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Find Lawyers in Alabama, United States for Real Estate Law
Practice Area Overview
Real estate law refers to the body of laws that govern the buying, selling and leasing of property.
These laws cover a wide range of legal issues related to real estate transactions, including financing transactions, environmental law and title searches. Real estate laws and regulations vary from state to state, with some requiring a real estate license to buy or sell property. Attorneys in real estate law can help with issues that a real estate agent can’t.
Hiring a real estate lawyer or real estate law attorney can be essential for navigating the legal complexities of a home purchase or sale. Law firms specializing in real estate law can assist with legal issues related to real estate transactions, such as reviewing contracts and conducting title searches.
Real estate lawyers or attorneys are also typically involved in representing clients before the real estate commission or title company. Law school courses often cover real estate law, as it is an essential aspect of many legal practices. A full-service real estate law firm should have expertise in these areas:
Sales and Acquisitions
The representation of buyers and sellers in the acquisition and disposition of the various kinds of real estate including office buildings, retail centers, hotels, industrial properties, residential properties and manufactured housing communities.
Real estate attorneys can be equally essential whether the transaction is for residential or commercial property.
Title
The examination of title to real estate, evaluation of title exceptions and negotiation of title insurance policies.
Land Use and Environmental
Land use entitlements, due diligence investigations, Brownfield developments and compliance with Environmental Laws and federal and state Endangered Species Acts.
Development
The negotiation and preparation of development and construction agreements and the other documents required to develop and construct office buildings, shopping centers, mixed-use projects, free-standing units and industrial sites.
Leasing
The negotiation and preparation of office, retail and industrial leases and long-term ground leases. A real estate lawyer may assist with:
- Drafting and reviewing lease agreements.
- Negotiating lease terms.
- Ensuring compliance with laws and regulations.
- Dispute resolution.
- Lease modifications and renewals.
- Handling lease terminations and evictions.
- Advising on subleasing and assignment.
Finance
The representation of lenders and borrowers in real estate secured loan originations, loan sales and purchases and other debt arrangements, including:
- Permanent financings.
- Construction loans.
- Bridge loans.
- Conduit loans.
- Mezzanine loans.
- Shared appreciation loans.
- Portfolios of non-performing loans.
Joint Ventures
A very large proportion of real estate transactions involve joint ventures between capital sources and developers. Therefore, a real estate firm must be in a position to structure and negotiate partnership agreements, limited liability company operating agreements, shareholder agreements and other forms of joint venture arrangements and advise on the tax aspects of the transactions.
Restructuring and Workouts
Not all real estate transactions are successful. Real estate lawyers, therefore, must be in a position to advise lenders, borrowers, partners, landlords, tenants and developers when a transaction goes bad.
This type of real estate law may involve transactional, bankruptcy, tax and litigation work. Restructuring and workouts often include:
- Loan modifications.
- Foreclosures.
- Deeds in lieu of foreclosure.
- Discounted loan payoffs.
- Loan forbearances.
- REO sales.
- Joint venture modifications.
- Buy/sells.
- Forced sales.
- Lease and development modifications.
- Bankruptcies.
- Receivership actions.
- Guarantee actions.
Litigation
Litigation in the real estate area involves the representations of real estate owners, buyers, sellers, lessors, brokers, lenders and developers in, among other things:
- Contract disputes.
- Mechanics lien and construction disputes.
- Eminent domain proceedings.
- Title disputes.
- Loan service.
- Foreclosure issues.
- Bankruptcy.
Select a city from the list below to find the best legal talent for your needs.
Cities
Tom Ansley is a shareholder in Dentons’ Birmingham, Alabama office, where he is a member of the Real Estate and Corporate practice groups. He serves as corporate counsel to a diverse range of clients, including real estate developers and investors, commercial and project lenders, and healthcare providers, advising them on the intricacies of state and local laws and regulations, financial matters, industry concerns, and risk allocation. Ansley is involved in the financing, negotiation, e...
For more than 30 years, Shapard D. Ashley’s commercial law practice has focused on real estate development, representation of lenders and borrowers in secured transactions and advising parties in workouts. His real estate practice has emphasized the construction, leasing and financing of shopping centers throughout the southeast and the development of planned residential communities. His loan experience includes a wide range of real estate collateral (retail and office space, multi-fami...
Bill Averett is a member of Dentons Sirote's Landlord's Rights practice in the Birmingham, Alabama office. Bill's extensive trial experience includes representing national banks and lenders in all matters of creditor rights and collection, including appellate and bankruptcy proceedings. His high rate of success consists of obtaining settlements through both formal and informal channels. Bill graduated from the University of Alabama with a BA and from Samford University's Cumberland School of ...
Jason Avery is a member of the Firm’s Real Estate Practice Group and the Natural Resources and Banking and Financial Services Practice Teams. Unlike many other lawyers who concentrate in either a transactional practice or litigation, Jason represents clients in both areas, splitting his time between real estate transactional matters and real estate and mortgage litigation. This hybrid practice allows Jason to think progressively on transactional matters by understanding potential areas ...
Mr. Baggette advises clients about the formation, acquisition, and sale of businesses and regularly assists clients in the creation of corporations and limited liability companies. He also represents banks and real estate developers in the financing, acquisition, and sale of commercial properties and condominium developments. Mr. Baggette also has experience in state and local tax abatements and incentives for industrial projects. His clients include defense contractors, real estate developer...
Julia Bernstein’s practice focuses on all aspects of the representation of lenders and borrowers in secured and unsecured transactions, finance transactions involving commercial real estate, corporate finance transactions and multi-state transactions. Julia frequently issues legal opinions in connection with multi-state projects and as local counsel for transactions originated outside of Alabama secured by real property located within the state.
