Business owners, real estate professionals, non-profit associations, leaders of educational communities and other organizations turn to Lawrence A. Shulman when they need not just a lawyer, but someone who can create consensus, drive change, and solve complicated problems that involve multiple stakeholders.

Larry is the founding partner of Shulman Rogers. He is a nationally recognized commercial real estate and leasing specialist, lecturer and a fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers.

Sought out and hired time and time again for many reasons, Larry is renowned when it comes to crafting compromise, building consensus, and forming communities – even among adversaries.

He has gained a reputation as a masterful negotiator, an artful persuader and a civic-minded lawyer who is not afraid to take chances. He has been referred to as a “political bridge-builder,” a “trail blazer,” and a “catalytic force of change.”  He knows how to navigate contentious political environments and highly bureaucratic systems.

As a gifted listener with deep compassion for all stakeholders, Larry not only solves problems creatively, but in a manner that often creates new and once unforeseeable opportunities. He is an innovative problem-solver known for bringing solutions to the table, not just more talk about the problem itself.

As a result of the success he has achieved for others, he is a man of stature in the community. He is highly-respected by his peers, adversaries, judges, business executives and government leaders and has been recognized for his many achievements.

According to Chambers USA, the leading independent ranking organization for commercial lawyers, “Lawrence Shulman is ‘very well known in the community’ and remains a key resource for commercial real estate leasing matters.”

Distinctions

Larry served as the Court-appointed mediator, who assisted in promoting discussion and settlement among the parties in Vaughns, et al. v. Board of Education of Prince George’s County, et al., a 30-year old school desegregation case. The Court acknowledged in its opinion “the extraordinary role Mr. Shulman played in helping to bring the settlement about.”

Larry has invested his creativity and vision in identifying and meeting the needs of the community, especially in the area of education. His leadership and stewardship of creative and innovative community projects have won him acclaim both nationally and locally.

Since 1975, Larry has helped to found five separate, non-profit education foundations to involve various segments of the business community in the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). In each of these endeavors, Larry took the lead and recruited 10-20 business leaders to volunteer in each of the foundations. The foundations include: the Montgomery County Students Construction Trades Foundation, Inc. (Founded in 1976, this project received an award in 1981 from the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education as one of the ten outstanding vocational education programs in the nation.); the Montgomery County Students Automotive Trades Foundation, Inc. (Founded in 1977, a separate but related foundation that supports education in automotive trades by providing the framework, financing, used automobiles, marketing and consultative services for students to operate several “Mini-Dealerships” that recondition and sell used automobiles, the first such project in the nation.)

As chairman of the Governor’s Task Force on Procurement, Larry led a state-wide task force established to eliminate red tape and make the state’s procurement process more effective. The task force created plans to inject flexibility and common sense into procurement practices and recommended reforms to assist small businesses and MBE firms in procurement dealings with the state.

Larry was the Subcommittee Chair of the Public/Private Partnerships Subcommittee of the Governor/Speaker’s Task Force on Education Funding Equity, Accountability and Partnerships. This was a task force designed to review education funding, program accountability, and public/private partnerships between Maryland schools and the private sector.

Larry was also the Vice Chair of the Horizon 21 Information Technology Strategic Planning Steering Committee. This committee was a Montgomery County government and private sector partnership set up to facilitate the development of a strategic plan for information technology for the county government.

In addition to his law practice and community service career, Larry has lectured and written for The Maryland Institute for Continuing Professional Education of Lawyers, and the American Bar Association, and has co-chaired for over 30 years the Georgetown University Law Center’s Continuing Legal Education’s Advanced Commercial Leasing Institute and its predecessor programs.

