S-8

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 1, 2007

Registration No.                                 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Under the Securities Act of 1933

FEDERAL REALTY INVESTMENT TRUST

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Maryland	52-0782497
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)

1626 East Jefferson Street

Rockville, MD 20852

(301) 998—8100

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

Federal Realty Investment Trust

Amended and Restated 2001 Long-Term Incentive Plan

(Full title of the Plan)

Dawn M. Becker

Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

Federal Realty Investment Trust

1626 East Jefferson Street

Rockville, MD 20852

(Name and Address of agent for service)

(301) 998 – 8100

(Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

Title of securities to be registered	Amount to be Registered (1)	Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Share (2)	Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price (2)	Amount of Registration Fee
Common Shares of Beneficial Interest, $0.01 par value (3)	1,500,000	$87.90	$131,850,000.00	$4,047.80

(1) Pursuant to Rule 416 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), this Registration Statement shall also cover any additional common shares of beneficial interest, $0.01 par value, of the registrant (the “Common Shares”) which become issuable under the Federal Realty Investment Trust Amended and Restated 2001 Long-Term Incentive Plan by reason of any share dividend, share split, recapitalization or other similar transaction.

(2) Estimated solely for the purpose of computing the registration fee. Pursuant to Rules 457(c) and (h) of the Securities Act, the calculation of the registration fee is based on the average of the high and low prices of the Common Shares reported on the New York Stock Exchange as of October 30, 2007.

(3) Includes associated rights to purchase Common Shares.

PART I.    INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

The information required by Part I is included in documents sent or given to participants in the Federal Realty Investment Trust Amended and Restated 2001 Long-Term Incentive Plan of Federal Realty Investment Trust, a Maryland real estate investment trust (the “Registrant”), pursuant to Rule 428(b)(1) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).

PART II.    INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.    Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

The Registrant is subject to the informational and reporting requirements of Sections 13(a), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and in accordance therewith files reports, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”). The following documents, which are on file with the Commission, are incorporated in this Registration Statement by reference:

(a) The Registrant’s Annual Report on the Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 filed with the Commission on March 1, 2007.

(b) The Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2007 filed with the Commission on May 2, 2007.

(c) The Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2007 filed with the Commission on August 1, 2007.

(d) The Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2007 filed with the Commission on October 31, 2007.

(e) The Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on March 13, 2007.

(f) The Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on April 23, 2007.

(g) The Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on May 2, 2007.

(h) The Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on July 17, 2007.

(i) The description of the common shares of the Registrant, $0.0l par value per share, which is contained in the Registration Statement on Form 8-A/A filed with the Commission on June 6, 2002, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.

(j) The description of the common share purchase rights included in the Registration Statement on Form 8-A/A, filed with the Commission on March 11, 1999, and in the First Amendment to Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, dated as of November 2003 and filed as an exhibit to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003, between us and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company.

All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all shares offered hereby have been sold or which deregisters all shares then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated in this Registration Statement by reference and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents. Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for the purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

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Item 4.    Description of Securities.

Not Applicable.

Item 5.    Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

Not Applicable.

Item 6.    Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

The Registrant’s Declaration of Trust authorizes the Registrant, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law, to obligate itself to indemnify and to pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding to (i) any individual who is a present or former shareholder, Trustee or officer of the Registrant or (ii) any individual who, while a Trustee of the Registrant and at the request of the Registrant, serves or has served as a director, officer, partner, trustee, employee or agent of another corporation, real estate investment trust, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or any other enterprise from and against any claim or liability to which such person may become subject or which such person may incur by reason of his or her status. The Registrant’s Declaration of Trust also permits the Registrant, with approval of the Registrant’s Board of Trustees, to indemnify and advance expenses to any person who served a predecessor of the Registrant in any of the capacities described above and to any employee or agent of the Registrant or a predecessor of the Registrant.

