Miami Law's Robert Traurig-Greenberg Traurig LL.M. in Real Property Development welcomed its largest class in late August.
Twenty-one professors taught the fall 2023 semester in areas such as securitization of real estate, negotiation skills, environmental regulation of real property, real property and government, developing affordable housing, financial analysis, mortgage law, real estate transactions, basic condominium and planned development, real estate documents workshop, bankruptcy, introduction to real property development, wetlands regulation, and basic real estate tax, according to Tom Nealon, director of the program.
The program successfully placed 12 students in different internships during the semester. The internship locations included Akerman, Greenberg Traurig, Hinshaw, Crescent Heights, DLA Piper, Holland & Knight, Nelson Mullins, TSG Group, AGC Rents, Real Estate Law Group, Collective Empowerment Group of South Florida, and Step Global Group in Dubai.
Fall semester highlights included:
For the students, the semester began with a site visit to Aria Reserve Miami. Martin and Carlos Ferreira de Melo at The Melo Group led the tour and offered the students a thorough project presentation. Martin is a member of the RPD advisory board. Aria Reserve is set to open in 2025 with the tallest dual towers in the United States, over 5 acres of waterfront reserve, 547 linear feet on the water, and more than two acres of exclusive amenities.
Another site visit saw the students at one of Related Group's projects, Icon Marina Village, in West Palm Beach, Florida. The visit was led by Jessica Melendez, vice president of development and RPD advisory board member, and her team. The students were walked through the development of the entire property, including the evolution of the plans for the property over time.
An RPD LL.M. alumni panel discussed how they succeeded after completing the RPD LL.M. and how they made the most of their time in the program. The panel included Catalina Rodriguez, RPD LL.M. '19 from DLA Piper, Maria Ojeda, RPD LL.M. '19 from DLA Piper, Spencer Hennings, RPD LL.M. '19 from Shutts & Bowen, and Jordan Shayne, RPD LL.M. '22 from AECOM/Miami-Dade County.
This year's RPD honor students attended a Shutts & Bowen LLP lunch session. Alexander I. Tachmes, J.D. '89, partner at Shutts & Bowen and a new RPD faculty member, discussed the multiple practical steps to be undertaken by a zoning lawyer in a typical application to develop a building on vacant land. "We want to thank him and look forward to welcoming him in the spring semester," said Nealon. Tachmes will teach a one-credit land use and zoning course: core principles and practical applications.
The Ralph E. Boyer Institute on Condominium and Cluster Development saw another successful event thanks to Bill Sklar, J.D. '80, the director of the institute, along with guests, panelists, sponsors, and partners for contributing to the success of the two-day conference, which aims to inform practitioners about condominium and planned development law, delving into current topics.
The RPD program participants joined the University of Miami's School of Architecture and the Miami Herbert Business School for "Cocktails and Conversations with Women Leaders in Real Estate." Bilzin Sumberg and Vagabond Group sponsored the event, focusing on an industry often dominated by men. The roundtable allowed students to connect and network with diverse Women in real estate. The event, marked by the active involvement of numerous board members, was a great success, according to Nealon.
Guest speakers and RPD faculty members Kerry McGrath and Brian Levey from Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP participated in a Wetlands Law event in collaboration with the Environmental Law Program. The event examined wetlands law developments at three levels: local, national, and international.
We want to express our gratitude to the faculty and students for making this semester productive and successful," said Nealon. "We are also very grateful to the rest of our RPD LL.M. community—advisory board members, internship supervisors, employers, alumni, and supporters, for your continuing support and friendship."
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