About WV Commercial Attorney Mark Sadd

Mark A. Sadd, managing member of Lewis Gianola PLLC, provides experienced business and corporate, real estate, and energy legal services to individuals and businesses in West Virginia (WV), Ohio (OH), and Pennsylvania (PA). As a WV commercial attorney with deep experience in real property transactions, Mr. Sadd helps clients navigate complex commercial transactions and real estate matters as well as related administrative proceedings and litigation.

In addition, Mr. Sadd serves clients in need of legal counsel and representation for matters related to state and local taxation, construction law, and municipal law. He has represented multi-family, commercial, mixed-use, and mineral projects of all sizes and has significant experience in real estate development projects.

A WV Commercial Attorney Providing Experienced and Comprehensive Legal Counsel

Using skills and acumen gained over more than 30 years in practice, Mark A. Sadd serves clients across West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania in business and corporate matters as well as complex transactions. From questions regarding corporate structure and governance to negotiation and closing of business or real estate transactions or litigation involving any of the above, Mr. Sadd’s thorough research, sound advice, and negotiation and litigation skills help clients find success when engaging in substantial or highly regulated transactions or facing complicated commercial issues.

A WV Real Estate Attorney in Demand

Much of Mr. Sadd’s considerable legal talent and litigation skills are apparent in the results achieved in real property and real estate matters. He has been recognized by his peers in Best Lawyers^® for his work in eminent domain and condemnation as well as land use and zoning. He also provides legal services related to natural gas title; common interest communities; servitudes; historic preservation; residential and commercial development and financing; leasing; and planning.

Mineral and energy clients, including coal, oil, and natural gas entities, rely on Mr. Sadd’s keen understanding of intricate statutory frameworks governing the energy sector to successfully help them plan and close real estate transactions, handle title matters, and more in a highly regulated environment.

Mr. Sadd’s work on residential and commercial development and financing projects, historic preservation matters, and common interest communities inform his overall real estate practice. He shares his knowledge in this area and other real estate matters through regular presentations in continuing education and other forums.

Mr. Sadd is an agent and approved attorney for First American Title Insurance Company and Old Republic National Title Insurance Company. He is also a licensed real estate broker in WV and a fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL). These credentials and engagements allow Mr. Sadd to offer additional value and services to clients in various industries that are in need of an OH, PA, and WV real estate attorney.

A Trusted WV Energy Attorney

Mr. Sadd’s practice as a WV energy attorney serving clients in WV, OH, and PA includes complex commercial and mineral title matters such as oversight of title certifications for surface, leasehold, oil and natural gas, coal bed methane (CBM) and coal estates for individuals and large and small companies. He also assists or leads in litigation affecting title, boundaries, rights-of-way, and other real property interests in state and federal courts.

An experienced WV commercial transactions attorney, Mr. Sadd has worked on multi-county mineral title projects in due diligence and pre- and post-closing phases of transactions. He is a dedicated advocate for clients in the energy industry and a member of the Energy & Mineral Law Foundation (EMLF) and the American Association of Professional Landmen (AAPL).

Industry and Community Involvement: WV Commercial Attorney Mark A. Sadd

Mark Sadd is a former chairman of the Charleston Human Rights Commission and a former at-large city councilman in the City of Charleston. In 2005, former President George W. Bush appointed Mr. Sadd to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, a federal agency that advises the Administration and Congress on preservation policy and legislation. He served two four-year terms. Mr. Sadd also has been a drafter for Kanawha County and WV zoning ordinances.

Mark Sadd’s memberships also include: Member, Real Estate, Zoning and Land Use and Corporations; banking and business law committees of the West Virginia State Bar; and the Urban Land Institute. In 2001 and 2002, he was a member of Owners Counsel of America, an organization of eminent domain attorneys.

A WV Commercial Attorney for Energy, Real Estate Matters, and More

The primary areas in which Mark Sadd focuses his legal practice—business organization, transactions, and litigation; energy and mineral law; and real estate or real property law—intersect at multiple points. Mr. Sadd’s extensive experience in these fields serves as a significant benefit to his clients, whether they are managing operational and transactional issues or disputes and litigation.

Mark Sadd has served as counsel to local governments, owners, developers, and community groups in land use matters before local planning and zoning commissions, historic landmark commissions, boards of zoning appeals, circuit courts, and the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia.

Businesses and individuals in WV, OH, and PA should contact WV commercial attorney Mark A. Sadd at Lewis Gianola PLLC to discuss how he can put his skills and knowledge to work for their business. Reach out by calling (304) 345-2000 or completing the law firm’s online contact form.

Bar Admissions

• West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals
• US District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia
• US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
• Supreme Court of Ohio
• Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

Education

• West Virginia University College of Law, JD, 1992
  • Co-Founder and Editor, The West Virginia Law News
• University of Virginia, BA, 1986
  • Berkely Minor and Susan Fontaine Minor Scholarship
  • Omicron Delta Kappa
  • Pi Phi Theta (The Jefferson Society)
  • Editorial and Opinion Editor, The University Journal
• Virginia Tech, Graduate Studies in Architecture, 1986 to 1987

Professional Affiliations

• West Virginia State Bar
  • Real Estate, Zoning and Land Use Committee
  • Corporations Committee
  • Banking Committee
  • Business Law Committee
• American College of Real Estate Lawyers, Fellow
• Energy and Mineral Law Foundation
• American Association of Professional Landmen
• Urban Land Institute
• Owners Counsel of America, 2001 to 2002

