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About

Jacob Altshuler, Esq.

Education

  • University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, JD
  • University of Maryland, College Park, BA

Bar Admissions

  • Maryland
  • District of Columbia

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
  • United States Tax Court

Additional Education/Coursework

  • Johns Hopkins University, Carey Business School, Graduate Finance Coursework
  • Duke University, Paralegal Specialist Certificate
  • American Bankers Association, Certificate in Business and Commercial Lending
  • Henley Business School, Hedge Fund Executive Education
  • Columbia Business School, Value Investing Executive Education
  • Cornell University, Certificate in Commercial Real Estate
  • Cornell University, Certificate in Hotel Real Estate Investments and Asset Management

Earned Designations/Certifications

  • Real Estate Finance and Investments Certification (REFAI)
  • Certified Self Storage Manager (CSSM)
  • Certified Apartment Manager (CAM)

Board Membership

  • Maryland Open Meetings Law Compliance Board, Board Member

Honors & Awards

  • Alpha Phi Sigma Academic Honor Society (University of Maryland, College Park)
  • Maryland Law Scholars Award (University of Maryland Law)
  • CALI Excellence for the Future Award, Taxation of Partnerships & LLCs (University of Maryland Law)
  • Dean’s Scholarship (Johns Hopkins Carey Business School)
  • Sigma Alpha Pi, Presidential Member (Johns Hopkins Carey Business School)
  • Official Citation, Senator Jill P . Carter / Maryland General Assembly; In recognition of Open Meetings Law Compliance Board Work

Overview
Prior to establishing Cornerstone Legal LLC, Mr. Altshuler worked at Miami and Baltimore law firms, volunteered at the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service and the Homeless Persons Representation Project, served as General Counsel at a full-service commercial real estate brokerage, and was Senior Vice President and General Counsel (“SVP & GC”) at a privately-held real estate investment, management, and development firm based in Baltimore.

Prior to serving as SVP & GC, Mr. Altshuler clerked for the Chief Judge of the Maryland Tax Court, The Honorable Walter C. Martz II. At the Maryland Tax Court, among other duties, he drafted research memoranda with proposed rulings in complex property tax cases of first impression. Of note, Mr. Altshuler drafted a research memoranda and proposed ruling for a commercial property tax case where the property at issue contained alleged valuations in excess of $270MM.

During his time as SVP & GC, Mr. Altshuler, in conjunction with the rest of the management team and outside-counsel, worked on various legal and business matters relevant to a diversified portfolio of properties which included land, hospitality/hotel (including Hilton and Historic Hotels of America flagged properties), downtown high-rise office, multifamily, and government-leased assets, primarily located in major urban locations. In addition to his work as SVP & GC, Mr. Altshuler has successfully represented and advised privately-held real estate investment companies investing in the single-family rental space.

Education and Certifications
Mr. Altshuler holds a BA from the University of Maryland, College Park, where he was a recipient of Dean’s List Academic Honors and a member of the Alpha Phi Sigma Honor Society, a Specialist Certificate in Paralegal Studies from Duke University, and a JD from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, where he was a recipient of the Maryland Law Scholars Award. Additionally, while in law school, Mr. Altshuler earned a CALI Excellence for the Future Award for scoring the highest grade in Taxation of Partnerships & LLCs. Furthermore, during his time in law school, Mr. Altshuler authored an independent written work, supervised by a Faculty Professor of Law, titled, “The Current Structure of Real Estate Investment Taxation: Policy, Inequities, and Reformation.”

Mr. Altshuler holds two certificates from Cornell University, one in Commercial Real Estate and another in Hotel Investments & Asset Management. Additionally, Mr. Altshuler holds an American Bankers Association Certificate in Business & Commercial Lending. Furthermore, in addition to the aforementioned degrees and certificates held, Mr. Altshuler has successfully completed Value Investing Executive Education taught at Columbia Business School, Hedge Fund Executive Education taught through the Henley Business School, and
other certificate and diploma coursework.

Mr. Altshuler was admitted to, and completed coursework, in the MS, Finance Program at Johns Hopkins University, where he was a recipient of the Dean’s Scholarship and was admitted as a Presidential Member of the Sigma Alpha Pi Honor Society.

Mr. Altshuler has completed REFM Excel for Real Estate Certifications One, Two, and Three (each With Distinction), and is a holder of the Real Estate Finance And Investments Certification (“REFAI”). Additionally, Mr. Altshuler has previously earned both the Certified Apartment Manager. (“CAM”) and Certified Self Storage Manager (“CSSM”) Designations.

Licenses, Admissions, and Memberships
Mr. Altshuler is a licensed Maryland attorney and is authorized to practice law in state and federal courts in Maryland as well as the United States Tax Court. Additionally, Mr. Altshuler is a member of the District of Columbia Bar.

Mr. Altshuler is an active member of the Maryland Bar Association, the Maryland Bar Association’s Real Property Section Discussion Group, and a variety of other legal and real estate industry groups and associations.

Mr. Altshuler holds a Real Estate Broker License and actively represents investors and others in various capacities.

Additional Activities
In addition to his practice at Cornerstone Legal LLC, Mr. Altshuler practices law at a boutique firm specializing in transactional and commercial real estate matters.

Additionally, Mr. Altshuler serves on the Maryland Open Meetings Law Compliance Board (OMCB), which issues advisory opinions related to complaints alleging violations of the Maryland Open Meetings Act. Mr. Altshuler was originally appointed by Governor Hogan, and confirmed by MD Senate, to serve remainder term of 3 years from July 1, 2018. He was subsequently reappointed to 3-year terms in both 2021 (Governor Hogan) and 2024 (Governor Moore), respectively.

Mr. Altshuler also serves as Chief Administrative Officer at a premier full-service Mid-Atlantic commercial real estate brokerage with a team of approximately 20 people.