Chris Vaughn began his career over 25 years ago. Over those 25 years, Chris’ practice has gravitated from almost exclusive lender representation to representing owners in their acquisition, financing, development, construction, leasing and sale of commercial real estate. While he has represented many clients in varied real estate sectors across the United States including in office and fast casual dining, his current practice is dominated by owners engaged in the development and ownership of industrial properties, credit tenant anchored shopping centers, multifamily apartment communities and senior living communities. Beyond the typical purchase, sale, loan and leasing transactions, Chris has experience in negotiating complex construction contracts using AIA documents, development agreements and management agreements. While Chris’ focus has shifted to the owner side of the transaction, he continues to represent lenders including serving as local counsel in North Carolina in secured transactions.

Chris’ practice includes not only the transactional aspect of commercial real estate transactions but also assisting clients in the structuring, negotiating and organization of joint ventures to fund and implement the complex business relationships that make those projects possible.

Chris has a team of experienced attorneys whom he leads to meet the expectations of the firm’s clients including tax attorneys, corporate attorneys, finance attorneys, real estate attorneys and a team of paralegals.

Chris’ career began with a healthy dose of real estate fundamentals including reviewing title searches and resolving real estate title issues. He frequently was called on to perform legal research and analysis for litigators in the firm where he learned the value of aggressive thinking and took those lessons and applied them to his drafting skills in commercial real estate transactions.

Chris gravitated from there to a practice focused on commercial loan transactions secured in whole or in part by real estate. This enabled Chris to quickly be exposed to varied transactions involving multifamily apartment communities, office space, shopping centers, single family residential tract home developments, hotels, golf courses, industrial properties and senior living communities.

Chris became involved in the Real Property Section of the North Carolina Bar Association where he eventually rose through the leadership ranks serving as the Editor of Real Property (a newsletter of the Real Property Section of the North Carolina Bar Association), the Chair of the Legislative Committee, the Vice Chair of the Section and ultimately, the Chair of the Section. In addition, Chris was Managing Co-Editor of the Real Estate Forms Manual, Second Edition. In connection with that service, Chris was recognized by the Section for extraordinary services rendered. In serving the Real Property Section, Chris participated in the drafting of the North Carolina Subordination Statute, the Simultaneous Recording Act and Mortgage Satisfaction Act, portions of which he presented to various committees at the General Assembly. The experience was invaluable to Chris in his career especially his role in seeing the “sausage” made at the General Assembly while serving as the Chair of the Legislative Committee and also the skills learned in leading a Section of the North Carolina Bar Association with over 2,000 members with conflicting and competing goals that interacted with the State Bar, other trade groups and political interests.

Being a graduate of Duke Law School, Chris had the opportunity to pursue a legal career in different major metropolitan areas throughout the United States. However, being a native of North Carolina, Chris desired to stay in North Carolina to one day give his family the opportunity to experience a life similar to the one he had enjoyed being raised in North Carolina himself. Now with two children in college and having celebrated his 25th wedding anniversary with his wife, he can say that the tradeoff that he made of staying in North Carolina was the right one. With the real time communication abilities and access afforded by modern technology it brings to the practice, Chris has been able to develop a practice in which he represents sophisticated clients in complex commercial transactions in venues across the United States while showcasing the depth of legal talent that, like him, has been attracted to Carruthers & Roth, P.A. as their legal home.