Mary Forbes Lovett
Partner
Cleveland Office
p 216.583.7074
f  216.583.7075
mlovett@ulmer.com
At a Glance

Mary focuses her practice on real estate and business law and has significant experience handling the acquisition, financing, development, leasing, zoning and environmental matters related to real property. She specializes in the development and financing of urban properties and was recognized by CREW in 2003 for her work related to the largest HUD-financed project in Ohio. Mary is a frequent speaker on business and real estate topics including alternative financing techniques, historic tax credits (state and federal), new markets tax credits, urban development, negotiating acquisitions and leases, strategies for like-kind exchanges, environmental indemnification, preservation easements, urban sprawl and eminent domain.

Practices/Industries
Business
Banking & Commercial Finance
Nonprofit
Private Equity/Venture Capital

Real Estate
Acquisition & Development
Land Use & Zoning
Leasing
Real Estate Finance
Shopping Centers

Areas of Concentration
  • Urban Development
  • Tax Credit Financing
  • Real Estate
  • Land Use
  • Retail Leasing
  • HUD Financing
Education
The Ohio State University (B.S., summa cum laude, 1974)

Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 1985) Editor, The  Cleveland State Law Review, Managing Editor, Journal of Law and Health
Representative Experience
  • Represents developers in the development of urban properties utilizing historic tax credits, conservation easements and new market tax credits.
  • Counsels and represents developer and corporate clients on the acquisition, financing, divestiture and development of real estate projects.
  • Extensive experience handling leasing and financing transactions, land development, zoning and environmental issues.
  • Represents entrepreneurial developers of office buildings, hotels, shopping centers, condos, apartments, historic restorations, adaptive reuse and new development.
  • Counsels real estate lenders on construction and permanent financing matters.
  • Counsels clients on all aspects of the purchase, construction, sale, lease or sublease of property, offices, buildings and retail spaces.
  • Advises clients and provides services for entity formation and structure and other corporate matters.
Certifications
Certified Specialist in Business, Commercial and Industrial Real Property Law, Ohio State Bar Association
Honors/Distinctions

AV Rated - Martindale-Hubbell
Named an "Ohio Super Lawyer" in a survey of Ohio lawyers by Law & Politics and Cincinnati magazines (January 2008)
Recipient, CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women) National Deal of the Year Award (2003)
Recipient, CREW Klausner Leadership Award
Recipient, Cleveland Restoration Society Award

Publications/Presentations
Presentations
Frequent lecturer on business and real estate topics for the Cleveland Bar Association Real Estate Institute; Urban Land Institute; CREW; Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs and numerous business, real estate organizations.

“Formula for Success:  HTC + the NMTC + State Tax Credits,” The Novogradac Conference (April 2008)

“State Historic Tax Credits,” the Ohio Housing Council Summer Symposium (July 2007)

“Redevelopment of the Detroit Shoreway Project and the Development of the Arts District,” CREW Cleveland Annual Professional Development Seminar (May 2007)

“Eminent Domain,” CREW Midwest Regional Conference Detroit, Michigan (May 2007)

“Legal Issues:  Syndication,” The Ohio Historic Tax Credit Training Seminar (May 2007)

“Urban Development Tools – Overcoming Eminent Domain, Bureaucracy and Other Impediments to Urban Development,” CREW Midwest Regional Conference (May 2007)

“Alternative Financing,” Cohen & Company (March 2007)
Professional Affiliations
Ohio State Bar Association

Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association (Real Estate Section; Former Chair; Environmental Law Section)

Greater Cleveland Real Estate Organization (Former President)

CREW (Member; former President and national delegate)

Urban Land Institute 

Cuyahoga County Improvement Corporation (Board Member)

Neighborhood Housing CDC (Board Member)

Cuyahoga County Economic Development Loan Review Committee
Admissions
State of Ohio