Dianne S. Pickersgill

Ms. Pickersgill joined the firm in December 2004. Her practice includes representing for-profit and nonprofit owners and managers of affordable housing developments in connection with regulatory compliance and administrative enforcement issues. 

Her practice covers a number of areas, including the following:

• Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, including advice on fair housing matters, such as 504 compliance, and lead-based paint compliance issues.
  
  
• HUD Departmental Enforcement Center (DEC), including advice on DEC referrals regarding HUD review and analysis of audited financial statements.
  
  
• Litigation consultant for federal and state matters with HUD regulatory components.
  
  
• Suspension and debarment actions and limited denials of participation.

• Multifamily Participation Review Committee (MPRC) and HUD-2530 matters, including representation before the MPRC and advising on HUD-2530 matters and the Active Partners Performance System (APPS), HUD’s electronic 2530 processing system.

• Office of Inspector General (OIG), including representation of clients audited by the OIG.

• Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) dealings, spanning physical condition inspections and appeals as well as REAC review of audited financial statements.

• Interfacing with project-based Section 8 contract administrators and advising owners and management agents on numerous HUD occupancy and operational matters.

• Advice regarding Rural Development requirements with respect to Rural Housing Service programs.

Ms. Pickersgill also handles general Section 8 and FHA matters affecting project owners and management agents. 

Before joining the firm, Ms. Pickersgill was a settlement attorney at Federal Title and Escrow Company in Washington, D.C. as well as a real estate attorney at the associated law firm of Tobin, O’Connor, Ewing & Richard.  Prior to that she was a partner at Howrey LLP in Washington, D.C., where she worked on large, complex civil litigation matters in a variety of subject matters. She currently serves as a Board Member of D.C. Habitat for Humanity, Inc. She received a Bachelor’s degree, with Highest Distinction, from the University of Virginia and a Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School. Ms. Pickersgill is admitted to the Bars of the District of Columbia and Massachusetts.