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ABOUT

JACOB ALTSHULER, ESQ.

Jacob Altshuler, Esq. is the founder of Cornerstone Legal LLC. Mr. Altshuler advises clients on a broad range of real estate, contract, and business related-matters. His experience includes the representation of property owners, developers, investors, tenants, and other parties in a wide range of transactions. 

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 to a 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. During his time as SVP & GC, Mr. Altshuler, in conjunction with the rest of the management team and outside transactional and litigation 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, single-family, multifamily, retail tenancies, and government-leased assets, primarily located in major urban locations.

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 and other materials in complex property tax cases, including 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.

Additional Ongoing Activities & Experience
In addition to his law practice at Cornerstone Legal LLC, Mr. Altshuler maintains, since 2021, a law practice at a Baltimore-based firm specializing in transactional and commercial real estate matters – where he has represented numerous clients active in the commercial real estate space, including, but not limited to, the  owners of apartment complexes, shopping centers, industrial warehouses, and office buildings in acquisitions, dispositions, leasing, and financing, as well as tenants, lenders, investors, and a variety of other parties active in the commercial real estate space.

Mr. Altshuler also serves as (a) Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) and General Counsel at a premier full-service Mid-Atlantic commercial real estate brokerage with a team of approximately 20 people, and (b) as General Counsel for a variety of real estate investment holding companies involved in the ownership of single-family, retail (single-tenant and shopping center), office, and industrial (IOS and warehouse) real estate.

Additionally, Mr. Altshuler serves as the Managing Director at a boutique brokerage and advisory firm which has successfully closed both commercial and residential transactions and is Principal at a real estate management company with commercial (retail shopping center) and residential AUM.

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 a member of the Maryland Bar Association and is / has been a member in a variety of other legal and real estate industry groups and associations, including the Maryland Bar Association’s Real Property Section Discussion Group, the Maryland Association for Justice, the Greater Baltimore Board of Realtors, and the National Association of Realtors.

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

Board Membership(s)
Mr. Altshuler served as an Attorney Board Member on the Maryland Open Meetings Law Compliance Board (OMCB), which issues advisory opinions related to complaints alleging violations of the Maryland Open Meetings Act, for over four-and-a-half years. 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 by Governors Hogan and Moore, respectively, and voluntarily stepped down in 2025 to focus his energies on other endeavors.

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Education

    • Johns Hopkins University, Carey Business School, Graduate Finance Coursework (Admitted to MS, Finance Program)
      -Dean’s Scholarship
      -Sigma Alpha Pi, Presidential Member
    • University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, Juris Doctor
      -Maryland Law Scholars Award
      -CALI Excellence for the Future Award, Taxation of Partnerships & LLCs
      -MSBA Taxation Law Section, Law School Liaison 
    • Bachelor of Arts, University of Maryland, College Park
      -Alpha Phi Sigma Academic Honor Society 
      -Deans List Academic Honors (Repeat Recipient)

Additional Education & Specialized Coursework

    • Duke University, Paralegal Specialist Certificate
    • American Bankers Association, Certificate in Business & 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)*

      *Designations previously earned; renewal status may vary and certain credentials may not be currently active.

Bar Admissions

    • Maryland
    • District of Columbia

Court Admissions

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

Board Membership(s)

    • Maryland Open Meetings Law Compliance Board (2020-2025)

Additional Honors & Awards

    • Official Citation, Senator Jill P . Carter / Maryland General Assembly; In recognition of Open Meetings Law Compliance Board Work

Affiliations (Current & Past)

  • Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA); MSBA Real Property Section; Greater Baltimore Board of Realtors; National Association of Realtors; MD Self Storage Association; Urban Land Institute (ULI), Maryland Association for Justice; International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)

*The aforementioned list of affiliations includes both current and past affiliations and is subject to change. For Mr. Altshuler’s latest experience and current affiliations, please contact Cornerstone Legal LLC.