Overview

Bob Harris is a land use and real estate attorney who helps landowners strategically improve the use and value of their real estate. He represents commercial, residential, and institutional landowners before planning commissions, courts, government agencies, and elected officials to obtain development approvals and protect land use rights in Montgomery County, Maryland and surrounding jurisdictions.

Leading legal guide Chambers USA describes Bob as “engaged, knowledgeable, and insightful,” and The Best Lawyers in America twice has named him Washington, DC’s Land Use & Zoning “Lawyer of the Year.” He brings extensive experience and a strategic focus to housing (multifamily, walkable infill, single family, and senior), mixed-use, office, retail, and new urbanism projects. His clients include Brookfield Office Properties, Carr Properties, EYA, Pulte Homes, GEICO, Lennar Homes, Elm Street Development Adventist Healthcare and Tri Pointe Homes.

Bob advises and represents clients in land development and real estate, including master planning, zoning, subdivision, site plans, and conditional uses. This includes advocating in legislative matters at both local and state levels, and participating in court proceedings. He is experienced in issues like smart growth, traffic management, adequate public facilities controls, public infrastructure, mixed-use planned development, environmental issues, urban design, affordable housing, real estate taxation, and historic preservation.

Bob is a Life Director of the Maryland Building Industry Association, he holds various positions with the Urban Land Institute, and he is a former Chair of the Montgomery Chamber of Commerce.

When he’s not working, Bob, who was raised in Montgomery County, enjoys being outdoors. He is an avid skier, and has been to more than 50 resorts in five different countries. He also plays golf, bikes and is learning to the play the guitar. After a workout, he takes pleasure in good food and wine; fortunately, his wife is a gourmet cook.

Education

  • The George Washington University Law School (J.D., 1980 with honors)
  • University of Maryland (B.S. in Business and Management, 1973)

Admissions

  • District of Columbia
  • Maryland

Honors and awards

  • Listed in Chambers USA in Real Estate: Land Use (2010-present)
  • Listed in The Best Lawyers in America in Land Use & Zoning Law and Real Estate Law (2007-present)
  • Named to Top Attorney List by Bethesda Magazine (2019)
  • Named Washington, DC’s Land Use & Zoning Law “Lawyer of the Year” by The Best Lawyers in America (2018, 2014)
  • Listed in Super Lawyers Business Edition (2012- present)
  • Listed in Super Lawyers Maryland, Land Use & Zoning (2007-2022)
  • Listed in Super Lawyers Washington, DC, Land Use & Zoning (2007-present)
  • Listed in Super Lawyers Corporate Counsel edition (2009)
  • Maryland Building Industry Association’s Joseph C. Rogers Sr. Award (2011)
  • Washington Business Journal Top Washington Lawyer Finalist (2004)
  • Ranked AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings

Community involvement

  • Gonzaga College High School (GFest Co-Chair, 2014-present; as alumnus, established and manages a scholarship fund and internship for underprivileged students)
  • Big Brother Big Sisters of the National Capital Area (Board of Directors)

Professional memberships

  • Urban Land Institute (Regional Fellow, 2017)
  • Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce (Advisory Board, former Chairman)
  • Maryland Building Industry Association (Life Director)
  • NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association

Practice Areas

Zoning and Land Use

National and regional developers, property owners, and investors choose Lerch Early, the region’s largest land use and zoning practice serving Maryland and DC, for counsel on planning and developing successful projects in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties and surrounding jurisdictions.

News & insights

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Representative Matters

Wilson and Elm: Represented Carr Properties in a 960,000 SF mixed-use redevelopment of the Apex Building in downtown Bethesda, including access to Red Line and Purple Line Metro stations and the Capital Crescent Trail. http://www.carrprop.com/properties/7272-wisconsin/

Brookfield Office Properties: Represented Brookfield in approvals for a new building above the Bethesda Metro Center.

Clarksburg Premium Outlets: Served as lead land use counsel for mixed-use community for Simon Properties, one of the largest retail property owners/developers in the world, on a major outlet center and related uses. The outlet center portion of the property opened in 2016. http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlet/clarksburg

Cabin Branch: Serve as lead land use counsel for a group of builders/developers working on a 540 acre planned community in Clarksburg, providing for 1900 homes and 2 million SF of commercial development. Construction began in 2013. Work has included litigation over impact taxes, SHA approvals and various legislative actions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_nmJDe-dE8

Chelsea Heights: For one of many EYA projects, served as lead land use counsel for the redevelopment of the former site of the Chelsea School adjacent to downtown Silver Spring. Obtained approvals for rezoning the property for townhome and MPDU use, subdivision and site plan. Neighboring homeowners vigorously opposed the approvals, resulting in an appeal to the Montgomery County Circuit Court. Successfully defended that appeal. Chelsea Heights completed construction in 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eK2krEcwxgo

Bainbridge Shady Grove: Secured approval for a 417 unit project at Shady Grove, including successfully defending an appeal to the Montgomery County Circuit Court. http://bainbridgeshadygrovemetro.com/

Fallsgrove: Represented a consortium of builders/developers who conceived and obtained zoning approvals for the 270 acre Fallsgrove mixed-use planned community in Rockville. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OW2AjWh2q7o

Fenwick Station: Represented Insight Property Group in approvals for a six-story, 310-unit luxury apartment development two blocks from the Silver Spring Metro Station. Built to LEED Silver specifications, it includes 39 affordable units within the mix of studios, one and two-bedroom apartments and offers 11,000 SF of amenity space. Site features include a public plaza, a Capital Bikeshare station, and a walking and biking trail. http://www.fenwickapts.com/gallery/

Bethesda Row: Served as land use counsel for mixed-use project developed by Federal Realty that transformed downtown Bethesda.

Chevy Chase Trust Building: Obtained master plan and zoning approvals for one of the largest office buildings in Montgomery County.

GEICO: Ongoing representation for GEICO’s headquarters interests in Friendship Heights, including approvals for future redevelopment with 800,000 SF of office space and 500 multi-family townhome units.

Disclaimer: Each case is different and past results do not guarantee similar results in future matters.