Professional & Community Affiliations

Recognition

LEGAL

  • Distinguished Member of The American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL)
  • Who’s Who of Real Estate Lawyers (2013 – 2015)
  • American Bar Foundation Maryland Fellow (2009 – present)
    • Membership in an honorary organization (affiliated with the American Bar Association) of lawyers, judges, and legal scholars in the United States whose public and private careers have demonstrated outstanding dedication to the welfare of their communities and to the highest principles of the legal profession. (2009 – present)
  • Maryland State Bar Association Real Property Planning & Zoning Section, “Distinguished Real Estate Practitioner Award”
    • Award recognizing annually a Maryland real estate attorney who exemplifies the experience, client service, expertise, integrity, collegiality and courtesy that lawyers strive to achieve in their professional lives. (2006)
  • Professional Legal Excellence Award, Maryland State Bar Association
    • Award annually recognizing extraordinary efforts in the advancement of public service responsibility (2000)
  • Century of Service Award, Montgomery County Maryland Bar Foundation
    • Award recognizing 25 exemplary judges and lawyers for outstanding service during the Twentieth Century to the legal profession and the community (1999)
  • Bar Association of Montgomery County, Maryland, Second Annual Professionalism Award
    • Award recognizing an attorney on an ad hoc basis who demonstrates exemplary professional conduct, qualifications and accomplishments (1992)

LEGAL LISTINGS

  • The Best Lawyers in America Real Estate Law Listing, 2007 – 2023
  • Legal Times, Leading Lawyer Award, Real Estate Practice Group (2004 – present)
  • Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Rating
  • Super Lawyers Real Estate Practice Group (2007 – 2020, MD and DC)

COMMUNITY

  • The National Center for Citizen Involvement and ACTION, 1982 President’s Volunteer Action Award
    • National award presented by President Ronald Reagan at the White House to honor individuals and groups who made unique contributions to their communities through volunteer service and to focus local and national attention on outstanding and innovative volunteer efforts (April 1982)
  • The Washingtonian Magazine, Washingtonian of the Year
    • Award presented annually by local city magazine to those members of the community “who lend a helping hand, build bridges of understanding, and put something back into the community”  (January 1983)
  • State of Israel Bonds, City of Peace Award
    • Award presented annually to a leader in the Washington area who has achieved professional success and has displayed an on-going commitment to Israel and the Jewish Community (May 2003)
  • Leadership Montgomery, Leader of the Year Award
    • Award presented annually by local County Leadership Program “recognizing an individual whose exceptional community leadership has benefited the citizens of Montgomery County” (May 1994)
  • Rockville Chamber of Commerce, Rockville Citizen of the Year
    • Award presented annually by local city chamber of commerce to a citizen of Rockville for his/her outstanding support of the business community and their longstanding dedication to improving the quality of life in Rockville (November 1996)

EDUCATION

  • National School Volunteer Program, KRAFT and Walt Disney World, 1988 Outstanding Volunteer Award Program
    • National award presented by U.S. Secretary of Education at Disney World for “outstanding efforts and unselfish dedication” to a local school in a volunteer program in the Business Partner Category (May 1988)
  • National Association of Partners in Education, 1997 McKee Foods Corporation Award for Partnership Leaders
    • National award presented for leadership role in developing and expanding educational partnerships at the local, state and national level (November 1997)
  • State of Maryland Governor’s Citation
    • Received from Governor Harry Hughes in recognition of volunteer service to the State Department of Education (April 1982)
  • Montgomery Journal and The Montgomery County Civic Federation Journal Cup
    • Award presented annually by Montgomery Civic Federation presented to an individual or a group (in this case, the Corporate Partnership on Managerial Excellence, led by Mr. Shulman) in the County which has performed an outstanding service to the people of Montgomery County (June 1994)
  • Montgomery County Alliance for Educational Excellence, Business-School Partnership Award – Individual Category
    • Award presented annually by independent community-based educational organization to individuals, small businesses and corporations who support educational excellence (May 1996)
  • Montgomery County Education Association Hornbook Award
    • Award presented annually to a non-educator citizen in Montgomery County who has exhibited a high degree of leadership and support for public education (June 1981)

Publications

Seminars & Speaking Engagements

  • Co-Chair, Georgetown University Law Center, Continuing Legal Education, Advanced Commercial Leasing Institute (1981 – present)
  • Lecturer, American College of Real Estate Lawyers
  • Lecturer, The Maryland Institute for Continuing Professional Education of Lawyers
  • Lecturer, American Bar Association

News & Events