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Harry W. Lerch
Principal



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Areas of Practice:
 Land Use and Zoning

Phone:
(301) 657-0161

Fax:
(301) 347-1775

Email

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Mr. Lerch practices in the areas of areas of zoning, planning, traffic mitigation, historic preservation, Legacy Open Space and condemnation proceedings. He has been named as one of the Best Attorneys in America since 1999.

He was born in Washington, D.C. on May 2, 1938. He received his A.B. degree from Wesleyan University in 1959 and attended George Washington University School of Law, where he received his J.D. degree in 1963.

Mr. Lerch was admitted to the bar in 1963. He served as a law clerk to Judge Edward A. Tamm of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia during 1961-1962, and also served as law clerk to Judge Walter H. Moorman of the Sixth Judicial Circuit of Maryland during 1962-1963.

Mr. Lerch served as General Counsel for The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission from 1965 until 1970. He was a member of the Maryland House of Delegates in 1970. Mr. Lerch joined the firm in 1970. His experience as General Counsel for the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission included the purchase of more than 14,000 acres of park land, as well as primary responsibility for drafting numerous items of legislation affecting zoning, subdivision and planning in Montgomery County and throughout the state of Maryland. He has served as a consultant on local, state, and federal matters and has been a member of numerous commissions and advisory committees to the Montgomery County Council and other government bodies concerning zoning and planning issues. 

He has argued and won more than a dozen major land use cases before the Court of Appeals of Maryland. He has tried many condemnation cases on behalf of both government agencies and private property owners.  He is a commercially licensed pilot, an active member of the Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association and regularly takes air photographs of real estate projects. He has served for many years as a member of the ABA Real Property, Probate and Trust Section Committees on Land Use and Condemnation Law. 

In 1990, Mr. Lerch was elected to membership in the American College of Real Estate Lawyers. He serves on ACREL's Land Use and Zoning Committee, and was a member of the Urban Land Institute.

Mr. Lerch served as President of the Bar Association of Montgomery County, Maryland (1989-90), and as President of the Montgomery County Bar Foundation (1990-91); President of the West Montgomery County Citizens Association (1971-73); and Council Member, Maryland State Bar Association Real Estate Section Council of which he served as Vice Chair for Land Use and Zoning (1988-91). He is a Life Fellow of the Maryland State Bar Foundation; Former Director (1990-97) and Legal Chair, Bethesda Country Club; former Director and Counsel, and currently a Trustee of the Montgomery County Historical Society; and Trustee and President of the Montgomery County Parks Foundation (1998-2003). He served for many years (1987-96) as a Director of the Washington Adventist Hospital. He also served as Co-Chairman (with Austin Kiplinger) of Montgomery County's Advisory Commission on Advanced Waste Water Treatment Facilities (1970-75). He is a past President (1996-97) of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rotary Club, Founder, Incorporator and initial President of the Montgomery County Air Park Users Association, and the Incorporator of the Antietam Battlefield Protectors Association.

Mr. Lerch has developed and taught courses at Montgomery College in real estate taxation and real estate development, and is a lecturer to various groups in the areas of his expertise. Mr. Lerch served as a U.S. delegate to the 1987 U.S./China Joint Session on Trade, Investment, and Economic Law in Beijing, China.

Reported Cases: M-NCPPC vs Prince George's County 269 Md. 202, 306 A2d 223, cert. den. 414 U.S.1068, 94 SCt. 577, 38 LEd2d 473; M-NCPPC vs Chadwick 286 Md. 1, 405 A.2d 241 (1979); Marathon Builders vs Montgomery County Planning Board, 246 Md. 187, 227 A.2d 755 (1967); M-NCPPC vs. Silkor Development Co, 246 Md. 516, 229 A.2d 135 (1967); Rogers vs M-NCPPC 253 Md. 687, 253 A.2d 713; Gruver Cooley Jade vs Perlis 252 Md. 684, 251 A2d 589 (1969); M-NCPPC vs McCaw 246 Md. 662, 229 A.2d 584 (1967); Groner v Davis 260 Md 471, 272 A2d 621 (1971); Prince George's County v Mayor and City Council of Laurel 262 Md 171, 277 A2d 262 (1971); Clayman v Prince George's County 266 Md. 409, 292 A2d 689 (1772); Montgomery County vs Horman 46 Md. App.491,418 A2d 1249; Dewey Jordan Inc. vs M-NCPPC. 258 Md. 490, 265 A2d, 892; Laskin v Harkins Bldrs. (Md. App. Unreported); Mayor and Council of Rockville v Stone 271 Md 655, 319 A2d 536 (1974); Bourne v Kohut (Md. App. unreported); Logan v Town of Somerset 271 Md 42, 314 A.2d 436 (1974); Goldberg v Anastasi 272 Md. 61, 321 A2d 155 (1974); Miller v Maloney Concrete Co. 63 Md App. 38 (1985): Lee v M-NCPPC, 107 Md. App 486, 668 A.2d 980 (1995), Montgomery County v. Waters Landing Limited Partnership 99 Md. App. 1, 635 A.2d 48 (1994); Waters Landing Ltd. Partnership v Montgomery County 337 Md. 15, 650 A. 2d 712 (1994).  Purich v Draper Properties,  395 Md. 694, 912 A.2d 598  ( 2006) . Davis v P.G. Co. (unreported) Ct of Spec Apps Feb. 2007.

Representative Cases

M-NCPPC vs Chadwick, 286 Md. 1 (405 A.2d 241 1979)

Marathon Builders vs Montgomery County Planning Board, 246 Md. 187 (227 A.2d 755 1967)

M-NCPPC vs Silkor Development Co., 246 Md. 516 (229 A.2d 135 1967)

Gruver Cooley Jade vs Perlis, 252 Md. 684 (251 A2d 589 1969)

Mayor and Council of Rockville vs Stone, 271 Md. 655 (319 A2d 536 1974)

Goldberg vs Anastasi, 272 Md. 61 (321 A2d 155 1974)

Miller vs Maloney Concrete Co., 63 Md. App. 38 (1895)

Lee vs M-NCPPC, 107 Md. App 486 (668 A.2d 980 1995)

Montgomery County vs Waters Landing Limited Partnership, 99 Md. App 1 (635 A.2d 48 1994)

Waters Landing Ltd. Patnership vs Montgomery County, 337 Md. 15 (650 A.2d 712 1994)

Purich v Draper Properties,  395 Md. 694, 912 A.2d 598  ( 2006)

Davis vs. Lanham LLLP 2007





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