Claudia Melara Chase

I represent businesses and individuals in a wide range of transactional matters, with a focus on commercial real estate and small business representation. I assist clients with buying, selling, and leasing commercial real estate, along with asset purchases and sales, financing, and other business transactions. I work closely with small business owners to understand their legal needs and risks, offering practical guidance as they start, operate, and grow their businesses.

My prior litigation experience brings a valuable perspective to my transactional practice. Before focusing on transactional matters, I represented clients in state court litigation involving breach of contract, tort liability, real estate disputes, and related issues. That background helps me anticipate potential conflicts, identify issues that may affect a transaction, and help clients negotiate and structure agreements with an understanding of how those agreements may be interpreted and enforced if a dispute arises.

I graduated magna cum laude from Marymount University and earned my Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland School of Law. During law school, I completed a legal externship with the U.S. House of Representatives, where I received a Certificate of Congressional Recognition for developing foreclosure-prevention guidelines.

Before joining the firm, I practiced as a litigator at private law firms and worked as a legal analyst at the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac). I also practiced immigration law at Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), a nonprofit organization where I represented children needing legal assistance.

I am licensed to practice in the federal and state courts of Virginia and the District of Columbia, and I am fluent in Spanish.

Outside my legal practice, I enjoy playing soccer and have led teams to indoor, outdoor, and sand soccer championships. I also enjoy cooking, especially experimenting with outdoor wood-fired cooking. Most of all, I enjoy spending time with my husband and our three wonderful children.