The Registrant’s Bylaws obligate it, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law, to indemnify (a) any Trustee, officer or shareholder or any former Trustee, officer or shareholder, including any individual who, while a Trustee, officer or shareholder and at the express request of the Registrant, serves or has served another real estate investment trust, corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or any other enterprise as a director, officer, shareholder, manager, member, partner or trustee of such real estate investment trust, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise, who has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the defense of a proceeding to which he was made a party by reason of service in such capacity, against reasonable expenses incurred by him in connection with the proceeding, (b) any Trustee or officer or any former Trustee or officer against any claim or liability to which he may become subject by reason of such status unless it is established that (i) his act or omission was material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and was committed in bad faith or was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty, (ii) he actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services or (iii) in the case of a criminal proceeding, he had reasonable cause to believe that his act or omission was unlawful and (c) each shareholder or former shareholder against any claim or liability to which he may become subject by reason of such status. In addition, the Registrant will, without requiring a preliminary determination of the ultimate entitlement to indemnification, pay or reimburse, in advance of final disposition of a proceeding, reasonable expenses incurred by a Trustee, officer or shareholder or former Trustee, officer or shareholder made a party to a proceeding by reason of such status, provided that, in the case of a Trustee or officer, the Registrant must have received (i) a written affirmation by the Trustee or officer of his good faith belief that he has met the applicable standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the Registrant and (ii) a written undertaking by or on his behalf to repay the amount paid or reimbursed by the Registrant if it shall ultimately be determined that the applicable standard of conduct was not met. The Registrant may, with the approval of its Trustees, provide such indemnification or payment or reimbursement of expenses to any Trustee, officer or shareholder or any former Trustee, officer or shareholder who served a predecessor of the Trust and to any employee or agent of the Registrant or a predecessor of the Registrant. Any indemnification or payment or reimbursement of the expenses permitted by the Registrant’s Bylaws will be furnished in accordance with the procedures provided for indemnification or payment or reimbursement of expenses, as the case may be, under Section 2-418 of the Maryland General Corporation Law (the “MGCL”) for directors of Maryland corporations. The Registrant may provide to Trustees, officers and shareholders such other and further indemnification or payment or reimbursement of expenses, as the case may be, to the fullest extent permitted by the MGCL, as in effect from time to time, for directors of Maryland corporations.

Title 8 of the Corporations and Associations Code of the State of Maryland, as amended, provides that a shareholder or Trustee of a Maryland real estate investment trust is not personally liable for the obligations of the real estate investment trust, except that a Trustee will be liable in any case in which a Trustee otherwise would be liable and the Trustee’s act constitutes bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the

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Trustee’s duties. Title 8 further provides that a Maryland real estate investment trust may indemnify or advance expenses to trustees, officers, employees, and agents of the trust to the same extent as is permitted for directors, officers, employees, and agents of a Maryland corporation. Title 2 of the Corporations and Associations Code of the State of Maryland, as amended, permits a Maryland corporation to indemnify its present and former directors and officers, among others, against judgments, penalties, fines, settlements and reasonable expenses actually incurred by them in connection with any proceeding to which they may be made a party by reason of their service in those or certain related capacities unless it is established that (a) the act or omission of the director or officer was material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and (i) was committed in bad faith or (ii) was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty, (b) the director or officer actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services or (c) in the case of any criminal proceeding, the director or officer had reasonable cause to believe that the act or omission was unlawful. However, a Maryland corporation may not indemnify a director or officer in a suit by or in the right of the trust if such director or officer has been adjudged to be liable to the corporation.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to Trustees, officers or persons controlling the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, the Registrant has been informed that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

Item 7.    Exemption from Registration Claimed.

Not applicable.

Item 8.    Exhibits.

The Exhibit Index immediately preceding the exhibits is attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference.

Item 9.    Undertakings.

(a) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

    (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act.

(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the Registration Statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the Registration Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective Registration Statement.

(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the Registration Statement or any material change to such information in the Registration Statement;

Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the Registration Statement is on Form S-3, Form S-8 or Form F-3, and the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.

