Joseph J. Mezzanotte

Partner, Co-Chair of Real Estate Practice
Joseph J. Mezzanotte

Joseph J. Mezzanotte

PARTNER, CO-CHAIR OF REAL ESTATE PRACTICE
COLUMBIA
T: 410.347.9441
F: 410.223.4341

BALTIMORE
T: 410.347.9441
F: 410.752.7092

Mr. Mezzanotte has more than two decades of experience in complex real estate and business transactions.  He is the Co-Chairman of Whiteford’s Real Estate Section and Real Estate Development, Leasing and Land Use Industry Group.  Mr. Mezzanotte’s practice encompasses a full range of complex commercial real estate transactions and development work including acquisitions, dispositions, financings, entitlements, leasing and corporate matters relating thereto. In addition to his real estate practice, Mr. Mezzanotte has also served as outside General Counsel and a strategic advisor to privately held corporations and not-for-profit institutions.

Recognitions

  • Chambers USA, Real Estate, Maryland (2011–2019, 2023-present)
  • Best Lawyers in America®, Real Estate Law (2025)
  • Maryland Super Lawyers®, Real Estate (2014–2022)
  • AV Preeminent®: Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™
 

Memberships & Activities

  • Chairman of the Board: Howard County Economic Development Authority (2015–2018; Board Member, 2010–2018)
  • Chairman of the Board: Howard County Chamber of Commerce (2009–2010)
  • Board Member: Howard County Chamber of Commerce (2003–2012)
  • Board Member: The Maryland Chamber of Commerce (2010–Present)
  • General Counsel: Cybersecurity Association of Maryland, Inc. (2015–Present)
  • Board Member: Howard County Economic Development Authority (2010–2018)
  • Officer and Director: The Maryland Institute for the Continuing Professional Education of Lawyers (1999–2004)
  • Howard County Executive Ulman Transition Team (2006–2007)
  • Member: Executive Committee and Board of Governors of the Maryland State Bar Association (1998–1999)
  • Member: American Bar Association, House of Delegates (1998–1999)
  • Chair: Young Lawyers Section of the Maryland State Bar Association (1998–1999)
  • Member: Maryland State Bar Association Budget and Finance Committee (2000–2012)
  • Fellow: Maryland Bar Foundation
  • Fellow: American Bar Foundation
  • Fellow: Howard County Bar Foundation
  • Graduate: Leadership Howard County
  • Former Editorial Board Member, Associate Editor: University of Baltimore Law Review
  • Member: Maryland State Bar Association, Real Property Section
  • Member: Bar Association of Baltimore City, Real Estate Section
  • Member: American Bar Association Real Property, Probate and Trust Section
  • Member: District of Columbia Bar Association
  • Member: Howard County Bar Association
  • Frequently lectures on Real Estate Topics
  • Director: People's Pro Bono Action Center, Inc. (1998–1999)
  • Former Director: BUCS Financial Corp. (BUCS: NASDAQ)
  • Member: MSBA Baltimore Real Estate Lawyers Discussion Group
  • Chambers and Partners Designation

Real Estate Development, Commercial and Residential/Complex Purchase And Sale Agreements

  • Handled the sale of 440 acres of land in the Washington, D.C. suburbs which was touted as "one of the most valuable development parcels on the east coast" and which was used for the development of 2,000,000 square feet of office space, 100,000 square feet of retail space, various apartment and condominium buildings and 660 single family and townhouse lots
  • Representation of developers in connection with the acquisition, sale, subdivision and development of various residential subdivisions and mixed-use projects throughout Maryland
  • Representation of developers in the acquisition and development of golf course communities and resorts in the United States and internationally
  • Representation of both sellers and buyers in connection with the acquisition and sale of various office buildings, shopping centers, warehouses and large parcels of land in the Baltimore/Washington D.C./Northern Virginia corridor
  • Representation of real estate investment entities in the acquisition, leasing, repositioning and disposition of commercial real estate assets in the Midwest and Southeast regions of the U.S.
  • Represented a N.Y. based investment group in the acquisition and later profitable sale of a 604,000 sq. ft. warehouse building that was leased to international parts suppliers that facilitate the “mission-critical” assembly of the automobiles and light trucks at the Mercedes-Benz U.S. International Assembly Plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
 

