Ballard Spahr Names New Chair for Real Estate Department

For the last 25 years, Ballard Spahr had only one chairman lead its real estate department. That mark ended at the beginning of this year.

Bart Mellits was appointed the new leader for the Philadelphia-based law firm’s department. He succeeded Michael Sklaroff, who helped guide the group’s attorneys through ever-changing real estate market conditions over the last quarter century.

As chair, Mellits will lead a department of 110 lawyers in 11 of the firm’s 13 offices nationwide.

Mellits has extensive experience in a variety of leasing, acquisition, development and loan transactions, as well as real estate workouts. Mellits has represented commercial landlords and tenants nationwide in retail leases, large-scale office leases, industrial and warehouse leases, mixed-use project leases, ground leases, and bondable and other types of financing leases.

Additionally, he has structured numerous brownfield developments and build-to-suit projects. He also served as a lawyer for several Fortune 500 companies, lending institutions, and local and regional real estate developers.

At Ballard Spahr, Mellits has held a variety of leadership positions, serving as vice chair of the real estate department and as a member of the firm’s elected and expanded boards.

“Our real estate department owes its success to a deep bench of talented attorneys and also to a strategic vision that fostered agility through changing economic conditions,” Mellits stated. “I am deeply grateful to Michael for building this department from the ground up and am eager to continue his legacy of targeted growth, collegiality and client service.”