Raymond Diaz and Edward O'Connell Join Whiteford, Taylor & Preston
Baltimore, MD - Whiteford, Taylor & Preston (WTP) announced today that Raymond J. Diaz, former President of the Virginia State Bar, and Edward O'Connell III have joined the firm's expanding Community Associations (CA) practice.
"It's a pleasure to welcome Ray and Ed to the firm," noted Andrew J. Terrell, head of the firm's Virginia office. "Known leaders in the field of community association law, they're the first additions to our new Northern Virginia office which is slated to open later this year. With over half a century of experience in CA law between them, they bring with them a wealth of knowledge that our D.C. and Virginia clients will find very helpful."
Of his move to the firm, Diaz commented, "Ed and I welcome the opportunity to help WTP build its presence in Northern Virginia, while at the same time getting the benefits of a much bigger platform behind us in the form of a leading broad-based law firm."
With over 30 years of CA experience, Diaz advises community associations on matters regarding litigation, community planning and development, contract negotiations and dispute resolution, delinquent assessment collection, and financial transactions. Named in the 2006 edition of Best Lawyers in America, he is a frequent lecturer on fair housing, the duties of directors, covenant enforcement, effective meetings, age-restrictive communities, and changes in CA law. Diaz was a founding principal at Rees, Broome & Diaz, P.C., in Vienna, Virginia. A 1973 graduate of George University's School of Law, he is admitted to the Virginia, District of Columbia, Maryland, and West Virginia bars. He is a former member of the Board of Directors for the Metropolitan Chapter of the Community Associations Institute, a Fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, and a Fellow of both the American Bar Foundation and the Virginia Bar Foundation. Diaz is Chair of the Virginia State Bar Section on the Education of Lawyers and a graduate of the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce's Leadership Fairfax Class of 1993. A former member of both the National Capital Chapter of the American Red Cross's Board of Directors and the John Marshall Foundation's Board of Directors, he is also a former President of the Virginia State Bar. He also serves on the Commission to Study the Future of Virginia's Judiciary, having been appointed to that position by the Chief Justice of the Virginia Supreme Court.
Representing common-interest community and civic associations, O'Connell assists clients with financial and real property transactions, fair housing, contract negotiation and dispute resolution, rules and covenants compliance, zoning and land use, labor and employment, and assessments. A former shareholder at Rees, Broome & Diaz, P.C., he is a 1994 graduate of the Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law. Admitted to the bar in Virginia and D.C., he is admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Tax Court. A member of the Fairfax Bar Association, he is active in the Washington Metropolitan Chapter of the Community Associations Institute and a contributing author to their publication, Quorum. Prior to attending law school, O'Connell worked as a bond broker in New York's financial markets.
Whiteford, Taylor & Preston, LLP is dedicated to working with clients to achieve their business goals through strategic legal counsel. Founded in 1933, the firm has grown to over 155 attorneys, with offices in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit our website at www.wtplaw.com.