Commercial/Leasing

  • Representation of publicly-traded national retail tenant in the negotiation and documentation of numerous retail leases for various stores throughout the U.S.
  • Representation of landowners and developers in connection with the structuring and negotiation of ground leases for hotels, shopping centers, mixed use projects, warehouses and parking lots
  • Representation of both Landlords and Tenants in numerous office, warehouse, flex and retail space leases throughout the mid-Atlantic
  • Representation of corporate tenants in transactions for corporate headquarters and corporate campuses
 

Complex Easement Agreements

  • Preparation and negotiation of reciprocal easement agreements for mixed use developments
  • Negotiation of ingress/egress/construction and utility easements for the construction of various improvements and projects
 

Environmental

  • Representation of developers, lenders and quasi-governmental entities in the acquisition, remediation and sale of environmentally contaminated commercial properties
 

Real Estate Finance

  • Representation of lenders and borrowers with respect to construction financing, permanent financing, and working capital lines of credit
 

Real Estate Assets in Distress

  • Representation of real estate developers, investment entities and guarantors in the structuring and negotiation of forbearance agreements, out-of-court loan workouts and the financial restructuring of loans and other debt to meet the objectives of the owner/borrower and creditor, and to provide protection for guarantors
  • Representation of borrowers and lenders in the restructuring of credit facilities for distressed real estate projects and the acquisition and disposition of real estate assets in connection with loan workouts and Chapter 11 bankruptcies
 

Zoning and Land Use

  • Representation of developers, builders and landowners in all respects of governmental land use approvals and entitlements for real estate projects in Maryland
 

Business and Corporate Law

  • Representation of a variety of privately-held entities on organizational/formation/corporate governance matters as well as their daily business and corporate law needs
 

Cyber Security and Information Privacy

  • Representation of privately held government contractors including serving as outside general counsel for a government contractor that provides products and services for information assurance and data security to both the public and private sectors
  • Serves as General Counsel of Cybersecurity Association of Maryland, Inc.

ARTICLES

Client Alert: COVID-19 - Real Estate Lease and Contract Enforcement in Maryland

As a result of the novel and rapidly progressing COVID-19 pandemic, federal, state, and local governments are issuing proclamations, states of emergency, and orders restricting the assembly and movement of people.  Many states have closed schools, issued “stay-at-home” orders, and mandated that all non-essential businesses close in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.  The unprecedented economic fallout is being felt globally, as well as locally in Maryland. 
 

Client Alert: COVID-19 and Commercial Real Estate Leases

We are increasingly receiving inquiries from clients who want to know if they can stop paying rent under their commercial real estate leases as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their business operations. The answer, not surprisingly, is that it depends on the specific language set forth in the tenant's commercial real estate lease as well as the applicable law in the jurisdiction that governs the lease and the landlord/tenant relationship.

Baltimore City's New Zoning Code Set To Go Into Effect On June 5, 2017

On December 5, 2016, after nearly ten years since it was initially proposed, the Baltimore City Council passed, and the then Mayor signed into law, a new zoning code and new zoning maps for the City of Baltimore (Baltimore City Council Bill No. 12-0152). The new zoning code, dubbed “TransForm Baltimore”, replaces the current 1971 Zoning Code.  The new code and maps become effective on June 5, 2017.


Chambers Honors Whiteford in 14 Practice Areas

Whiteford is pleased to announce that Chambers and Partners has once again ranked the firm highly in its 2023 list of leading firms and business lawyers.