    (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new Registration Statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

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    (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered hereby which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

    (4) Intentionally omitted;

    (5) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:

(i) If the Registrant is relying on Rule 430B (§230.430B of this chapter):

(A) Each prospectus filed by the Registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) (§230.424(b)(3) of this chapter) shall be deemed to be part of the Registration Statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the Registration Statement; and

(B) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) (§230.424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) of this chapter) as part of a Registration Statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) (§230.415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) of this chapter) for the purpose of providing the information required by section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the Registration Statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the Registration Statement relating to the securities in the Registration Statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a Registration Statement or prospectus that is part of the Registration Statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement or prospectus that is part of the Registration Statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the Registration Statement or prospectus that was part of the Registration Statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date; or

(ii) If the Registrant is subject to Rule 430C (§230.430C of this chapter), each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a Registration Statement relating to an offering, other than Registration Statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A (§230.430A of this chapter), shall be deemed to be part of and included in the Registration Statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a Registration Statement or prospectus that is part of the Registration Statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement or prospectus that is part of the Registration Statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the Registration Statement or prospectus that was part of the Registration Statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use.

    (6) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the Registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities:

The undersigned Registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned Registrant pursuant to this Registration Statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned Registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned Registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424 (§230.424 of this chapter);

(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned Registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned Registrant;

(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned Registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned Registrant; and

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(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned Registrant to the purchaser.

(b) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the Registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new Registration Statement relating to the securities offered herein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(h) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act, and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Rockville, State of Maryland, on the 1^st day of November, 2007.

Federal Realty Investment Trust
By:	/s/ Donald C. Wood
	Donald C. Wood President and Chief Executive Officer

POWER OF ATTORNEY

We, the undersigned officers and directors of Federal Realty Investment Trust hereby severally constitute Dawn M. Becker and Donald C. Wood, and each of them singly, our true and lawful attorneys with full power to them, and each of them singly, to sign for us and in our names in the capacities indicated below the Registration Statement on Form S-8 filed herewith and any and all subsequent amendments to said Registration Statement, and generally to do all such things in our names and behalf in our capacities as officers and directors to enable Federal Realty Investment Trust to comply with all requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming our signatures as they may be signed by said attorneys, or any of them, to said Registration Statement and any and all amendments thereto.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Signature	Title	Date
/s/ Donald Wood Donald Wood	President, Chief Executive Officer and Trustee	November 1, 2007
/s/ Larry Finger Larry Finger	Executive Vice President – Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer and Treasurer	November 1, 2007
/s/ Jon E. Bortz Jon E. Bortz	Trustee	November 1, 2007
/s/ David W. Faeder David W. Faeder	Trustee	November 1, 2007
/s/ Kristin Gamble Kristin Gamble	Trustee	November 1, 2007
/s/ Gail P. Steinel Gail P. Steinel	Trustee	November 1, 2007
/s/ William M. Thompson Warren M. Thompson	Trustee	November 1, 2007
/s/ Joseph S. Vassalluzzo Joseph S. Vassalluzzo	Trustee, Chairman of the Board	November 1, 2007

