Kyrus Lamont Freeman
Partner

Overview
Kyrus Lamont Freeman is a land use attorney in the Washington, D.C., office of Holland & Knight and is certified by the U.S. Green Building Council as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED AP). Mr. Freeman is involved in numerous aspects of real estate development with a focus on land use, zoning and municipal law.
Mr. Freeman has extensive knowledge and experience with entitlements and regularly advises property owners and residential, commercial, hotel and mixed-use developers in the regulatory review and approval processes. In addition, he represents clients before the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA), D.C. Zoning Commission and D.C. Council to obtain approvals for special exceptions, variances, planned unit developments, zoning map amendments, alley closings and street dedications. He also has experience preparing zoning opinion letters, as well as drafting and negotiating land disposition agreements, easements, covenants and lot consolidation agreements. In addition, Mr. Freeman has extensive experience with affordable housing programs in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Freeman also has experience representing clients in litigation matters, including appeals of Zoning Commission and BZA orders, and appeals of building permits and certificates of occupancy.
Mr. Freeman has lectured extensively on zoning, land use and sustainable development issues. He taught for many years as an adjunct professor at The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law. He also frequently speaks at programs designed to foster diversity in the legal profession and to enhance the career development of students and young attorneys.
Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Freeman was a litigation associate with a large firm in Philadelphia, where his practice included litigation of complex real estate, intellectual property and breach of contract disputes.
Representative Experience
Credentials
- University of Pennsylvania, B.A.
- Vanderbilt University Law School, J.D.
- District of Columbia
- Pennsylvania
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- Urban Land Institute (ULI) Washington, Advisory Board; Regional Land Use Leadership Institute
- American Bar Association, Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law, Green and Sustainable Transactions Committee, Vice Chair
- Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, Fellow, Class of 2020
- National Caucus and Center on Black Aging, Inc. Housing Management Corporation, former Board of Directors
- AppleTree Institute for Education Innovation, former Board of Directors
- Leadership Greater Washington, Class of 2015
- African American Real Estate Professionals, former Executive Board Member
- District of Columbia Bar Association, former Chair, Land Use Committee
- District of Columbia Building Industry Association, Member
- Urban Land Institute, Full Member; former Young Leader and Real Estate 101 Committee Co-Vice Chair; former Urban Development and Mixed-Use Product Council
- U.S. Green Building Council, National Capital Region Chapter, Member
- Visitors' Services Center, former Board Member
- National Bar Association, former Chair of Real Estate Section
- The Best Lawyers in America guide, Land Use and Zoning Law, 2018-2025
- Chambers USA – America's Leading Business Lawyers guide, Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use, 2022-2024
- Top 100 Lawyers in the District of Colombia, The National Black Lawyers, 2019
- Urban Land Institute Hines Competition, Judge, 2015, 2016
- 40 Under 40, Urban Land magazine (Urban Land Institute), 2014
- D.C. Rising Star, The National Law Journal, Land Use and Zoning Law, 2014
- Prince George's County Social Innovation Fund, Forty Under 40, 2014
- Lambda Alpha International Honorary Society
- The Minority 40 Under 40, The National Law Journal, 2011