CASTROHAASE - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Member of CREW DC Where She Was Elected to the Board of Directors

Biography Alice Haase co-founded CastroHaase PLLC in June 2012 where she focuses her practice on real property tax assessments and land use matters. She represents a broad range of clients, including local and national developers and entities - commercial, retail, industrial and residential - as well as nonprofit organizations. Ms. Haase's real property valuation and land use practices have taken her into numerous Virginia jurisdictions and the District of Columbia. As counsel to property owners of office buildings, hotels, apartments, and undeveloped land, Ms. Haase has successfully prosecuted reductions in tax assessments at the department and board levels as well as at mediation pursuant to litigation cases. Ms. Haase has also secured approvals for land entitlements, including rezonings, special use permits, special exceptions, subdivisions and site plans for a wide variety of projects, including hotels, residential subdivisions, and offices. Among her recent cases are the approvals of special exceptions to permit a non-profit organization to locate its headquarters to the historic Evermay estate and operate a social impact incubator at the historic Halcyon House, both in Washington, DC. Prior to her law career, Ms. Haase's extensive real estate experience included real estate appraising in the state of Tennessee and Commonwealth of Virginia and brokerage, also in Virginia. That specialized background and knowledge provides her clients with a unique, combined practical and legal approach that has proved effective, persuasive and extremely valuable, particularly in her tax appeal and condemnation practice areas. In the past, Ms. Haase was at Holland & Knight where she served as a co-coordinator of Holland & Knight's Women's Initiative program. Active in the fight to combat cancer, in October 2010, she introduced the inaugural program for the firm's "Crusade Against Cancer," which featured a broadcast presentation by a world-renowned cancer researcher to every firm office. Ms. Haase is a member of CREW DC where she was elected to the Board of Directors in 2015. For several years she has served on various committees in support of the annual Lombardi Gala, to benefit the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in Washington, DC. In the past she also was the chair of the Capital Breast Care Center's Advisory Committee in Washington, DC, serving women who might not otherwise have access to care. Before CastroHaase PLLC and Holland & Knight, Ms. Haase worked at Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley and Walsh in Virginia where her practice also focused on land use and zoning, land use litigation, tax appeals, condemnation and general real estate matters. Education American University, Washington College of Law, J.D. Vanderbilt University, B.S.

Lombardi Gala, for the benefit of the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Corporate Committee, Member

Job Titles:

• Co - Founder

Biography Tanja H. Castro is a co-founder of CastroHaase PLLC and is included in the 2013, 2014 and 2015 editions of Washington, DC & Baltimore's Best Lawyers. Her practice is focused in the areas of commercial real estate valuation and taxation issues, including property tax assessment appeals. She advises clients on minimizing their real estate tax obligations. Ms. Castro is experienced in reviewing, analyzing and obtaining reductions in the assessments of all types of commercial properties including office buildings, hotels, apartment buildings, retail properties and mixed-use properties in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. She has experience in litigating appeals from the administrative levels through appellate courts in the local jurisdictions. She has participated in over 70 trials involving assessment appeals, and won reductions in all but one of them. Ms. Castro also handles real estate tax exemption matters for non-profit real estate owners in the District of Columbia. Her clients include associations, religious organizations, and foreign governments. Ms. Castro has extensive litigation experience in real property disputes and probate matters. She has litigated eminent domain cases, decedent's estates, and conservatorships for the elderly. In addition, Ms. Castro has served as court-appointed conservator for several elderly individuals and guardian for several children. Ms. Castro was selected to serve on the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue Advisory Group to represent commercial property owners on tax policy in the city. She is a member of the Superior Court Tax Rules Committee, which re-wrote the rules of procedure for the Tax Division of the District of Columbia Superior Court. Previously, Ms. Castro held several leadership positions within Holland & Knight. She was co-coordinator of the Holland & Knight Women's Initiative for the Washington D.C. office. She also served as Treasurer of the Holland & Knight D.C. Political Action Committee. Ms. Castro was a member of the Steering Committee of the D.C. Practice Specialty Team of Holland & Knight. After law school, Ms. Castro practiced law with Amram and Hahn, PC for 14 years as an associate then partner. She was Managing Partner of the firm from 1988 to 1999. Education American University, Washington College of Law, J.D. Vassar College, A.B. Tanja H. Castro is a co-founder of CastroHaase, PLLC and is included in the 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 editions of Washington, DC & Baltimore's Best Lawyers. Her practice is focused in the areas of commercial real estate valuation and taxation issues, including property tax assessment appeals. She advises clients on minimizing their real estate tax obligations. Ms. Castro is experienced in reviewing, analyzing and obtaining reductions in the assessments of all types of commercial properties including office buildings, hotels, apartment buildings, retail properties and mixed-use properties in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.