. She has specialized expertise in development and
management of resort and golf course communities. Her commercial finance
experience has involved representation of both lenders and borrowers,
including documentation of complex secured transactions involving
collateral of various types in multiple states and foreign countries. Her
practice emphasizes the use of tax-advantageous strategies where
appropriate, including tax-deferred exchanges.
Ms. Hawkins has a special interest and expertise in conservation
easements, and has served as legal counsel to a public-private task force
regarding the tax implications of myriad land conservation tools for
battlefield preservation.
Experience
- Served as counsel to numerous developers of mixed-use planned
communities, industrial parks, commercial subdivisions and residential
subdivisions in Virginia as well as in metropolitan Denver, Colorado and
resorts in Breckenridge, Vail, Beaver Creek and Keystone, Colorado,
including but not limited to advice and representation with respect to:
- Acquisition of development parcels (including complex, tax-free
exchanges);
- Land use matters (ranging from annexation of properties to rezoning
to terms and approval of planned unit developments/master plans and
subdivision plats);
- Negotiation of public dedications, subdivision improvement
agreements, and public easements;
- Negotiation and drafting of contracts, restrictive covenants, deeds
and other documents relating to the sale of development parcels to
third-party developers and home builders;
- Formation and operation of property owners' associations;
- Creation and operation of commercial and residential condominiums;
- Negotiation of complex contracts and restrictive covenants regarding
developer's sale of land within a planned community to an unaffiliated
golf course developer and operator;
- Review and negotiation of title matters with respect to acquisition
and sale of property; and
- Interstate Land Sales Act exemption and registration.
- Served as general counsel for real estate and finance matters in
relation to business merger, acquisition and sale transactions, including
the conduct of due diligence, title review, document drafting and
settlement.
- Represented lenders and borrowers in a wide range of complex,
commercial loan transactions, including loans of hundreds of millions of
dollars (and other currencies) secured by assets of various types in
numerous states and foreign countries.
- Assisted hundreds of clients in structuring and closing like-kind
exchanges, including deferred exchanges and reverse Starker exchanges.
- Successfully represented landowners in hotly contested rezoning
applications, annexations and other land use matters.
- Represented landowners in the creation of conservation easements,
including analysis of the tax benefit and structure of such grants, a
subject on which she has spoken at seminars and public forums.
- Represented landlords and tenants with respect to a wide range of
leasing matters, including service as general counsel to numerous
landlords of commercial office, warehouse and retail space.
- Served as general counsel to property owner associations.
Honors and Awards
- "Legal Elite," Virginia Business Magazine, 2001, 2002,
2003, 2004
- Outstanding Volunteer, Boys and Girls Clubs, 1998
- Legal Writing Award, 1992
Education
- University of Virginia School of Law, Charlottesville, Virginia
J.D., 1993, Order of the Coif, Virginia Law Review, Executive Editor
- Bethany College, Bethany, West Virginia, 1986
B.A., Summa Cum Laude
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Arts Council of the Valley, Board Member
- Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance, President
- Harrisonburg/Rockingham Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors,
2002-2004
- Virginia Bar Association, Member, Real Estate Section
- American Bar Association, Member, Real Estate Section
Published Works
- Author: ”Dollars and Sense of Conservation Easements," Leader,
2004
- Author: "Living Will Statues: A Minor Oversight," 78 Virginia Law
Review
Lisa Anne Hawkins
90 North Main Street, Suite 201
Harrisonburg, VA 22802
P.O. Box 1287
Harrisonburg, VA 22803
T: 540.437.3118
F: 540.437.3101
email: Lisa Anne Hawkins
Areas of Practice
Bar Admissions
- Virginia, 1999
- Colorado, 1993
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