Recognitions and Awards

• Recognized by Best Lawyers^® in the The Best Lawyers in America^® for Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law since 2007
• Recognized by Best Lawyers^® in the The Best Lawyers in America^® for Land Use and Zoning Law since 2007
• Recognized annually in Best Lawyers for Land Use and Zoning Law since 2011
• Recognized in Best Lawyers^® 2015 Charleston-WV “Lawyer of the Year” for Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law
• Recognized in Super Lawyers in Real Property Law since 2010
• Recognized in Super Lawyers as a Top Rated Real Estate Attorney in Charleston, WV in 2023

Representative Cases

• In re: I.S.A., 852 S.E.2d 229 2020 W. Va. LEXIS 817, 2020 WL 7223360 (2020) (mere existence of a pretrial diversion agreement between a prosecutor and a person under investigation or charged is not evidence that a plea of guilty or nolo contendere has been entered)
• Pope Props./Charleston Ltd. Liab. Co. v. Kanawha County Assessor, 230 W. Va. 381, 738 S.E.2d 546 (2013) (valuation of condominium parcels and residential apartments)
• United Bank, Inc. v. Stone Gate Homeowners Assoc’n, 647 S.E.2d 811 (W. Va. 2007 (attorney fee-shifting under the Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act)
• Lower Donally Assoc’n v. Charleston Mun. Planning Comm’n, 575 S.E.2d 233 (W. Va. 2002) (establishing procedural right to appellate review in land use cases)
• Ranson v. City of Charleston, 496 S.E.2d 191 (1997) (statutory construction in a land use case)
• McCoy v. Van Kirk, 500 S.E.2d 534 (W. Va. 1997) (establishing fair market valuation)
• County Comm’n of Boone County v. Hill, 460 S.E.2d 727 (W. Va. 1995) (author of amicus curiae brief adopted for opinion and holding)
• Mills v. Van Kirk, 453 S.E.2d 678 (W. Va. 1994) (enforcement of a statutory right of first refusal to acquire surplus state lands)

Specific Projects

• Kanawha County, WV Zoning Ordinances, Drafter
• WV-Licensed Real Estate Broker

Presentations and Lectures

• “Current Issues in the World of Common Interest Ownership,” 2022 West Virginia Bar Association Real Estate Law Conference, May 2022
• “Strategic Cannabis Conference 2019,” WVU College of Law (Land Use Aspects), March 2019“Landlord-Tenant in West Virginia,” Sterling Education, January 2015
• West Virginia Cannabis Law & Business Conference 2017 (Land Use Aspects), Mountain State Education, October 2017“Redevelopment and Historic Preservation in West Virginia,” West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Center, June 2013
• “Historic Preservation and Land Use Law in West Virginia,” American Institute of Certified Planners, September 2012
• “Marcellus Shale in West Virginia,” WVU College of Law Continuing Legal Education, 2011
• West Virginia Auctioneers Association, Continuing Education, 2007
• “Real Estate Transactions,” National Business Institute, 2006
• West Virginia Auctioneers Association, Continuing Education, 2006
• West Virginia Planning Association Annual Conference, 2004
• “Understanding the 2004 West Virginia Land Use Act,” Lorman, July and August 2004
• West Virginia Press Association Convention, Panelist and Presenter on Media Law, 2003 and 2004
• “Legal Issues Involving West Virginia Local Governments,” National Business Institute, December 2003
• “Land Use Law in West Virginia,” Lorman, December 2002
• “Real Estate and Land Use: Emerging Trends,” WVU College of Law Continuing Legal Education, June 2000
• “West Virginia Growth Management and Land Use Law,” National Business Institute, April 2000

Publications

• The Rule of Law: Perspectives on Legal and Judicial Reform in West Virginia, The Public Policy Foundation of West Virginia, Contributing Author, 2009

Community and Public Service

• Knights of Columbus, 3d Degree, St. Michael the Archangel Council (No. 12630), Basilica of the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Charleston, WV, 2018 to Present
• West Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Charleston, WV, 2007 to Present
• Serra Club of Charleston, WV, 1998 to Present, President 2021 to 2023
• St. Paul Radio Co., Charleston, WV, Founder and President, 2007 to Present
• US Conference of Catholic Bishops, National Advisory Council, Washington, D.C., 2019 to Present, Chair-Elect 2020, Chair 2021 to 2022
• Catholic Hospital Monitoring Committee, Charleston, WV, 2003 to 2020
• Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, Knight Commander, Middle Atlantic Lieutenancy of the United States, Section President 2009 to 2017
• TMH Services, Inc., South Charleston, WV, Board Director 2009 to 2015
• The Saint Thomas More Catholic Lawyers Society of Charleston, WV, 1995 to 2015
• Charleston Catholic High School Advisory Council, 2007 to 2015
• Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, Washington, D.C., 2005 to 2012
• First Bank of Charleston, Inc., Director, Audit Committee Member, 2004 to 2012
• Charleston, WV City Council, 2003 to 2007
• Preservation Alliance of West Virginia, Inc., Charleston, WV, Board Director 1997 to 1999 and 2006 to 2007
• A.B.L.E. Families, Inc., Kermit, WV, Board Director and Financial Development Committee Chair, 2002 to 2005
• American Red Cross – Central West Virginia, Charleston, WV, Board Director and Executive Committee Member, 2005
• Charleston, WV Human Rights Commission, 1996 to 2000
• Private Industry Council of Kanawha County, Inc., Charleston WV, Board Director, 1998 to 2000