The American College of Real Estate Lawyers was founded in 1978 and was organized by real estate practitioners active in various other professional groups who perceived a need for an organization with a very selective membership.  This membership is comprised of lawyers recognized for their legal acumen and proven leadership who can speak effectively to issues of real estate law, regulation and practice.  Admission to the College is by invitation only.  It is available to those lawyers who have established expertise in real estate law, who observe high standards of professional and ethical conduct, who have contributed substantially to the improvement of real estate law, and who actively practice and have a minimum of 10 years’ experience in real estate law.  Currently, there are approximately 25 members in the State of Ohio.

As a partner with Ulmer & Berne, Bill is the Chair of the Real Estate Practice and in his nearly 30 years of practice he has represented private and publicly held property owners, contractors and developers, as well as governmental entities.  Bill’s expertise includes construction law, affordable housing, real estate development, property taxation and abatement, zoning and leasing.  In the corporate area, he concentrates on corporate governance issues and general business counseling.   Bill’s litigation practice focuses on property ownership disputes, bankruptcy litigation, leasing matters, title insurance litigation and construction claims.  He received his J.D. from Case Western Reserve University and his B.S.B.A., cum laude, from John Carroll University. 

Ulmer & Berne, established in 1908, is a full-service Midwest regional firm with approximately 175 attorneys in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Chicago.  Ulmer & Berne represents publicly traded and privately held companies, financial institutions, pharmaceutical companies, family businesses, international joint ventures and affiliations, investor groups, start-ups and emerging businesses, public bodies and nonprofit organizations. For more information, visit www.ulmer.com.