BALTIMORE January 1, 2009 Gallagher Evelius & Jones is pleased to announce that Martha L. Hylton and Jessica B. Lang have been elected to the firm's partnership.

Practicing in Gallagher's Real Estate and Business Transactions group, Martha Hylton assists clients in real estate deals including acquisitions and dispositions, equity and debt transactions, tax increment financing, residential and commercial projects, urban redevelopment projects, and formation of business entities. She represents public and private lenders in the areas of acquisition, rehabilitation, and construction lending for low and moderate income housing.

Earlier this year, Ms. Hylton was involved in recapitalizing a portfolio of assisted living facilities involving eleven communities in five states. "Martha did an outstanding job dissecting the legal intricacies involved in this complex transaction," commented Mark Keener, head of Gallagher's Real Estate and Business Transactions group. "Protracted negotiations and an extremely difficult financing market made a difficult transaction even harder to bring to closing, but Martha took it all in stride. Her sound judgment, skill, and diligence kept this project on schedule and moving forward."

Ms. Hylton joined Gallagher from the Baltimore office of Ballard Spahr where she worked from 2001 to 2004. She served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable William M. Nickerson of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland from 2000 to 2001.

After earning her BA, with honors, in 1997 from George Mason University, Ms. Hylton earned her JD, magna cum laude, in 2000 from Indiana University School of Law where she was inducted into the Order of the Coif.

Admitted to practice in Maryland, Ms. Hylton is a member of the American and Maryland State bar associations.

A member of Gallagher's Tax Credit Investments and General Tax practice, Jessica Lang focuses on corporate and real estate taxation and federal and state tax credit matters. She represents investors, syndicators and developers that participate in low income housing, historic and new markets tax credit projects. In addition to her tax credit practice, Ms. Lang has substantial experience with the taxation of pass-through entities such as partnerships and limited liability companies.

"Jessica is an exceptionally talented and accomplished lawyer. She is a strategic thinker and a major contributor to our practice," commented Dave Raderman, leader of Gallagher's Tax Credit Investments and General Tax practice. "Jessica has gained the confidence of colleagues and clients in dealing with complex issues, especially in the area of affordable housing transactions."

Before joining Gallagher in 2003, Ms. Lang served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Jay C. Waldman of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and worked as an associate at Steptoe and Johnson in Washington, D.C. She earned her B.A. in 1996 from the University of Virginia and her J.D. from the University of Chicago in 2000, graduating from both institutions with honors.

Ms. Lang is admitted to practice law in Maryland and Washington, D.C. and is a member of the Maryland State, District of Columbia, and American bar associations.

About Gallagher
Founded in 1961, Gallagher Evelius & Jones is a Baltimore law firm focusing on real estate and business transactions, litigation, creditors' rights, tax, health care, employment, education, affordable housing, and nonprofit matters. The firm has more than 40 attorneys serving institutional, corporate, and nonprofit organizations throughout Maryland.