Three New Directors Elected to Serve on OCA’s Board of Directors

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Jacksonville, Florida, February 27, 2013 — The Owners’ Counsel of America has elected three accomplished eminent domain attorneys to serve on its board of directors for 2013: James D. Masterman, a shareholder in the Boston, Massachusetts office of Greenberg Traurig, LLP; Charles L. Ruffin, a shareholder in the Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC offices in Atlanta and Macon, Georgia: and Mark D. Savin, an officer at Fredrikson & Byron, P.A. in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

James D. Masterman is a trial lawyer with substantial experience representing property owners in eminent domain, land use and real estate valuation litigation, including tax proceedings and lease arbitrations. His clients include commercial, industrial and residential property owners and developers throughout Massachusetts and New England. Mr. Masterman is a former Chair of the Condemnation, Zoning and Land Use Committee of the American Bar Association’s Section of Litigation (1995-1998) and has served as a Council Member for the Boston Bar Association (2007-2010). In 2004, he served as an advisor to Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s Advisory Panel on Housing.

A frequent lecturer and author, Mr. Masterman is invited by legal and trade associations to present on topics relating to condemnation and property valuation in Massachusetts and nationwide and his articles have appeared in a number of scholarly and trade publications. He is rated AV® Preeminent™ by Martindale-Hubble and has been recognized repeatedly by both Super Lawyers Magazine and Best Lawyers in America® in the field of eminent domain. He was named a 2013 “Lawyer of the Year” in Eminent Domain & Condemnation Law by Best Lawyers in America®.

Charles L. Ruffin’s extensive career spans more than three decades of law practice and includes a variety of litigation experience. He currently concentrates his practice on representing individual and corporate landowners in condemnation, inverse condemnation and property rights litigation throughout Georgia. Mr. Ruffin’s clientele includes individuals, national and international businesses, real estate investment trusts and other real estate investors as well as private landowners. He is the Founding Chairman of the Eminent Domain Section of the State Bar of Georgia, the current President-elect of the State Bar and former Treasurer (2010 and 2011). He also serves as a Fellow to the American Bar Foundation and the Georgia Bar Foundation.

In recognition of his professional achievements, Mr. Ruffin has been listed by Best Lawyers in America® in Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law annually since 2007 and was named among Lawdragon’s 3000 Leading Lawyers in America in 2008. He also holds the rating of AV® Preeminent™ from Martindale-Hubble. In addition to his professional practice and leadership positions, Mr. Ruffin speaks and writes regularly on issues facing landowners in eminent domain and inverse condemnation litigation.

Mark D. Savin is an officer in both the Eminent Domain and Litigation practice groups at Fredrikson & Byron where the focus of his practice is eminent domain litigation. He regularly represents and advises national and regional companies in eminent domain matters and businesses and private property owners in condemnation proceedings throughout Minnesota. In 2012, Mr. Savin served as a chair for the Ramsey County District Court Working Group on Eminent Domain. He previously co-chaired the Eminent Domain CLE program sponsored by the Minnesota State Bar Association (2005-2006) and served on the Jury Instruction Guide Sub-committee for Eminent Domain (2005).

Mr. Savin is rated AV® Preeminent™ by Martindale-Hubble and has been listed by both Super Lawyers Magazine and Best Lawyers in America® in the field of eminent domain. Best Lawyers in America® also named him a 2013 “Lawyer of the Year” in Eminent Domain & Condemnation Law. A seasoned speaker, Mr. Savin is often asked to present at national and state seminars on condemnation law. He has also guest lectured on the law of eminent domain at the University of Minnesota Law School and William Mitchell Law School. Mr. Savin has published a number of papers and articles including the Minnesota state chapter in the Law of Eminent Domain: Fifty State Survey, edited by William Blake, American Bar Association, 2012.

Sharing is caring!