Jane Ennis Sheehan's practice is focused on real estate and business transactions, ranging from simple to the most complex. Jane has over 40 years of experience as a practicing attorney. Most recently, she was in private practice as a solo practitioner. Previously, Jane was a partner in the Commercial Real Estate Department at Ballard Spahr, a national, full-service law firm. Before then, Ms. Sheehan practiced as a partner with Frank, Bernstein, Conaway & Goldman, in its Real Estate Department. Her practice includes transactions involving employment contracts, choice of entity, the preparation, negotiation and finalizing of business contracts in which real estate often is a significant component, together with all related transaction documents, e.g., contracts of sale, leases, development and construction documents, loan and other financing agreements and letters of intent and rights of first refusal and offer, and condominium documents, as well as corporate, LP, and LLC organizational documents and resolutions.
Jane expanded her practice to include mixed-finance, mixed-income and mixed-use affordable housing projects. These projects created sustainable affordable housing communities designed in the new urbanism concept. Most projects involved public/private partnering in ownership, finance and management, government procurement, single purpose entities and the acquisition by government authorities of interests in private entities -- areas in which Ms. Sheehan acquired national prominence.
Throughout her career Jane has represented individuals, small companies, larger publicly/privately held companies, private developers, a variety of private/quasi-governmental limited partnerships, LLCs, joint ventures, REITs, and other associations with regional and national reputations in real estate and other commercial industries. Jane had the opportunity to represent public housing authorities throughout the U.S., in regard to their demolition, re-development and management of a portion of their public housing inventory. Jane's financing experience covers conventional loans (i.e., business loans, construction, gap, and permanent financing), take-back financing, private financing and the use of public, quasi-public, and private investment lending sources.
Some of Jane’s representative matters include:
- Represented tenant leasing new business location in a commercial business park; professional service provider leasing office facilities; individual in a foreclosure workout and loan reinstatement; community group in leasing default dispute; professional service provider having dispute with office condominium association; housing developer in its acquisition of land, its development and sale; owner of warehouse/office facilities in leasing and sale matters, and the owner of commercial facilities in sales to third-parties.
- Created non-profit organization (church with related day-care facility), and advised the non-profit concerning its receipt of federal and state subsidies; acted as real estate counsel to family health center (destroyed by Katrina in Mississippi) regarding its land-acquisition, construction and financing of a new, replacement facility; tenant in tenant’s reinstatement of lease in a Section 8 apartment building; business owner in non-disclosure agreement for sale of an on-going business, and a LLC member in dispute with LLC.
- Participated in several legal representations on behalf of different parties when engaged in separate transactions (e.g., buyers, sellers, lenders, borrowers, landlords, tenants, contractors and owners, and developers) regarding various undertakings over the years, including environmental, development, leasing, residential and commercial sale and construction matters.
- Negotiated the lease and construction work letter for a build-to-suit national headquarters on behalf of a publicly traded company engaged in medical research.
- Organized and supervised the due diligence on behalf of purchaser, and prepared, negotiated and finalized the master acquisition agreement in connection with a multi-state purchase of operating properties, undeveloped land and joint venture interests.
- Represented borrower, as local counsel, in the refinancing of 5 regional shopping centers.
Some of Jane’s representative speaking engagements include:
- Served as moderator of a panel at the Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Law, covering the topic of "What’s a Real Estate Lawyer Doing in Affordable Housing and Economic Development", including assembling the panelists and coordinating the materials to be distributed and the presentations to be made.
- Served as panelist at the Housing and Development Law Institute’s 14th Annual CLE Conference, where the attendees designated her as the most highly rated speaker.
- Spoke on the topic "Financing Toolbox, The Right Tools for the Right Job," at an annual Summer Conference of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials.
- Participated in several legal presentations on various topics over the years, including environmental development issues, financing, leasing, and residential and commercial sale issues.
Jane has authored the following articles:
- Environmental Capitalism: Green Building, Maryland Bar Journal, May/June 2008, at 34-37.
- Public Housing/Private Development: A Real Estate Lawyer's Bonanza, Maryland Bar Journal, September/October 2001, at 40-45.
- Mixed-Finance: A Real Lawyer's "Field of Dreams", Journal of Affordable Housing & Community Development Law, Spring 1998, at 289-303.
- Public Housing, Private Development: The Lawyer's Role in Structuring Partnerships for More Livable Communities, Probate & Property, September/October 1997, at 57-61.
- The acknowledgement section of The Mixed-Finance Guidebook, prepared for the HUD, Office of Public and Indian Housing, Public Housing Investments thanks Ms. Sheehan for providing a "meaningful amount of thoughtful and constructive writing, editing and technical review assistance". The Guidebook addressed several practical topics, including the nature of development and financing documentation, negotiating strategies and compromise positions, etc.
Jane's teaching experience includes:
- Served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Maryland Law School, University of Baltimore School of Law, Community College of Baltimore County, Howard County Community College and Towson University, teaching business law and related courses.