In a September 18, 2014 Q&A with Law360, Eric Orlinsky, chair of an East Coast law firm’s private equity and venture capital practice praised Venable partner Jim Hanks as an impressive peer in the Maryland REITs market.
When asked to name an attorney outside his firm who impressed him and why, Orlinsky said, “I think one of the people in my career that has impressed me the most is a partner named Jim Hanks at Venable. Jim has impressed me because, during the course of his career, he has essentially created an entire legal market in Maryland for REITS. Jim, at an early stage in his career, convinced many of the bankers on Wall Street and the premier law firms throughout the country that Maryland was the premier place to form real estate investment trusts. His work in this area created a market for legal services in Maryland where none previously existed. Today, many Maryland firms enjoy the benefits of the work Jim did in creating this market. Jim has also been a mentor to me and to many other young lawyers as well, helping them build their careers and develop as lawyers both within his firm and at other competing firms. All of that, collectively, has impressed me.”