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EXHIBIT INDEX

4.1	Specimen Common Share certificate (filed as Exhibit 4(i) to the Trust’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1999, and incorporated herein by reference)
4.2	Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, dated March 11, 1999, between the Trust and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company (filed as Exhibit 1 to the Trust’s Registration Statement No. 1-07533 on Form 8-A/A filed on March 11, 1999, and incorporated herein by reference)
4.3	First Amendment to Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, dated as of November 2003, between the Trust and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company (filed as Exhibit 4.5 to the Trust’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003 filed on March 15, 2004, and incorporated herein by reference)
4.4	Articles Supplementary relating to the 5.417% Series 1 Cumulative Convertible Preferred Shares (previously filed as Exhibit 4.1 to the Trust’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on March 13, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference)
4.5	Indenture dated December 13, 1993 related to the Trust’s 7.48% Debentures due August 15, 2026; and 6.82% Medium Term Notes due August 1, 2027 (previously filed as Exhibit 4(a) to the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 33-51029), and amended on Form S-3 (File No. 33-63687), filed on December 13, 1993 and incorporated herein by reference)
4.6	Indenture dated September 1, 1998 related to the Trust’s 8.75% Notes due December 1, 2009; 6 1/8% Notes due November 15, 2007; 4.50% Notes due 2011; 5.65% Notes due 2016; 6.00% Notes due 2012; 6.20% Notes due 2017; and 5.40% Notes due 2013 (previously filed as Exhibit 4(a) to the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-63619) filed on September 17, 1998 and incorporated herein by reference)
4.7	Pursuant to Regulation S-K Item 601(b)(4)(iii), the Trust by this filing agrees, upon request, to furnish to the Securities and Exchange Commission a copy of other instruments defining the rights of holders of long-term debt of the Trust
5.1	Opinion of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP regarding the validity of the securities being registered (filed herewith)
23.1	Consent of Grant Thornton LLP, independent registered public accounting firm (filed herewith)
23.2	Consent of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)
24.1	Power of Attorney (included on signature page)

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EX-5.1

Exhibit 5.1

[PILLSBURY WINTHROP SHAW PITTMAN LLP LETTERHEAD]

November 1, 2007

Federal Realty Investment Trust

1626 East Jefferson Street

Rockville, Maryland 20852

Re: Registration Statement on Form S-8

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel to Federal Realty Investment Trust, a Maryland real estate investment trust (the “Company”), in connection with a registration statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”), which is being filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”). The Registration Statement relates to the offering of up to 1,500,000 of the Company’s common shares of beneficial interest, par value $.01 per share, including rights to acquire common shares that are attached to, or trade with, such common shares (the “Common Shares”), that may be offered and sold from time to time pursuant to the Federal Realty Investment Trust Amended and Restated 2001 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “Plan”).

For the purposes of this opinion, we have examined the following documents (each a “Document” and together the “Documents”):

1. an executed copy of the Registration Statement;

2. the Declaration of Trust of the Company, as amended, supplemented or modified as of the date hereof (the “Declaration of Trust”), as certified by the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (the “SDAT”) on October 22, 2007 and as certified to us by an officer of the Company as being in effect as of the date hereof;

3. the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company, as amended, supplemented or modified as of the date hereof (the “Bylaws”), as certified to us by an officer of the Company as being in effect as of the date hereof;

4. the Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, dated March 11, 1999, between the Company and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as amended by the First Amendment to Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, dated as of November 2003, between the Company and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company;

5. the resolutions of the Board of Trustees of the Company adopted at meetings held on February 12, 2007 and August 1, 2007, each as certified to us by an officer of the Company as being in effect as of the date hereof (the “Resolutions”);

6. a copy of the Plan;

7. a copy of a good standing certificate of the Company issued by the SDAT on October 19, 2007; and

8. a certificate of an officer of the Company dated as of the date hereof.

For purposes of this opinion letter, we have not reviewed any documents other than the Documents. In particular, we have not reviewed any document (other than the Documents) that is referred to in or incorporated by reference into any Document reviewed by us. We have assumed that there exists no provision in any document that we have not reviewed that is inconsistent with the opinions stated herein.

In connection with this opinion letter, we have considered such matters of law and fact as we, in our professional judgment, have deemed necessary or appropriate to render the opinions contained herein.

