The firm's Real Estate Practice Group focuses primarily on the needs of clients in real estate leasing, lending, development, acquisition and disposition, and structuring transactions. The principal mission of the Real Estate Practice Group is to provide high quality services on an efficient basis for clients of the firm who are engaged in real estate transactions. In addition, working in concert with the Commercial Lending Team, the Real Estate Practice Group provides real estate expertise for commercial transactions that involve complex real estate issues.

Through efficient use of technology, development of closing systems, and the matching of appropriate skills with the required task, the Real Estate Practice Group is able to conduct the most sophisticated real estate transactions cost effectively. In addition, working in conjunction with the firm's Litigation Practice Group, the Real Estate Practice Group is able to address professionally those instances in which disputes arise in a real estate context, including the enforcement of landlord remedies, lender remedies under real estate loan documents, and construction related disputes.

The partner in charge of the Real Estate Practice Group spent five years in the development business with two of Atlanta's most highly acclaimed real estate firms, Taylor & Mathis and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. His unique experience brings to the practice of law in the commercial real estate area a perspective that can come only from actually having been "the client."

Several of the areas in which the firm provides services on a regular basis include the following:

Commercial Leasing - The firm has developed a noted expertise in representing both landlords and tenants in commercial leasing transactions. The firm serves as leasing counsel to several office projects in Atlanta, as well as several retail companies.

 Project Development - The firm represents both investors and developers engaged in the development and leasing of real estate projects, including office, retail, and multifamily housing projects. Some of the projects in Atlanta, Georgia in which lawyers of the firm have had significant involvement include: Glenridge, Royal 400, Northpark Town Center, Riverwood 100, Georgia Pacific Center, Buckhead Plaza, Ravinia, Ashwood, Midtown Plaza, 1117 Perimeter Center West, Lincoln Perimeter, Perimeter Center, Post Village Northwest and Stonecrest Mall.

Project Finance - In addition to providing development-related services, the firm works with its broad base of lender clients to offer real estate lending services. As the lending market becomes increasingly competitive, the firm has positioned itself to offer high quality services at a competitive price to assist its lender clients in attracting creditworthy borrowers as real estate lending customers.

Hotel Development- A sub-specialty of the firm's Real Estate Practice Group is hotel development. Each year, the firm represents several clients in connection with the acquisition, development, conversion or disposition of hotel properties. From negotiating management or franchise agreements to structuring the ownership or disposition of a hotel property, the firm's Real Estate Practice Group is well versed on the many unique issues presented by hotel properties. Hotel brands with which the firm's real estate lawyers have worked include Ritz Carlton, Marriott, Hyatt, Sheraton, Holiday Inn, and Wyndham.

Retail Rollouts - The firm's real estate lawyers have assisted several retail operations in rolling out new retail concepts on an aggressive expansion schedule. Firm clients have taken successfully implemented new retail concepts and have called upon the firm's real estate attorneys to assist them in meeting the demanding closing schedules that a rapid growth track requires. Whether the work involved is site acquisition or lease negotiation, the Real Estate Practice Group has the experience to do the work both quickly and cost effectively.