Find Lawyers in Atlanta, Georgia for Real Estate Law
Real Estate Law - Atlanta, Georgia
About this Practice AreaJeff Adams focuses his practice on the representation of real estate developer and investor clients, including private equity funds, public and private REITS, insurance companies and foreign and domestic family offices engaged in joint venture or fund negotiation. He also has significant experience on property-level acquisition, disposition, financing and development negotiations, including portfolio transactions, involving a broad array of real estate asset classes. Jeff received his J.D., c...
Amy Baker is a Member of the firm in the Atlanta office. She is a member of the Real Estate & Banking Service Group and her practice focuses primarily on commercial real estate lending. More Than Stites & Harbison Amy joined Stites & Harbison in September 2006 after participating in the firm's summer associate program. Prior to attending law school, Amy worked in consumer finance as a Product Analyst with Bank of America. Amy enjoys traveling and loves to visit new and interesting...
Justin Barry is a Partner in the firm’s commercial real estate development & finance and commercial lending practice groups. Mr. Barry has experience representing banks, life insurance companies, and other financial institutions in structuring, negotiating and documenting a variety of lending transactions, including development and construction loans, real estate secured term and acquisition loans, and syndicated loan facilities across all asset classes (with a particular focus in t...
Thomas Bartolozzi is an experienced, motivated and results-driven real estate lawyer with more than 25 years’ experience. He has served as lead counsel and negotiated and documented copious acquisition, sales, leasing, lending, franchising and business transactions involving virtually every type of buyer, seller, lender, originator, borrower, developer, owner, operator, asset, property, structure and collateral. Tom’s educational and professional experiences, along with his person...
Amie’s experience as in-house counsel for both institutional and privately held real estate fund managers enables her to provide her clients with commercially minded and practical advice on real estate fund formation, management, compliance, and joint ventures. Amie Benedetto is a partner in the Real Estate Finance & Investment Group. Amie offers counsel on a variety of investment management and securities law matters, with an emphasis on private real estate investment vehicles, sep...
Mark A. Block is a Partner in the Real Estate Development & Finance and Real Estate Capital Markets practices. His national and international client base includes real estate investments trusts (REITs), development companies as well as companies that acquire and manage office and industrial properties. He has represented some clients for decades. Mr. Block is a member of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP.) Honors include being ranked in Chambers & Par...
G. Brian Butler is a Partner in the Hospitality and Real Estate Development and Finance Practices. Mr. Butler counsels clients in a wide range of hospitality matters, including acquisitions, development transactions, financings, dispositions, management agreements, franchise matters, and public/private and private joint ventures. He focuses his practice on business, leisure, resort, and extended stay properties. Mr. Butler also represents clients in a variety of other commercial real estate m...
Luke Curtis advises both domestic and international clients in all facets of commercial real estate and secured commercial lending. He represents institutional investors in the negotiation of office leases, as well as an Atlanta-based real estate developer and an Atlanta-based lender to the hospitality industry.
Jay Farris concentrates his practice on commercial real estate investment, joint ventures, borrower financing, development and leasing involving all major property types. He represents institutional investors (including REITs and pension funds), well-capitalized developers and corporate owners. Jay has extensive experience in representing developers and owners of industrial distribution facilities and mixed use developments. Jay is featured as one of the leading Georgia lawyers for real estat...
Stephanie Friese Aron is involved in many different aspects of commercial real estate transactions, from acquisition of land, to leasing, construction, financing, and disposition. Her clients value high quality service and timeliness of delivery. Stephanie has also handled many types of real estate litigation and dispute resolution, including foreclosures, dispossessories (evictions), and federal enforcement actions. Stephanie's clients typically own, develop, and manage commercial office, re...
John J. Ginley III is a Partner in the firm’s Real Estate Development and Finance, Real Estate Capital Markets, Commercial Finance, and Funds & Alterative Investments practices. He concentrates in real estate development, acquisitions, dispositions, financings, preferred equity transactions, commercial leasing and REIT mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Ginley has acquired, financed and sold various real estate assets amounting to more than $4 billion. He has structured and negotiated nu...
For over twenty years, Johnna Goodmark has represented clients in the acquisition, sale, and leasing of commercial real estate. As a former Deputy City Attorney for the City of Atlanta, Johnna brings a unique combination of government and private practice experience to her real estate practice that helps clients achieve their goals. With an eye for detail and a creative problem solving approach, Johnna has closed some of the most complex, sophisticated, and high profile real estate deals in t...