In our examination of the aforesaid documents, we have assumed without independent investigation (i) that each entity that is a party to any Document is, and has been at all times relevant to this opinion letter, duly formed or organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction in which each is formed or organized; (ii) the due authorization, execution and delivery of each Document by each of the parties thereto; and (iii) the legal capacity of all natural persons, the genuineness of all signatures, the completeness and authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, and the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified, telecopied, photostatic or reproduced copies. In connection with the opinions expressed below, we have assumed without independent investigation that, at and prior to the time of the sale and delivery of any Common Shares pursuant to the Registration Statement, (i) any contemplated or necessary additional actions shall have been taken and the authorization of the issuance of the Common Shares will not have been modified or rescinded, (ii) the Registration Statement will have been declared effective and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement will have been issued and no proceedings with respect thereto will have been commenced or threatened, (iii) there will not have occurred any change in law materially and adversely affecting the validity of the Common Shares, and (iv) none of the Common Shares will be transferred in violation of the provisions of the Declaration of Trust relating to restrictions on ownership and transfer of capital stock.

We have also assumed without independent investigation that the offer, sale and delivery of any Common Shares, and compliance by the Company with the rights, powers, privileges and preferences and other terms, if any, of such Common Shares will not at the time of such offering, sale and delivery violate or conflict with (i) the Declaration of Trust, as then amended, restated and supplemented, or the Bylaws, as then amended, restated or supplemented, (ii) any provision of any license, indenture, instrument, mortgage, contract, document or agreement to which the Company is then a party or by which the Company is then bound, or (iii) any law or regulation or any decree, judgment or order then applicable to the Company. We have further assumed that the number of Common Shares to be offered and sold pursuant to the Registration Statement will not at the time of such offering and sale exceed the amount of such class of capital shares authorized in the Declaration of Trust, as then amended, restated or supplemented, and unissued (and not otherwise reserved for issuance) at such time, and that the consideration received or proposed to be received for the issuance and sale or reservation for issuance of any offering of the Common Shares as contemplated by the Registration Statement and the Plan is not less than the par value per share.

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Based upon, subject to and limited by the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the Common Shares have been duly authorized and, when sold, issued and delivered by the Company in the manner and on the terms described in the Registration Statement and the Plan, the Common Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

Our opinions in the previous paragraph are subject to and limited by the effect of bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance and other similar laws affecting or relating to the rights of creditors generally, and are limited by general equitable principles.

This opinion letter is limited to the laws of the State of Maryland, excluding the securities laws, blue sky laws and the choice-of-law provisions thereof. We render no opinions with respect to the law of any other jurisdiction, including federal laws and rules and regulations relating thereto. Our opinions are rendered only with respect to the laws and the rules, regulations and orders thereunder that are currently in effect.

The opinions set forth in this letter are limited to the matters expressly addressed herein and no opinion is to be implied or may be inferred beyond the opinions expressly stated in this letter.

We assume no obligation to advise you of any changes in the foregoing subsequent to the delivery of this opinion. This opinion has been prepared solely for your use in connection with the filing of the Registration Statement, and should not be quoted in whole or in part or otherwise be referred to, nor otherwise be filed with or furnished to, any governmental agency or other person or entity, without our express prior written consent.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. The giving of this consent, however, does not constitute an admission that we are “experts” within the meaning of Section 11 of the Act, or within the category of persons whose consent is required by Section 7 of the Act.

Very truly yours,

/s/ Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

PILLSBURY WINTHROP SHAW PITTMAN LLP

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EX-23.1

Exhibit 23.1

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We have issued our report dated February 26, 2007, accompanying the consolidated financial statements and schedules (which report expressed an unqualified opinion and contains an explanatory paragraph related to the adoption of SFAS No. 123R, Share-Based Payment, effective January 1, 2006), and our report dated February 26, 2007 on management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the Annual Report of Federal Realty Investment Trust on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006. We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference of said reports in the Registration Statement of Federal Realty Investment Trust, pertaining to the Federal Realty Investment Trust Amended and Restated 2001 Long-Term Incentive Plan, on Form S-8 to be filed on November 1, 2007 for the registration of 1,500,000 shares of its Common Shares of Beneficial Interest, $0.01 par value.

/s/ Grant Thornton LLP

McLean, Virginia

October 31, 2007