Friday, March 7, 1:00–5:30 p.m. ET AND Saturday, March 8, 8:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m. ET
| MCLE Credit: | 8.0 (Ethics: 2.0) |
| Live-Interactive Credit: | 8.0 (all formats) |
| Title Agent Credit: | 8.0 Title (live on site and webcast only) |
| Designation Credit: | 8.0 Real Estate Law Practice, 2.0 Ethics (Designations Information) |
Live on Site:
Webcast:
Telephone:
Please note: This seminar is not eligible for the Virginia CLE® government, new lawyer, pro bono, law student, legal aid, or paralegal discounts.
Cosponsored with the Real Property Section of the Virginia State Bar
Great topics. Terrific faculty. Exceptional materials. Those who attend usually return every year—what’s the secret? There are additional benefits to attending: enjoy much needed time away from the office to gather your wits, socialize, and network with the faculty and other experienced real estate attorneys—all while getting 8.0 hours of relevant CLE, including 2.0 hours of ethics credit in two half-day sessions.
Highlights of this educational and entertaining seminar:
Camaraderie: Relax after Friday’s session … have a drink and mingle at the complimentary cocktail party!
Preregistering VSB Real Property Section members save $20 on the registration fee.
Please note: This seminar is not eligible for Virginia CLE® new lawyer, government, paralegal, law student, legal aid, or pro bono discounts.
Optional Friday Evening Dinner
Join us for a 4-course gourmet dinner at Kimpton The Forum Hotel (optional—purchase ticket with registration). Our faculty and attendees will be together in a private dining room. $130 (including tax, gratuity, and service charges) for dinner and 2 glasses of wine. Guests are an additional $130.
The Forum Hotel Reservation Information
A room block has been reserved at The Forum Hotel. Reservations can be made directly through February 28, 2025, or until the block is filled through the following link: The Forum Hotel
Registration Deadlines:
| Webcast: | 10 minutes prior to seminar. If you register for a webcast the day of the seminar, your e-mail receipt will include a link to launch the seminar and download the materials. |
| Telephone: | Online registration ends at 11:59 p.m. the day preceding the seminar Call (800) 979-8253 to register up to one hour prior to the seminar |
| Live on Site: | Online registration ends at 11:59 p.m. the day preceding the seminar Walk-in registration is permitted on a space-available basis |
Cancellation Policy: Cancellation/transfer requests will be honored until 5:00 p.m. the day preceding the seminar. You will, however, be charged $99 if you cancel or transfer your registration to a different seminar after the link to the materials has been e-mailed by Virginia CLE®.
Full refunds or transfers are available up to two days after a webcast in the unlikely event that you experience technical difficulties.
Dietary Restrictions: If you have dietary restrictions and are attending the seminar in person, please email deanna.mcglothlin@vacle.org.
Inclement Weather Policy and Updates.
MCLE Credit Caveat: The MCLE Board measures credits by the time you spend in attendance. If you enter a seminar late or leave it early, or both, you must reflect those adjustments accurately in the credits you report on your credit reporting form. A code will be given at the end of the seminar, which must be written on your MCLE form.
Private recording of this program is prohibited.
Can’t Attend?
E-mail distance_ed@vacle.org to be notified when/if this program is made available as an online or USB seminar.
E-mail publications@vacle.org to be notified when/if this program’s seminar materials are made available for sale.