43 Whiteford Attorneys Named Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

Whiteford, Taylor & Preston is pleased to announce that forty-three of its attorneys are listed among the 2022 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars in D.C., Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

48 Whiteford Attorneys Named Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

Whiteford, Taylor & Preston is pleased to announce that forty-eight of its attorneys are listed among the 2021 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars in D.C., Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia

Whiteford, Taylor & Preston and 29 Lawyers Honored by Chambers and Partners

Whiteford, Taylor & Preston is pleased to announce that Chambers and Partners has once again ranked the firm highly in its 2017 list of leading firms and business lawyers. This year’s recognition includes a record 29 attorneys in 4 states, the District of Columbia and Afghanistan. 


Fifty-Four Whiteford Attorneys Named Super Lawyers and Rising Stars in Maryland

Whiteford, Taylor & Preston is pleased to announce that 54 of its Maryland-based attorneys are listed among the 2014 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars.

The firm is particularly proud of the young lawyers who are recognized as “Rising Stars” and the three partners who received special recognition -- Edward Buxbaum and Dwight Stone in the Top 100, and Mary Claire Chesshire in the Top 50 Women.


The Howard County Chamber of Commerce Welcomes New Leadership at its Annual Meeting

The Howard County Chamber of Commerce is pleased to welcome Greg Lowe to a one-year term as Chair of the Board of Directors. Lowe is vice president and COO at Lowe fs, a financial services firm headquartered in Columbia, Maryland. The Chamber membership voted to approve Lowe’s appointment and the appointment of nine new at-large board members during the organization’s Annual Meeting Luncheon on May 15.


Whiteford, Taylor & Preston and 14 Partners Named as Leaders in the Legal Profession by Chambers and Partners

Whiteford, Taylor & Preston is pleased to announce that Chambers and Partners has again ranked the firm highly in its 2012/2013 list of America’s leading firms and business lawyers. 

In addition, fourteen of the firm’s partners received individual recognition, including Kevin Hroblak, who was rated this year for the first time in the Litigation category.  Mr. Hroblak is co-chair of the firm’s Litigation Department and a leading member of the Business Reorganization and Bankruptcy Litigation practice.


Whiteford, Taylor & Preston and 13 Partners Named as Leaders in the Legal Profession by Chambers and Partners

Whiteford, Taylor & Preston is delighted to announce that Chambers and Partners has highly ranked the firm and 13 of its attorneys in its 2011 list of America’s leading firms and business lawyers. 

Newly rated this year was Joseph Mezzanotte, co-chair of the firm’s Real Estate practice.

As in the past, the firm was recognized in Maryland in six separate categories of practices. As before, the firm’s Bankruptcy Litigation practice is the only one in Maryland ranked in Band One, the highest rating. 


CorpINTL Names Whiteford Taylor & Preston Real Estate Law Firm of the Year in Maryland

Corporate International Magazine, a British publication targeted at the finance industry worldwide, has announced that Whiteford Taylor & Preston has been selected as the winner of the Corporate Intl Magazine 2010 Legal Awards as Real Estate Law Firm of the Year in Maryland.

The Magazine notes that the Awards recognize law firms that “have shown excellence not only in expertise but in service, and during a difficult global economic downturn.”


Joseph J. Mezzanotte, New Chairman of the Board of the Howard County Chamber of Commerce

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.


Whiteford, Taylor & Preston Announces Management Changes

As it celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, Whiteford, Taylor & Preston LLP is delighted to announce its new leadership team.

Having completed four terms as Managing Partner, Albert J. Mezzanotte, Jr. will serve one more year as the Firm's Managing Partner and transition those duties to Martin T. Fletcher. Mr. Fletcher is a present member of the firm's Management Committee and after serving a one year term as Managing Partner Elect will then commence a three year term as Managing Partner.

WTP Opens New Howard County Office

The law firm of Whiteford, Taylor & Preston L.L.P. is pleased to announce the opening of a new, expanded office in Columbia, MD. The firm has signed a 5 year lease for office space in 20 Corporate Center, 10420 Little Patuxent Parkway, with an option to expand in the future."While we have had a presence in Howard County since 1996, this new office provides the space we need to better serve the Howard County business community" said Joe Mezzanotte, one of the partners resident in the new office.