Daniel W. Hardwick

Co-Chair, Real Estate

Dan is a widely respected real estate attorney and co-chair of Cozen O’Connor’s Real Estate Practice Group. He leads real estate purchases and sales, joint ventures, leases, and financings on behalf of developers, owners, investors, and tenants. Dan’s robust national practice involves a wide range of asset classes and property designations.

Dan is frequently tapped to represent significant corporate clients in their most complex real estate matters, from multiparty joint venture agreements to portfolio sales valued in the billions of dollars. But just as often, Dan represents well-managed middle-market firms on a growth trajectory and is known for skillfully guiding clients toward strategies that are efficient, practical, and streamlined.

When Dan joined Cozen O’Connor in 2013, he was the firm’s first D.C.-based real estate attorney. Since then, he has led the successful effort to build what is now a dynamic, diversified, Chambers & Partners-ranked real estate team with comprehensive transactional capabilities.

Alongside his corporate practice, Dan serves as pro bono real estate counsel to local institutions such as the Washington School for Girls (WSG), an independent school dedicated to serving students and families from D.C.’s under-resourced 7th and 8th Wards. Dan is currently assisting with WSG’s efforts to develop and lease a new three-story building that will unify the school under one roof and allow for expanded enrollment and programming.

Dan graduated from Michigan State University with a bachelor’s degree in political theory and earned his law degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School. In law school, he was the production editor of the Journal of Law, Ethics & Public Policy.

 

Experience

News

Best Lawyers Honors More Than 200 Cozen O'Connor Attorneys in its Best Lawyers in America 2025 Edition

August 15, 2024

Best Lawyers selected 242 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 24 of the firm’s U.S. offices for inclusion in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America.

Best Lawyers Honors More Than 200 Cozen O'Connor Attorneys to its Best Lawyers in America 2024 Edition

August 17, 2023

Best Lawyers selected 232 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 24 of the firm’s U.S. offices for inclusion in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

More Than 200 Cozen O’Connor Attorneys Named Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch

August 22, 2022

210 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 24 of the firm’s nationwide offices for inclusion in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

Cozen O’Connor Announces Changes to Firm Management 2022

March 23, 2022

Cozen O’Connor is pleased to announce the following changes in firm leadership positions for the 2022 year.

Cozen O’Connor Represents Equus Capital Partners, Ltd. in Nearly $1 Billion Acquisition of Industrial Real Estate Portfolio

February 07, 2022

Philadelphia, February 7, 2022 – Cozen O'Connor represented affiliates of Equus Capital Partners, Ltd. in the acquisition of a portfolio of industrial properties throughout the Southeast and Sun Belt.

More Than 205 Cozen O’Connor Attorneys Named Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch By The Best Lawyers In America

August 19, 2021

Best Lawyers selected 210 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 23 of the firm’s nationwide offices for inclusion in the 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

Cozen O’Connor Represents Equus Capital Partners, Ltd. in $1 Billion Multi-Tiered Real Estate Transaction

April 20, 2021

Cozen O'Connor represented affiliates of Equus Capital Partners, Ltd. in a multi-tiered transaction that included the sale of two portfolios of industrial properties throughout the Southeastern United States.

200 Cozen O’Connor Attorneys Named Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch By The Best Lawyers In America

August 20, 2020

Best Lawyers selected 200 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 23 of the firm’s nationwide offices for inclusion in the 2021 edition of The Best Lawyers in America© (Copyright 2020 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, SC).

Education

  • Notre Dame Law School, J.D., 2000
  • Michigan State University, B.A., 1997

Awards & Honors

Best Lawyers in America, 2019-2025

  • District of Columbia
  • Virginia
  • Urban Land Institute
  • Washington School for Girls, Board of Trustees