The University of Miami School of Law has unique expertise in real estate law and connections to top alumni and professionals in the field. This year, the preeminent LL.M. in Real Property Development Program harnessed these connections to launch the “RPD Lunch and Learn” series for law students to learn from these experts.
“We launched a formal RPD Lunch and Learn Series this spring to give students more of a background in all the disciplines and practices that affect a real estate attorney in a more personal and interactive setting,” said Tom Nealon, interim director of the LL.M. program. “This way students gain exposure to areas not covered in full-length courses while at the same time exposing them to key professionals in a variety of fields.”
The series launched January 24 with a session titled "What Every Real Estate Professional Should Know About Insurance but Didn't Know How to Ask." The guest speakers were Michael Landa, managing director, and Matthew Maffai, senior vice president and construction leader for the Florida zone at Marsh, the world’s leading insurance broker and risk adviser.
The second session was “Internship and Employment Opportunities with the Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes.” The presenters were Chevonne Christian, the director of the Florida Division of Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes, and RPD alumnus Spencer Hennings, Florida's condominium ombudsman.
The third session, “How to Be a Developer’s Lawyer? Hear the Skills You Will Need,” was held February 21, 2023, with guest speaker Gary Saul, shareholder and co-chair of the Miami Real Estate Practice at Greenberg Traurig. Saul is also co-chair of Miami Law’s Real Property Development Advisory Board.
The fourth session, “What Makes Hotels Different from Other Assets?” was held March 21, 2023, with guest speaker and faculty member Suzanne Amaducci-Adams, partner & chair of Real Estate Practice at Bilzin Sumberg.
The last session was “Want to Be a Land Use & Zoning Lawyer? Hear About the Skills that You Will Need” with guest Christina Bilenki, J.D./LL.M. ’13 in Real Property Development. She is a partner at Dunay, Miskel, and Backman.
With the success of this year’s series, the plan is to continue.
“We look forward to expanding our Lunch and Learn in the next academic year,” said Nealon.
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