In the holiday spirit, we continue to express our gratitude in this third installment to exceptional individuals who provide the critical legal backbone for commercial real estate in Washington. Many have worked the fields for decades, and their labors have literally beautified the community and enriched it with prosperity, culture and civic spirit. Happy Thanksgiving to them, and to all of you.

Stef Tucker, Venable

Stef is an "old-fashioned generalist," a trusted advisor to many DC family entrepreneurs across generations, who also reps REITS and other publicly traded enterprises. He handles everything from tax and estate planning to IRS audits, M&A and deals for shopping centers. After starting at Flint Community College and graduating from Michigan undergrad and law (a loyalty he still fiercely holds), he joined Arent Fox, working with Dave Osnos, Al Arent, Ed Kahn and Earl Colson. He opened Tucker Flyer in '75, though some of his current clients predate even that, including Blake Construction's Howard Bender, Aaron Tomares and EYA chairman Terry Eakin. (His secret to relationship management? "I'm a Midwesterner.") Stef merged his firm into Venable in 2000. Outside of work, he's taught at Georgetown Law--where his wife, Marilyn, is director of alumni career services--for 24 years, and GW Law for 20 prior. Every Thursday of the fall semester, Stef flies to Michigan so he can teach two Friday classes (and stick around if there's a football game). He was also on the DC Tax Revision Commission, which recently saw most of its recommendations adopted by the Council. He and his wife renewed their vows in Rome for their 50th anniversary in 2011. Since then, they've visited India (above), Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Scotland, and cruised down the Danube. Best lesson: Learn as much as you can from everybody you work with.