Partner

Harry S. Cherken, Jr. is a partner in the Real Estate Practice Group having served, until January, 2007, as its co-chair for many years.  He is also a former managing partner of the firm.  His practice is focused on the representation of publicly-traded and closely-held corporations, partnerships, investors and developers, particularly in the acquisition, construction, development, financing, leasing, management, consolidation and disposition of commercial real estate.

His experience is varied and sophisticated—ranging from representing a leading semiconductor assembly equipment manufacturer in the acquisition of its worldwide administrative headquarters, to a consortium of lenders financing the development of a downtown shopping mall, to eighty merchants—comprising a century-old landmark farmers’ market—in successfully negotiating with public bodies to preserve their existence, to guiding an early stage corporation that has developed world class technology used in the hardening and polishing of materials.

Leasing.  Harry has significant experience with leases of all types of facilities on behalf of landlords and tenants. His leasing work has a retail tenant emphasis, and he has handled regional or national expansion for a number of diverse retail chains.  As an example, a local retailer chose Harry to handle the lease of its flagship store (after having dealt with him when he represented the other side on a lease).  Drinker Biddle is now this retailer’s primary outside counsel, and Harry has represented it in financings and leases for well over 200 locations worldwide.

Development.  Harry has represented commercial developers of office/warehouse/ flex/retail buildings—including joint venture partnerships comprising merchant builders, pension fund and other institutional investors—with all aspects of the acquisition, financing and construction of their projects.

Recognition.  Harry is a member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers and is listed in Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in the East, Who’s Who in American Law, The Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, Who’s Who Legal: USA Real Estate, the International Who's Who of Real Estate Lawyers, the International Who's Who of Business Lawyers and the Guide to the World’s Leading Real Estate Lawyers.

Professional and Charitable Commitments.  Harry is a member of the Real Estate Committees of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and American Bar Associations, and is a past chair of the Board of Governors of the Armenian Bar Association.  He was the principal editor of Ladner on Conveyancing, the premier text on Pennsylvania real estate. Harry has lectured at Villanova University School of Law and the Wharton Real Estate Center of the University of Pennsylvania, and is a Member of the Advisory Boards of both the Advanced Commercial Leasing Institute of the Georgetown University Law Center – CLE and the Law Department of the American University of Armenia.

He now serves or previously served as a board member of a number of corporations and charitable groups, including Urban Outfitters, Inc., the Library Company of Philadelphia, the Armenian Assembly of America, the Reading Terminal Market Preservation Fund, the Woodmere Art Museum, The Howard Karagheusian Commemorative Corporation, The Kulicke Fund and The Balch Institute, and as a member of the Lafayette Leadership Council.

In General.  Harry graduated from Lafayette College with a bachelor's degree in economics, and he received his law degree from Villanova Law School where he served as a member of its Law Review.  He received a master's in liberal arts from the University of Pennsylvania in May 2010.