Experienced Rhode Island real estate and affordable housing attorney joins DarrowEverett's national Affordable Housing & Community Development practice, strengthening support for developers and housing authorities across the Northeast.
PROVIDENCE, R.I., May 18, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- DarrowEverett LLP, a full-service law firm with offices in five states, has announced the expansion of its Affordable Housing and Community Development Practice Group, with veteran attorney Carolyn Medina joining the firm's team in Rhode Island. Medina joins a deep roster of transaction-tested attorneys in affordable housing and tax credit-assisted development; the representation of nonprofit affordable housing developers; public finance; and the representation of housing authorities, their instrumentalities, and related institutions—providing informed legal insight nationwide on the complex projects that shape communities.
With 20 years of experience, Medina structures and closes complex affordable housing transactions involving low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC) and historic tax credits, bond financing, grants, and commercial loans, and brings a dual legal and business perspective drawn from her prior tenure as Vice President and Director of Real Estate Development for a leading Rhode Island nonprofit affordable housing developer. Admitted in Rhode Island and Massachusetts with deal experience extending into Connecticut, her notable engagements include the $70 million acquisition and redevelopment of a large Section 8 housing development in Newport, Rhode Island utilizing LIHTCs, and a $22 million refinance transaction negotiated directly with RI Housing, HUD, commercial lenders, private equity syndicators, and municipal stakeholders.
"Carolyn's experience, strategic insight and commitment to expanding access to affordable housing make her an exceptional addition to our team," said Partner Ricardo Gilmore, Practice Leader of the firm's Affordable Housing & Community Development Practice Group. "Her presence gives our work even greater visibility in the Northeast, and we look forward to the impact she will have on our clients and the communities we serve."
DarrowEverett's Affordable Housing & Community Development practice provides legal support across the full development life cycle from planning, site control, permitting, and financing through construction, lease-up, compliance, and disposition. The team routinely advises on mixed-finance developments leveraging bonds, LIHTC, and other government funding sources, and serves as general counsel and special counsel to housing authorities while consulting on special initiatives coast to coast. The practice got a significant boost earlier this year with the addition of the Tampa, Florida-based Saxon|Gilmore team, led by Gilmore and Jozette Chack-On.
"Knowing the caliber of talent that DE has, this is the perfect time for me to make this move," Medina said. "I see the work that continues to be done by Ric, Jozette and the team, and I cannot wait to bring more of these transformational projects to life."
A full look at members of DarrowEverett's Affordable Housing & Community Development Practice Group:
Ricardo Gilmore, Partner — Practice Leader
With more than 40 years of legal experience, Gilmore serves as Partner of DarrowEverett's Tampa office and leads the firm's Affordable Housing & Community Development practice. Named one of Tampa's Attorneys of the Year by Tampa Style Magazine (2025), he acts as general counsel to multiple housing authorities and as special counsel to agencies nationwide, with vast understanding in public finance, ethics, and corporate governance for housing authority commissioners.
Gilmore is a frequent presenter at conferences addressing public and affordable housing topics. He has been involved in many Hope VI revitalization projects and played key roles in two matters that reached the U.S. Supreme Court, establishing nationwide precedent for housing authorities.
Jozette Chack-On, Partner
With more than 29 years of experience, Chack-On focuses on complex mixed-finance transactions for housing authorities and corporate clients, including public-private partnerships, LIHTC, tax-exempt bonds, and real estate acquisition and redevelopment. Her recent work includes eight financing closings totaling approximately $539 million on a 120-acre master-planned community and a 40-acre, 12-city-block development valued at approximately $425 million.
Rhonda Stringer, Partner
With more than 25 years of experience, Stringer concentrates her practice on operational, management, policy, and regulatory compliance for housing authorities and affordable housing providers statewide, including Housing Choice Voucher, Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD), and Section 8 programs. She also represents clients in state and federal civil litigation arising from tenant disputes and regulatory enforcement and is a regular speaker at Housing and Development Law Institute (HDLI) and Florida Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (FAHRO) conferences.
Kelley Morris Salvatore, Partner
Morris Salvatore, the Practice Leader of the firm's Land Use Practice Group, is based in Rhode Island and has more than 25 years of experience. She is well-versed in land use and permitting, and in affordable and mixed-income housing developments. Most recently, Morris Salvatore secured crucial victories including invalidating a municipal attempt to circumvent the comprehensive permit process by purporting to "take" the subject property by eminent domain. Morris Salvatore also successfully obtained master plan approval for a mixed-use development featuring 48,000 square feet of commercial space and 218 residential units, along with a town council-approved zone change creating a special planned district to support the project.
Additionally, she secured approval for an adaptive reuse project to convert a school building to affordable residential units with additional new construction. In another recent matter, Morris Salvatore obtained master plan approval for 275 residential units in a comprehensive permit application involving an underutilized former industrial property. She also served as the chair of the State Housing Appeals Board for over 10 years, prior to its dissolution in 2023.
Suzanne DeCopain, Partner
DeCopain focuses on general civil litigation and affordable and public housing matters, representing housing authorities across Florida on landlord-tenant relations, HUD regulatory compliance, Fair Housing Act and ADA/Section 504 requirements, and public records law.
Tracy Woodard, Partner
Woodard focuses her practice on commercial real estate transactions, commercial leasing, lending, contracting, property acquisition, and development. She has more than a decade of legal experience, managing complex commercial real estate matters for developers, property owners, investors, lenders, and clients in the government, banking, and business sectors.
ABOUT DARROWEVERETT LLP
DarrowEverett LLP is a full‑service law firm providing comprehensive counsel to businesses and individuals across a broad spectrum of legal needs. The firm's core strengths span corporate law, commercial real estate, finance, complex commercial and business litigation, affordable housing and community development, and private client services such as estate planning and family law. With offices in New York, NY; Boston, MA; Miami, FL; Boca Raton, FL; Tampa, FL; Providence, RI; and Charlotte, NC, DarrowEverett supports a wide-ranging portfolio of domestic and international clients, from publicly traded companies to privately held enterprises. Learn more at darroweverett.com.
Media Contact
Chad Gottlieb, DarrowEverett LLP, 1 (561) 288-2600, [email protected], https://darroweverett.com/
SOURCE DarrowEverett LLP
Share this article