Christina Graham works with real estate developers, owners and operators on projects of all types and asset classes throughout the U.S. She is especially known for her counsel regarding commercial real estate acquisitions and dispositions, development, financing, and tax-free exchanges. She also works closely with the firm’s infrastructure team on public/private partnership matters. Christina has particular depth representing industrial developers and owners in the development and finan...
Thomas S. Gryboski is a partner in the firm’s Real Estate Development and Finance Practice and chairs the firm’s Hospitality Practice. Mr. Gryboski represents and counsels clients in complex real estate and hospitality transactions. His clients include private equity sponsors and funds, real estate entrepreneurs and hotel operating companies. He often represents hospitality owners, operators and developers nationally in raising capital and selling, buying, developing, financing an...
David Heaton brings a development mindset to his work as a commercial real estate lawyer. Over the course of his 30-year career, he has helped his clients with numerous commercial real estate sales, acquisitions and financings of every size and complexity. His responsive, business-focused perspective best positions his clients for a successful transaction. As an attorney specializing in commercial real estate law, David represents owners, developers, lenders, and businesses with a national fo...
Jason Howard is the co-chair of Alston & Bird’s Real Estate Finance & Investment Group. Jason concentrates his practice in the real estate and finance industries. His practice includes structuring joint ventures and representing developers, purchasers, and sellers in all aspects of the acquisition and disposition of mixed-use, office, multifamily residential, and industrial projects and portfolios. He also represents both lenders and borrowers in a wide range of financing transa...
Alison Jones is a partner within the firm's Real Estate Finance & Investment Group. Alison focuses her practice on the representation of a broad range of real estate investors and participants, including developers, REITS, private funds as well as institutional funds and life companies. Her clients are engaged in developments, acquisitions and joint ventures across the United States and involving various product types. . She also has significant experience on multisite, multijurisdictiona...
Ken Kraft is the founder of the Parker Hudson Real Estate practice group. Over the course of his 40+ year career he has worked on billions of dollars' worth of real estate transactions and more than 25,000,000 square feet of leases, in deals at all levels of complexity. His experience, judgement, and reputation ensure that his clients are in the optimum position to achieve their objectives. A former senior executive for Atlanta developer Taylor & Mathis and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company,...
William D. Montgomery ("Bill") is a shareholder in the Commercial Real Estate Practice Group in the Atlanta, Georgia office of the Firm. His real estate experience reflects the growth, evolution and complexity of the dynamic metro Atlanta and southeastern United States real estate markets during the last quarter of the 20th Century and the first decade of the 2lst Century. Mr. Montgomery represents developers, owners, lenders and investors in connection with the acquisition, disposition, deve...
Arnold Moore is a skilled real estate attorney and deal closer. Over the course of his career, Arnold has worked with businesses throughout the country on a wide range of commercial real estate transactions. His comprehensive and deal-focused approach serves to keep him closely aligned to his clients' needs. An Atlanta native, Arnold guides developers and owners in all phases of commercial real estate. These include acquisitions, developments, financings, dispositions, and tax-free exchanges....
Catherine E. Morgen concentrates her practice on the representation of real estate clients engaged in the acquisition, development, leasing and disposition of commercial real estate, with experience handling large multi-state transactions, hospitality properties, office, medical and industrial leasing, as well as complex restrictive covenant and easement transactions that deal with the operational aspects of projects which rely on shared facilities and amenities and fractional ownership struc...
When clients are faced with a commercial real estate or public finance transaction, they need a detail-oriented, efficient, and practical problem solver like Amber. Amber represents institutions, investors, and developers in equity, development, and tax abatement transactions across the U.S., as well as governmental entities in public finance transactions. Amber Pelot is co-leader of the firm’s Government & Economic Incentives Team. Amber advises clients on commercial real estate pr...
Steven A. Pepper is a partner in the Real Estate Practice (including the Multifamily Practice), the Commercial Lending Practice, and the Healthcare Real Estate Practice. He is a former member of the firm's Executive Committee and a former co-chair of the firm's Diversity Committee. He serves clients out of the Atlanta office. Best Lawyers named Mr. Pepper the "Atlanta Best Lawyers Real Estate Law Lawyer of the Year" for 2012. Mr. Pepper focuses his practice on the representation of multifamil...
Hemant Piduru is a member of Alston & Bird’s Real Estate Finance & Investment Group, where he advises clients in the acquisition, development, financing, management, leasing, and disposition of various real estate asset classes, including hotel, office, retail, and multifamily. Before joining the firm, Hemant served as senior counsel to InterContinental Hotels Group, where he supported the company in the execution of more than $1 billion in hotel development projects throughout ...
