Joseph J. Mezzanotte, New Chairman of the Board of the Howard County Chamber of Commerce
Columbia - Joseph J. Mezzanotte, a partner in the Columbia office of Whiteford, Taylor & Preston L.L.P., began his term as Chairman of the Board of the Howard County Chamber of Commerce at the Chamber's Annual Meeting on May 20, 2009, which was held at M&T Bank Stadium. In his remarks as incoming Chairman, Mr. Mezzanotte stressed the Chamber's role and resources in helping businesses navigate the current recession. He also unveiled the Chamber's plan to become a premier resource for the expanding government contracting community in Howard County.
Mr. Mezzanotte has been active in the Chamber for many years, most recently serving as a member of the Board of Directors since 2002. In that time, he has led a number of strategic initiatives for the Chamber and he has been the architect of the restructuring and advancement of the Chamber's highly-regarded and influential Legislative and Government Affairs Division.
In his legal practice, Mr. Mezzanotte focuses on complex real estate transactional and development matters, lending and workouts, and general corporate matters. Mr. Mezzanotte is Co-Chair of Whiteford, Taylor & Preston's Real Estate Industry Group. His clients range from local and regional residential and commercial developers to nationally known retailers, whom he has represented during both boom times and prior recessions in the real estate industry.
He comments, "I have seen the real estate industry suffer through some extremely hard times in the past. This recession differs from past recessions because it impacts every sector of the economy, not just real estate. But here in Howard County, we are blessed with more underlying economic strength than most areas of the country, so I am confident that our members will ride out this economic storm and be poised to grow again as soon as the worst is over."
Whiteford, Taylor & Preston, LLP is dedicated to working with clients to achieve their business goals through strategic legal counsel. Founded in 1933, the firm has grown to over 155 attorneys, with offices in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit our website at www.wtplaw.com.