Miller, Miller & Canby Damon Orobona and Georgetown University Team Earn First Place Win at MIT’s International The CASE Competition
Rockville, MD (PRWEB) April 04, 2014 -- Damon Orobona of Miller, Miller & Canby, along with Jamie Minkler (BF Saul), Mark Schrieber (Torti Gallas & Partners) and Nicole Snarski (HFF), all representing Georgetown University’s Masters of Professional Studies in Real Estate Program, were awarded first place out of 48 international team entries on March 28th, 2014 at MIT’s annual Global Real Estate Forum. The contestants represented the world’s most prestigious universities for the 2014 The CASE competition with the mission this year of preparing and presenting an abstract redevelopment strategy for the London Television Centre site located in the South Bank Submarket of London (the headquarters of ITV, one of the United Kingdom's largest television networks). The CASE is the annual real estate competition hosted and organized by AACRE, the all-volunteer organization that represents the alumni community of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Real Estate.
The CASE Competition focuses on real estate acquisition, finance, and development. Registered teams of no more than four graduate students are sent a competition packet that includes important information about a specific development site that can be located anywhere on the globe. Teams had five days to prepare and deliver a proposed development project complete with planning and zoning analysis, market analysis, site plan programming, financial underwriting, and deal structuring as part of a comprehensive presentation. Based on this information, a panel of judges selected 12 teams to travel to London, England to compete in a semi-final round in front of a host of international judges and industry professionals at the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). Three teams were then selected from the semi-finalists to advance to the final round to be judged by industry veterans and city officials in front of a live audience at London City Hall. Georgetown University, Harvard University, and Columbia University were the three finalists this year, with Georgetown being chosen as the winner.
This year’s win follows the Georgetown program's success in previously placing as a finalist team in the MIT Competition in Boston last year, highlighting the growth and strength of the Georgetown program. Damon Orobona was the team captain for both of Georgetown's finalist teams the past two years. The team was presented with the traveling Kent Roberts Trophy which will be housed on display at Georgetown's new Downtown campus through December.
Damon Orobona is an associate in Miller, Miller & Canby’s Land Development practice area. Damon’s practice includes real estate development, land use law, zoning, and administrative and municipal law. Damon focuses on representing clients in matters before administrative boards and elected and appointed officials. His clients include developers, builders, real estate investment trusts (REITs), landowners, and institutional organizations. Damon has considerable experience in transit-oriented development, mixed use planned development, affordable housing, master planning, urban design, and adequate public facilities.
Prior to joining the firm, Damon served as a Senior Legislative Analyst for the Montgomery County Planning Department (MNCPPC) in a role that integrated the traditional disciplines of urban planning and land use law. During Damon’s tenure with the Planning Department, he worked on many of the County’s key planning initiatives and was a trusted advisor to the Montgomery County Planning Board, issuing recommendations on notable development projects and helping amend outdated zoning legislation. Damon is among a select group of land use professionals nationwide who are licensed to practice law and are AICP planning certified. Damon studied law at St. Thomas University and urban planning at Harvard University. He is currently finishing a degree in real estate finance at Georgetown University. He is the President of the American Planning Association’s 700-member Washington DC chapter and the student representative for Georgetown University's Real Estate Alumni Association.
ABOUT MILLER, MILLER & CANBY
For more than six decades, a reputation for excellence and dedication to client success have made Miller, Miller & Canby one of the most respected law firms in Montgomery County, Maryland. This recognition is built on experience, a stellar record of achievement and deep roots in the community. The firm focuses on five core areas of practice: Land Development, Real Estate, Litigation, Business and Tax, and Trusts, Estates and Elder Law. The firm has intentionally maintained its focus and moderate size in order to ensure that all attorneys maintain close contact with their clients and have the opportunity to develop and foster trusted, lasting relationships. Miller, Miller & Canby is proud to have maintained this standard of service since the firm’s founding in 1946 and continues to abide by this standard every single day. For more information, please visit http://www.millermillercanby.com.
Karen Widmayer, Miller, Miller & Canby, http://www.mmcanby.com, +1 (301) 661-1448, [email protected]
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