The Atlanta Lawyer August/September 2015 | Page 53
section update
Real Estate Section
By Joseph Farrell
Quirk & Quirk, LLC
[email protected]
I
f history could teach us anything, it would be that private
property is inextricably linked with civilization. ~Ludwig
von Mises
further the Atlanta Bar Association’s goal to be lawyers who
serve. If you wish to volunteer, please contact Jonathan
Neville, Arnall Golden Gregory LLP, at [email protected].
Comprised of several hundred lawyers, the Real Estate
Section has assembled an ambitious agenda of both
professional, civic, and social activities for the 2015-16 bar
year under the leadership of Real Estate Section Chair, Cory
Thompson of Kutak Rock LLP.
As far as social activities for its members, the Section held
its Summer Kick-Off Social on July 2, 2015 at the Blind Pig
Parlour Bar, a trendy “speakeasy” with a hidden entrance.
Members enjoyed networking and learning how to become
involved with the Section. Attendees enjoyed fantastic hors
d’oeuvres, cocktails and good conversation in a quaint setting.
The Section will follow up the “speakeasy” experience with
a trip to Turner Field on September 17, 2015 to enjoy a
networking social and then watch the Braves take on the
Toronto Bluejays in an interleague contest.
The Real Estate Section continues to host its regular monthly
breakfast meetings, which include presentations for which
members can earn CLE credits. In a recent meeting, Brian
Smith of Arnall Golden Gregory LLP presented “Leasin’ on a
Prayer – Drafting Retail Leases Like a Rock Star.” Bon Jovi,
watch out! On August 18, 2015, Scott Hitch of Nelson
Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP gave a presentation
entitled “Environmental Remediation: the Latest on
Vapor Mitigation.” Over the past year, the Real Estate
section also hosted joint presentations with the Litigation
Section and Dispute Resolution Section, reflecting
both the complexity of the problems the real estate
practitioner faces and the resources the Section has
to educate its members on a broad variety of topics.
In addition to education and earning CLE credit, the
breakfast meetings also provide a means to socialize
with other attorneys in the Section.
With respect to giving back to the community, the Real
Estate Section continues to partner with the Court
Administrator’s Office of Fulton County State Court to
provide pro bono counsel to unrepresented residential
landlords. The Court Administrator offers a Self-Help
Clinic for tenants with matters pending in State and
Magistrate Court. To provide similar pro bono assistance
to unrepresented landlords, members of the Real Estate
Section volunteer on-site at the Self-Help Center on
designated dates and times to provide counsel on a
walk-in and scheduled basis. Through this pro bono
initiative, the Real Estate Section seeks to educate
and assist unrepresented landlords, many of which
find themselves acting as landlords due to changed
economic circumstances rather than by choice and to
The Official News Publication of the Atlanta Bar Association
August/September 2015
THE ATLANTA LAWYER
53