John B. Raftery, Principal
Landlord Representation And Real Estate Litigation
| Email: | jraftery@offitkurman.com |
| Office Phone: | 240.507.1702 |
| Fax: | 240.507.1735 |
| Mailing Address: | 4800 Montgomery Lane 9th Floor Bethesda, MD 20814 |
| Download vCard: | vCard |
Practice Areas
Awards
Practice Focus
Mr. Raftery serves as the chair of the Landlord Representation Practice Group. His practice focuses on real-estate litigation, contractual disputes, and representation of managers and owners of residential and commercial real estate. He negotiates and drafts management and vendor agreements, leases, tenant-workout agreements, and policies and procedures for residential fair-housing compliance. The Landlord Representation practice also includes rent-collection and breach-of-lease actions in Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Virginia, for which the group drafts the required notices and defends against claims by tenants, vendors, and former employees. Mr. Raftery handles all types of real-estate disputes and litigation in venues ranging from small-claims courts to appellate courts — including federal courts — in all three jurisdictions. He also manages commercial and construction litigation, mold and pest-infestation claims, business torts, and defense of discrimination (Fair Housing Act and Americans with Disabilities) claims.
Mr. Raftery frequently lectures to local and national industry associations, such as the Property Management Association, Apartment and Office Building Association, Institute of Real Estate Management, and the Mid-Atlantic Affordable Housing Management Association. His presentations are straightforward, easy to understand, funny, and directed at on-site management — not legal personnel. In their evaluations of the presentations, attendees have said the following: "the most user-friendly FHA class I have ever taken," "John is funny, engaging and informative, all at the same time," and "John is able to convey difficult concepts and distinctions in an easy to understand way."
Education
- LL.M., Georgetown University Law Center, 1991
- J.D., Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center, 1983
- B.A., Long Island University, 1980
Bar and Court Admissions
- Virginia
- Maryland
- District of Columbia
Points of Distinction
- Recently accepted the appointment as General Counsel to the Property Management Association.
- Served as a faculty member of Judicial Institute of Maryland's program, "Landlord-Tenant: Beyond the Basics" in March 2012.
- A Super Lawyer designation for real estate.
Publications/Speeches
Throughout his career, Mr. Raftery has participated in a variety of writing and speaking engagements, including:
- John Raftery Is a Featured Panelist at the Mid-Atlantic Affordable Housing Management Association’s Fall Conference
- Offit Kurman Attorney John Raftery Presented at the National Apartment Association’s National Government Affairs Roundtable & Legal Symposium in Denver, Colorado
- Recently accepted a position as a regular contributor to "The Lawyer Is In" column of the Property Management Association's (PMA) newsletter.
- Frequently lectures for the Property Management Association (PMA), Apartment and Office Building Association (AOBA) and the Institute for Real Estate Management (IREM) on fair housing and landlord/tenant related matters.
