People

Clients come to David Kochanski when they need practical, forward-thinking solutions for complex real estate transactions. He is a recognized leader in the field, and he is not afraid to suggest an unconventional approach when he can back it up with solid legal and business reasoning. Clients trust his judgment and have real confidence in his advice. 

David has produced results for clients across decades of practicing real estate law, acting as lead counsel for national and regional developers, builders, and related clients through both boom cycles and challenging periods. His use of alternative structures and creative strategies lets clients achieve strong outcomes without starting from scratch on every deal. 

Clients rely on David when they acquire, develop, and operate income-producing property, including office buildings, shopping centers and retail operations, apartment complexes, industrial and flex properties, and mixed-use projects. He manages due diligence, negotiates contracts and financing, and closes deals with particular attention to survey, entity, and title matters. He also advises on construction and development documentation, reciprocal easements, and operating agreements, and helps clients disposing of real estate evaluate tax-deferred alternatives like like-kind exchanges and installment sales. 

A significant part of David’s practice is serving as local counsel in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. for national and international clients, advising on local custom and practice around title, survey, entitlement, and zoning matters, and on local transfer and recordation tax strategy. Among his longtime clients are multigenerational families of regional developers and builders who own a substantial share of real estate and business assets across Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. 

David is recognized as a leading voice on the construction and development industry and works regularly with American Institute of Architects contract documents and related agreements between owners, design professionals, contractors, project managers, and lenders. Over more than 40 years, he has been recognized by peers, clients, and leading trade groups for his knowledge and leadership. He is a member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL), the invitation-only premier organization for U.S. real estate lawyers, and Chambers USA describes him as whip smart, experienced, and sharp. The Section of Real Property, Planning and Zoning of the Maryland State Bar Association unanimously named him Distinguished Maryland Real Property Practitioner. 

David has provided expert testimony in real estate proceedings, including on standard of care and legal ethics, and has chaired, authored, and presented continuing legal education programs in real estate for more than 25 years. He has appeared on local and national television discussing real estate topics and has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland, University College and Montgomery College, and as a mentor to Shulman Rogers attorneys, young Maryland lawyers, and incoming ACREL members. 

David has also been a longtime leader in pro bono and community work, serving on citizens’ advisory commissions that advise the county executive and county council, and as a Fellow of the Maryland Bar Foundation. He has served on the Maryland State Bar Association’s Board of Governors and chaired its Section Council for Real Property Planning and Zoning, as well as the Bar Association of Montgomery County’s Real Estate Section. He chairs Attorney Discipline Peer Review Panels, which recommend sanctions to the Maryland Attorney Grievance Commission, and is currently vice chair of the American Bar Association’s Legal Opinions Subcommittee, having served on the steering committee that produced the Maryland State Bar Association’s report on lawyers’ opinions in business transactions.