Rick Pilch has over 24 years of experience as a commercial real estate attorney, representing a broad range of clients for projects throughout the country. He has extensive experience representing institutional clients in the development, sale, acquisition, and leasing of industrial warehouses and distribution centers, inpatient and outpatient medical facilities, office buildings, hotels, and manufacturing facilities. Rick has twice been named a “BTI Client Service All-Star,” a se...
Robert Rearden is a Partner in the Real Estate Development & Finance and Real Estate Capital Markets practices. Mr. Rearden’s practice focuses on the representation of owners and developers in connection with the acquisition, sale and financing of real estate assets, the representation of investors in structuring real estate equity investments, joint ventures, and fund formation. Mr. Rearden also has experience representing lenders and other financial institutions in the financing o...
Allison M. Ryan is the co-leader of Alston & Bird’s Real Estate Finance & Investment Group, composed of more than 50 attorneys who guide complex transactions nationwide. She represents institutions, investors and developers in equity and development transactions across the U.S. Allison is a dealmaker committed to multiyear and multideal relationships with her clients. She invests in fully understanding her clients’ businesses and goals. She leads all types of real estate t...
Lee Anne Sapp’s practice centers on the representation of real estate developers and investors in connection with acquisitions, dispositions, leasing matters, and joint-venture projects. Lee Anne has represented real estate development and investment companies in the acquisition and development of shopping centers and mixed-use, multi-family, industrial, and office developments, and in the negotiation of leases with prospective tenants for such properties, lenders in connection with loa...
Philip G. “Phil” Skinner is a partner in the Real Estate Practice area and leads the Leasing Practice and Cross-Border Practice. Mr. Skinner focuses his practice on the representation of owners, developers, investors, landlords and tenants in the acquisition, joint venture, development, financing and leasing of all types of commercial real estate, with a particular focus on office leasing, joint venture formation, representation of foreign investors, cross-border transactions, dis...
Matt Sours is a Partner in the firm’s Real Estate Development and Finance Practice. He primarily represents developers and investors in all phases of commercial transactions, including development projects, acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures and related loan closings for retail, medical, multi-family, hotel, industrial and office properties. Mr. Sours also provides leasing services for landlords and tenants in all asset classes. Prior to joining Morris, Manning & Martin, Mr....
Real Estate Law Definition
- Sales and Acquisitions. The representation of buyers and sellers in the acquisition and disposition of the various kinds of real estate including office buildings, retail centers, hotels, industrial properties, residential properties, and manufactured housing communities.
- Title. The examination of title to real estate, evaluation of title exceptions, and negotiation of title insurance policies.
- Land Use and Environmental. Land use entitlements, due diligence investigations, Brownfield developments, and compliance with Environmental Laws and federal and state Endangered Species Acts.
- Development. The negotiation and preparation of development and construction agreements and the other documents required to develop and construct office buildings, shopping centers, mixed-use projects, free-standing units, and industrial sites.
- Leasing. The negotiation and preparation of office, retail, and industrial leases and long-term ground leases.
- Finance. The representation of lenders and borrowers in real estate secured loan originations, loan sales, and purchases and other debt arrangements, including permanent financings, construction loans, bridge loans, conduit loans, mezzanine loans, shared appreciation loans, and portfolios of non-performing loans.
- Joint Ventures. A very large proportion of real estate transactions involve joint ventures between capital sources and developers. Therefore, a real estate firm must be in position to structure and negotiate partnership agreements, limited liability company operating agreements, shareholder agreements, and other forms of joint venture arrangements and advise on the tax aspects of the transactions.
- Restructuring and Workouts. Not all real estate transactions are successful. Real estate lawyers therefore, must be in position to advise lenders, borrowers, partners, landlords, tenants, and developers when a transaction goes bad. This will involve transactional, bankruptcy, tax, and litigation work. It will include loan modifications, foreclosures, deeds in lieu of foreclosure, discounted loan payoffs, loan forbearances, REO sales, joint venture modifications, buy/sells, forced sales, lease and development modifications, bankruptcies, receivership actions, and guarantee actions.
- Litigation. Litigation in the real estate area involves the representations of real estate owners, buyers, sellers, lessors, brokers, lenders, and developers in, among other things, contract disputes, mechanics lien and construction disputes, eminent domain proceedings, title disputes, loan service and foreclosure issues, and bankruptcy.
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.
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