Professional Experience:

A.J. thrives on providing no-nonsense, results-driven practical solutions to issues and opportunities presented in the worlds of commercial and investment real estate and small to mid-market operating businesses. His extensive experience spans over twenty years and includes:

• commercial real estate development and finance
• NNN single-tenant project development and closings
• extensive medical office building development acquisitions and dispositions
• zoning, land use and entitlement issues
• commercial leasing
• corporate formation and structuring
• start-up & M&A consulting for small to mid-market operating businesses
• personal and investment property real estate closings
• outside general counsel work for affluent families and small to mid-market businesses
• representation of municipal governments and private developers in public/private partnership and statutorily designated revitalization projects

“A.J. makes complicated issues simple and keeps simple issues simple. He has a unique ability to cut through the “noise” and get deals closed. From large national developers to individual investors, A.J.’s clients get their deals done. In my experience, A.J.’s clients are extremely pleased with the competence, efficiency and results of their legal representation.” – T. Trezevant, commercial broker

Build-To-Suit (BTS) Development Expertise

Representing multiple national real estate development companies, A.J. provided counsel in more than 150 retail build-to-suit transactions with national tenants. He is involved with the whole spectrum of the development process, including the acquisition of real property, zoning and permitting issues, lease negotiation, construction contracts, development financing, permanent conduit financings and the disposition of real estate portfolios.

Representative Matters

• A.J. has previously served as associate city attorney for a fast-growing city in Tennessee. In this role, he handled a wide array of municipal law issues including land use matters, condemnation, annexation, contracting and the use of federal and state funds.
• Managed all legal aspects of multi-site facility acquisitions, construction, financing, leasing and sale-leaseback deals for a Fortune 500 healthcare company.
• Represented a regional operation of nursing homes in facility acquisitions, incentive financing and multi-entity ownership structuring.
• Represented a regional real estate development company in more than 100 retail build-to-suit transactions with a national tenant and provided counsel on the acquisition of real property, zoning and permitting issues, lease negotiation, construction contracts, development financing, permanent conduit financings and the disposition of real estate portfolios.
• Represented local, regional and national financial institutions in commercial real estate and business financings.
• Represented a health system in the implementation of a hospital campus expansion including the assembly and acquisition of more than 50 separately owned parcels of land and the construction of new healthcare facilities.
• Advised an international entertainment company in connection with its real estate holdings and expansion plans in Memphis, Tenn.
• Represented private service-provider companies in contract negotiations with municipal governments.

A.J. enjoys fishing, living, working and playing in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida with his wife Kristen and their four children.

• Member, Tennessee, Mississippi, Florida and American Bar Associations
• Member, National Association of Bond Lawyers
• Howell Edmunds Jackson American Inns of Court