section update
Real Estate Section Update
By Michael E. Leavey
Dorough & Dorough, LLC
E
ven as summer approaches, the Real Estate Section
is staying as busy as ever!
On April 26, 2012, the Section held its Second Annual
Roundtable Discussion, where about a dozen lawyers who
work in various sectors of the real estate market in firms of
varying sizes gathered to discuss the current state of the
real estate market, client relations, office management, and
other issues affecting their respective practice areas. The
Section’s annual Roundtable Discussion provides a great
forum for colleagues to candidly discuss issues arising in
their substantive practice areas and in the practice of law
in general.
The Section’s April 12 breakfast meeting included a panel
discussion about “Retail Development in Atlanta and
Beyond: Rising from the Ashes of the Great Recession.”
The panel featured Enrique R. “Quito” Anderson, Esq.,
Sutherland; Leslie G. Callahan III, CCIM, First Colony
Financial Corporation; and Jan Saperstein, The Equinox
Group, Inc., and was moderated by Andy Akin of Fidelity
Bank. The informative and engaging presentation allowed
attendees to hear about the current state of the retail real
estate market in Atlanta from the varying perspectives of
a practicing attorney, a retail lender, and a retail center
developer. The panelists discussed recurring issues in the
retail market in light of the change in the market in recent
years, such as certain concessions that tenants are asking
from their landlords, significant considerations for lenders
when determining whether to finance retail projects, and
lease provisions that have tended to change in substance
or gain importance for either landlords or tenants.
[email protected]
of CRESA and Philip G. Skinner, Esq. of Arnall Golden
Gregory LLP presented “The Atlanta Office Sector: A
Challenging Market With Challenging Legal Issues.” The
panel discussion was moderated by Michael Bull of Bull
Realty, Inc. After giving an overview of the market, the panel
participants discussed various aspects of lease negotiations
and how a tenant may leverage its strengths in the current
market to get agreement on favorable lease terms.
This June sees a shift in the leadership of the Real Estate
Section in preparation for the next bar year. The Section
is always looking for members interested in becoming
more involved with planning and coordinating the Section’s
regular monthly meetings and social events, writing and
submitting articles for the Section’s quarterly newsletter, and
participating in the Section’s ongoing pro-bono project at the
Fulton County State and Magistrate Court Self-Help Center.
We encourage anyone interested in becoming more involved
with the Section or its activities in the 2012-13 bar year to
contact a board member or Tanya Windham at twindham@
atlantabar.org.
***
The Real Estate Section’s 2012-13 Board includes Chair
Charles Van Horn, Vice Chair Ricky B. Novak, Secretary
Michael E. Leavey, Treasurer Carter L. Stout, Immediate
Past Chair Jonathan L. Neville, Members at Large kimberly
C. Gaddis, Rian Perry and Cory Blake Thompson.
Section members also received an update on the current
state of the local office market at the Section’s May 3
breakfast meeting, where panelists David Rubenstein
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THE ATLANTA LAWYER
June/Ju H