David C. Sampson, Former Baker Hostetler Managing Partner, Will Lead Philadephia-Based Ballard Spahr’s California Expansion

PHILADELPHIA & LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP announced a significant step in strengthening the firm’s expansion into the Western United States and internationally with the addition of former Baker Hostetler Los Angeles office managing partner David C. Sampson, who joins Ballard today as managing partner of the new California office.

Other former Baker Hostetler lawyers who have joined Ballard include partner Scott Preston, of counsel Letvia M. Arza-Goderich and Devon K. McGranahan, also of counsel. Ballard Spahr’s Real Estate Department and Resort and Hotel Group is nationally recognized and the addition of the former Baker Hostetler lawyers will complement and enhance the firm’s service and reach in Los Angeles and Latin America.

“Our Western strategy has always included a Los Angeles office; the most difficult part was having the patience to wait until lawyers of the highest quality were available, and had a practice that not only fit with our practice but also augmented it in fundamental ways," said Ballard Chairman Arthur Makadon. “We are fortunate that the people and the practice will blend seamlessly. We are off to an auspicious start, and we are confident that this exceptional real estate team has what it takes to make Ballard a force in the West and in Latin America.”

“I’m looking forward to serving as the managing partner of Ballard‘s Los Angeles office and overseeing the firm’s continued expansion West and into Latin America,” Sampson said. “Ballard’s new Los Angeles office will serve as an international gateway and provide crucial legal resources for the firm’s existing clients on the West Coast.”

The Los Angeles office is Ballard’s eleventh and complements its four other offices in the West − Denver, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Salt Lake City.

Attorneys’ Background

Sampson focuses his practice in the resort development industry, including timeshare development, where he advises clients in the creation of timeshare structures, registrations, legal documentation and sales. He represented the interests of the timeshare industry in negotiating and drafting the California Vacation Ownership and Timeshare Act of 2004. Additionally, Sampson works with a wide variety of clients on general real estate transactions, including commercial and industrial real estate, land use, construction contracts and other development projects.

He is an active member of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), serving as a Trustee and a member of the State Legislative Committee and as Legislative Counsel for ARDA-California. Sampson was also recognized as a “2007 California Super Lawyer” in Real Estate Law.

Preston concentrates his real estate practice in domestic and international real estate development and finance, with emphasis on hotel and resort projects. He has significant experience with international transactions, notably in the financing of properties throughout Mexico and the Caribbean. Preston’s fluency in Spanish and work experience in Mexico and Spain allow him to better serve his clients in negotiating and conducting business with a sensibility to local language and customs. He is a Chairman’s League Member of ARDA and a member of the Legislative Council of the Organization for Timeshare in Europe and serves on the Advisory Boards for the International Hotel Investment Forum, the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Investment Conference and the Americas Lodging Investment Summit.

Originally from Cuba, Arza-Goderich is multilingual and has practiced law in several states and Puerto Rico. She practices in the areas of real estate, admiralty, litigation and international and commercial law, with extensive international experience in Puerto Rico, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. Arza-Goderich is a member of several international professional organizations and is president of the U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, California Regional Chapter, and a member of its Bi-National Board.

McGranahan practices real estate law with an emphasis in the resort, hospitality and leisure industry, including resort development, vacation ownership, the exchange industry, hotels, casinos, and the travel industry. Her experience includes assisting in the development of vacation ownership projects for major brand participants in the hospitality industry, as well as preparing the registration documents associated with such projects. She also has assisted clients in complying with multi-jurisdictional consumer protection laws. In 2007, she was named a “Southern California Super Lawyer” − Rising Star Edition and Los Angeles Magazine.

About Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP

Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP, is an Am Law 100 firm with more than 500 lawyers in eleven offices in the Mid-Atlantic corridor and the Western United States. The firm’s Real Estate Department provides cutting-edge representation for corporate, institutional, entrepreneurial, and public clients in acquisition, development, financing, leasing, sales and other flagship transactions. Ballard Spahr clients include Fortune 500 corporations, hospitals, universities, financial institutions, managed care organizations, defense contractors, utilities and many other businesses. The firm also represents corporate directors, officers and managers as well as other professionals, including doctors, lawyers, public officials and accountants. Ballard Spahr combines a broad scope of practice with strong local market knowledge to represent companies, individuals and other entities. For more information on the firm, please visit www.ballardspahr.com.