| 12:00 | Registration |
| 1:00 | Using AI in Real Estate Justin Ritter This session will provide live demonstrations of how to use artificial intelligence tools to speed up your legal review, research, and drafting. Various real estate legal tasks will be demonstrated, such as drafting a deed, ensuring Condo Act/POA Act compliance, and review of common interest community centric pre-existing legal documents. Live requests from event attendees will also be taken. |
| 2:00 | Break |
| 2:10 | Neighbor Law Disputes between neighbors can be particularly challenging for the real estate practitioner. In addition to being emotionally fraught, these cases often involve nuanced—and occasionally contradictory—legal doctrines. This session will look at the many different types of claims that can arise between neighbors in a variety of contexts throughout the Commonwealth, including urban, suburban, and rural settings. The session will discuss many of the issues and claims that arise in neighboring disputes, including adverse possession, encroaching trees and plants, trespass and nuisance, express and implied easements, boundary disputes, division fences, and ejectment |
| 3:10 | Break |
| 3:20 | Deeds and Misdeeds—The Intersection of Death, Estate Planning, and Real Estate This session will provide insight into various real estate issues that can arise during the estate planning process and death. We will cover tips and tricks to avoid sticky situations with real property, including ensuring proper titling, misdeemed property, life estate issues, the power of sale versus the direction to sell, and intestacy. The session will aim to streamline property transfers after death to avoid expensive and time-consuming litigation. |
| 4:20 | Break |
| 4:30 | Land Use Litigation from Three Different Perspectives: Land Use Counsel, Litigation Counsel, and the Local Government Attorney In this session we will discuss recurring issues in land use litigation, like standing for plaintiffs and the various challenges brought by parties seeking to overturn local government approvals. Advanced topics will be covered, including the defenses available to localities and land use applicants, as well as ways to prepare a land use application to protect against challenges. |
| 5:30 | Closing Remarks and Adjourn |
| 5:45 | Complimentary Cocktail Party—Come join us! |
| 7:00 | Optional Dinner—Come join us! |
| 7:30 | Complimentary Continental Breakfast in the registration area |
| 8:30 | Virginia Ethics for Real Estate Lawyers in 2025 This session will address hot topics, including due diligence on clients and matters, cybersecurity, wire fraud, and effective use of AI in your practice. It will review the application of the Virginia Rules of Professional Conduct, Legal Ethics Opinions, and recent disciplinary cases relevant to real estate law. |
| 10:30 | Break |
| 10:40 | Mission Accomplished: Transiting the Minefield of Real Property Law and Military Rights and Benefits This presentation will discuss federal and state laws that attorneys practicing property law need to be aware of in evaluating the process and potential challenges associated in transactions with military personnel. It will provide an overview of the scale of the military presence in Virginia, and the demands on military life on servicemembers; it will review and explain important provisions of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) as it applies to property law; it will identify unique provisions in Virginia law that provide similar protections in addition to the SCRA for the National Guard and Servicemembers; and it will discuss the enforcement of violations of the SCRA. Laws protecting military personnel have existed since 1918. These laws evolve and adjust with each new conflict to reflect the challenges of providing a ready, able, and focused fighting force to defend the interests of the United States. The laws provide rights and benefits that protect Active Duty personnel, Reservists, National Guard, and in some cases their family members. Collectively these laws address everything from civil service of process to default judgments; interest rates to foreclosures and repossessions; and termination of services for both personal and professional activities of covered personnel. Because of the size and integrated presence of the military Virginia, these laws present a potential minefield for the unaware practitioner. |
| 11:40 | Break |
| 11:50 | Tax Planning for Commercial Real Estate Transactions This session will cover various strategies for tax planning and deferral in the context of commercial real estate transactions. Topics to be discussed include the use of UPREIT and IRC Section 721 structures, installment sales, and IRC Section 1031 transactions and Delaware Statutory Trust vehicles to defer tax on the sale of commercial real estate assets and optimizing tax depreciation through cost segregation analysis. The presentation will also include an update on Opportunity Zones and related tax benefits for real estate investment in those areas. |
| 12:50 | Closing Remarks |
| 1:00 | Adjourn |
Dwain Alexander, II, Region Legal Service Office / Hampton
Brandon S. Allred, Kaufman & Canoles, PC / Norfolk
John C. Altmiller Jr., Altmiller Melnick Demers Steele & Rosati PLC / Tysons
Renu Brennan, Virginia State Bar / Richmond
Mary Catherine Gibbs, Wire Gill, LLP / Alexandria
Robert Hawthorne Jr., Hawthorne & Hawthorne, PC / Halifax
Emily Hedrick, Virginia State Bar / Richmond
Susanna Hickman, Geddy, Harris, Franck & Hickman / Williamsburg
Justin Ritter, Ritter Law PLLC / Charlottesville
Louis Rogers, Capital Square / Glen Allen
L. Scott Seymour, Kaufman & Canoles, PC / Norfolk
Curt G. Spear, Jr., Prince William County Attorney’s Office / Prince William
Matthew A. Westover, Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley & Walsh, PC / Prince William
Alison Zizzo, Midgett Preti Olansen / Virginia Beach
James L. Windsor, Kaufman & Canoles, PC / Virginia Beach
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