CINCINNATI, July 9, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Herbert B. Weiss, a partner in the Real Estate Group at Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL (KMK(r)), has been chosen as the recipient of the Robert L. Hausser Memorial Award from the Real Property Section of the Ohio State Bar Association and also was selected for inclusion to the Best Lawyers in America(r) 2009, a recognition he has received for the past 25 consecutive years, since the program's inception in 1983.
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The Robert L. Hausser Memorial award recognizes longtime, outstanding achievement, contribution, and leadership in the practice of real property law. The honoree is selected by a three judge panel of the Ohio State Bar Association's Real Property Section.
Weiss was nominated for the Robert L. Hausser Memorial award by fellow real estate partner at KMK, Gail Glassmeyer Pryse. "Herb has been a fixture and 'guru' in the practice of law in Cincinnati for over 40 years, and we feel that few other attorneys better exemplify outstanding achievement, contribution, and leadership in the practice of real property law than Herb. Throughout his career, his list of professional and personal accomplishments has continued to grow as he has selflessly given back, not just to the legal community, but to the Greater Cincinnati community as a whole. Herb understands and appreciates the meaning of using his talents," stated Pryse in her nomination letter.
Weiss has been selected for inclusion to Best Lawyers in America every year since 1983 in the areas of Project Finance Law and Real Estate Law. Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence in the United States. Because Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey in which 26,500 leading attorneys throughout the country cast more than two million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their specialties. And, because lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a remarkable honor. Weiss is one of a small but prestigious group of lawyers who has received this recognition since its first publication 25 years ago.
Weiss' Perspective on the Current State of the Real Estate Industry
"Residential and commercial real estate professionals, on the whole, tend to be creative, forward-thinking professionals who want to build the economy and make things happen. In the past years, the industry has been overly aggressive with financing. The leveraging of financing done at the Wall Street level has adversely affected the economy. Developers - and especially commercial developers - were caught unaware," Weiss stated.
"The banking community is trying to help by working with developers to slow foreclosures and bankruptcies. But many banks have imposed stricter loan underwriting standards and many are reluctant to make any new loans available, even to customers with good credit histories. Bankers could be more helpful and flexible by extending and modifying the terms of loans that are due and payable in 2009 and 2010, and by lending money to credit-worthy people who want to buy houses and cars and develop commercial projects. When banks do that, jobs will be created and the economy will turn around," stated Weiss.
ABOUT HERBERT B. WEISS
Herbert B. Weiss has extensive experience in the representation of real estate developers and entrepreneurs, builders, financial institutions, and investors in real estate. Throughout his career, Weiss has focused his practice on real estate transactions, financing and development work.
Over the course of his career, Weiss has worked with many clients. His longest-standing client is Towne Properties, with whom he has worked for more than 40 years. Weiss has served as chair of KMK's Real Estate Practice Group, and he has served on the board of directors of the firm. He personally has mentored KMK's real estate attorneys.
Weiss, a licensed title insurance agent, is the founder of Riverbend Commercial Title Agency. Formed in 1987, Riverbend is the largest commercial title agency in Cincinnati.
Weiss is co-editor of McDermott's Ohio Real Property Law and Practice, and is a member of the Cincinnati Bar Association and the American Bar Association. He also is a member of the prestigious American College of Real Estate Lawyers. Weiss is listed in Chambers USA: America's Leading Business Lawyers(r) (2007-2008), has been named an Ohio Super Lawyer(r) (2004-2006, 2008-2009) and is AV Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell. Weiss served as assistant attorney general of the State of Ohio from 1969-1971.
Weiss earned his J.D. from the University of Cincinnati School of Law (1965), where he served on the Editorial Board of the Law Review, and his B.A. from the University of Cincinnati (1962). He currently serves on the Dean's Building Committee to build a new law school at the University of Cincinnati College of Law. He is a past-president of the Real Estate Roundtable and is also a past member of the University of Cincinnati Law School Board of Executive Advisors.
Weiss has lectured on real estate matters and participated in seminars for the University of Cincinnati College of Law, the University of Cincinnati College of Business Administration, the Ohio Real Estate Law Institute, the National Business Institute, Inc., and the Cincinnati Bar Association.
Weiss has been married to his wife, Abby, for 44 years. They have two children and four grandchildren.
ABOUT KEATING MUETHING & KLEKAMP
The law firm of Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL (KMK), based in Cincinnati, was founded in 1954. KMK has approximately 115 lawyers and a support staff of 150 employees. For the past 55 years, KMK has contributed to the success of many businesses, from Fortune 500 corporations to small start-up companies. KMK's mission is to provide high quality legal counsel to business clients by meeting their identified needs and developing appropriate solutions. KMK's vision is to excel as a law firm and community leader by recruiting and retaining the highest quality attorneys and personnel with diverse social, ethnic, and political backgrounds.
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Link to Herb Weiss' complete biography: http://www.kmklaw.com/attorneys_bio.aspx?id=95
Link to KMK website: http://www.kmklaw.com/default.aspx
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