Education
Harvard Law School
- J.D. cum laude, 1983
Colby College (Waterville, Maine)
- B.A. summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, 1980
Bar and Court Admissions
- Massachusetts
- U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts
Practice Focus
Mr. Ossoff is a Director and Chair of Rackemann’s real estate practice. He has experience in all aspects of commercial and residential real estate ownership, development and finance, with an emphasis on land acquisition and disposition, leasing, title, and land use planning matters. His clients include national corporations, non-profit institutions, private developers, and individual landowners.
Background
Mr. Ossoff’s active practice currently includes the representation of a large regional owner of apartment building complexes in the acquisition and financing of multi-family residential properties. He also serves as outside counsel for a major Massachusetts-based defense contractor in the acquisition and disposition of real estate holdings, and acts as outside counsel for a national telecommunications company in connection with the leasing, acquisition and sale of real estate throughout New England.
Projects worked on have included a proposed multi-faceted training facility for a Fortune 500 company, development of an air rights condominium involving a local university and private development entities, the expansion of a waterfront convention facility involving the development of hotel, garage and office components, and the development of a new world-wide headquarters facility on a ground leased parcel of land for a major U.S. company.
Mr. Ossoff has served with Rackemann Sawyer & Brewster since entering the practice of law in 1983, and currently serves on the firm’s Executive Committee. He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America.
Professional Activities
- Mr. Ossoff has played an active role in The Real Estate Bar Association for Massachusetts (formerly known as the Massachusetts Conveyancers Association). He has been a member of the Association since 1983 and currently serves on its Board of Directors. His leadership positions with the Association include:
- Treasurer: 2003
- President-Elect: 2004
- President: 2005
- Immediate Past President: 2006
- Chair of Legislation Committee: 2001-2003
- Chair of Nominating Committee: 2006
- Vice-Chair of Practice of Law by Non-Lawyers Committee: 2007- 2008
- Mr. Ossoff is also a member of:
- American College of Real Estate Lawyers
- Abstract Club
- Boston Bar Association
- Massachusetts Bar Association
Publications
As a lecturer with Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc., Mr. Ossoff has frequently spoken during the past decade on a wide range of topics in real estate law, including:
- Negotiating and Drafting Commercial Real Estate Agreements
- Real Estate Conference Legislative Update
- Commercial Real Estate Closings
- Handling Real Estate Title Issues
- Negotiating and Drafting Commercial Real Estate Leases
- Real Estate Title Abstracts, Problems and Insurance
- Commercial Real Estate Basics
- Drafting Real Estate Acquisition Documents
He has also been a speaker for the Real Estate Bar Association for Massachusetts, presenting legislative updates at the association’s semi-annual meetings for several years and chairing a keynote panel on commercial real estate development.
Mr. Ossoff served as editor of Drafting Commercial Real Estate Documents in Massachusetts, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc. (2004). His publications also include:
- “Annotated Due Diligence Checklist for a Commercial Real Estate Transaction,” The Best of MCLE Journal, Vol. 8, No. 2 (February, 1997)
- “The Title Abstract,” The Best of MCLE Journal, Vol. 4, No. 4 (August, 1993)
- “Other Sources of Title Information,” The Best of MCLE Journal, vol. 2, no. 3 (May, 1991)