Steven Brickman is a shareholder in Dentons Sirote’s Birmingham, Alabama office. He is a member of the Real Estate practice group. Steven is a trusted advisor, helping clients navigate all aspects of the commercial real estate development process, from land acquisition and financing to leasing and planning. His additional areas of experience include the acquisition and sale of businesses and representing clients in general business matters, as well as health law corporate compliance.
Gerald Burnett practices on a multi-regional basis in all areas of commercial real estate, tax-free exchanges, tax law and disputes, commercial transactions, timber law and wealth transfer planning. He has had substantial experience in the litigation of tax controversies, having tried jury and non-jury tax cases in eight states. He has served as lead counsel in, negotiated and closed commercial real estate transactions in eighteen states. Some of his out-of-state work includes commercial proj...
Beau Byrd has extensive experience representing developers, owners, and financial institutions in a wide variety of commercial real estate transactions, including NMTC, Senior Housing, Retail, Office, and Multi-Family. The experience Beau obtained being a law clerk to a U.S. Bankruptcy Judge and practicing as a bankruptcy attorney in the early years of his career gives him a unique advantage in dealing with commercial real estate during these challenging times. Beau is immediate past Presiden...
Ryan Daugherty is a shareholder in Dentons Sirote’s Birmingham, Alabama office. Ryan’s practice is exclusively focused on developing solutions for clients who are involved in real estate issues and disputes. As chair of the firm’s landlord’s rights practice, Ryan represents multi-family, single-family, and commercial landlords and property managers throughout Alabama on recovering possession, collecting outstanding rent, and providing outside general counsel services. ...
Mr. Davis’ law practice, focused on transactional commercial real estate, began in 2009 in Montgomery, Alabama. He was born and raised in Mobile, Alabama and currently resides in Birmingham, Alabama. Prior to forming DLB Attorneys at Law, LLC in 2022, he was a shareholder with a prestigious boutique full service law firm based in Montgomery, Alabama and relocated to Birmingham, Alabama in 2015 to help establish his former firm’s first satellite office. Mr. Davis’ commercial ...
Tim Davis is a shareholder in Dentons Sirote’s Birmingham, Alabama office, where he is a member of the Real Estate practice group. Tim represents several local and regional banks, as well as other financial institutions in commercial transactions. He advises a number of area businesses in real estate, finance, and general corporate matters. Tim also serves as bond counsel and disclosure counsel on behalf of several local and state governmental entities in taxable and tax-exempt financin...
John Dukes is an experienced corporate transactional and real estate attorney specializing in the acquisition and selling of businesses, real estate transactions, leases and related real property matters, representation of lenders and borrowers in connection with commercial loans and related matters, the formation and organization of limited liability companies and corporations, and corporate guidance including employment related matters, corporate compliance, insurance, commercial contracts ...
Samuel D. Friedman is a shareholder in Dentons Sirote’s Birmingham, Alabama office, where he is a member of the Real Estate and Banking and Finance practice groups. Sam’s practice primarily focuses on commercial real estate and commercial lending. Sam helps clients buy, sell, develop, lease, and finance commercial property in his commercial real estate practice, including large apartment complexes, senior living communities, hotels, office buildings, and shopping centers. In Sam&r...
Ginger Gray regularly represents clients in a wide variety of commercial real estate transactions, including lending, acquisition, disposition, development and leasing matters. Her practice includes the representation of national and regional banks, and clients involved in the development of various facilities. In addition to maintaining a general real estate practice, Ginger has devoted a substantial portion of her practice to representing banks and financial institutions in connection with ...
John Howard’s practice is focused on commercial real estate and development, but he has substantial experience with a wide range of corporate legal matters, including M&A, commercial leasing, environmental issues, condemnations, securities, risk management, commercial litigation, workers’ compensation, labor and employment law, franchise law, insurance issues, intellectual property, employee benefit plans, entity selection and formation, syndicated and mezzanine lending, and t...
Ben Hutton is a partner in the firm's Huntsville office, where he is member of the firm's Real Estate and Banking and Financial Services Practice Groups. His primary areas of practice include real estate, commercial lending, and general commercial transactions. His practice concentrates on all aspects of commercial real estate acquisition, development, leasing, sale and financing transactions involving a variety of property types. Ben's significant experience includes: representing purchasers...
Donald Johnson is a shareholder in Dentons Sirote’s Birmingham, Alabama office, where he is a member of the Tax practice group. Don counsels business owners and businesses in areas of mergers and acquisitions, entity formation, and tax and business planning. He counsels developers and investors with regard to real estate income tax planning, including capital gain planning, like-kind exchanges, opportunity zone planning, tax incentives, and debt restructurings and workouts. Don represen...
Jack Kubiszyn primarily focuses his practice on general real estate matters for national clients, while also representing developers, borrowers and lenders in commercial real estate loan transactions – including landlord and tenants in leasing matters. He actively represents regional clients in the acquiring and disposing of office buildings, retail shopping centers, and multi-family apartments, and his experience preserves his clients’ interests while helping them avoid the diffi...
Clay Lanham is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group. He focuses on real estate development and finance. Clay regularly represents private equity funds in the negotiation and documentation of loans secured by real estate and other assets as well as the purchase and sale of loans, real estate, and other assets. Clay also represents developers and investors in the purchase and sale of properties and throughout the entire development process, from the formation of development entities, initi...
Kelly Lewis is a partner in the tax practice and leads the tax credit finance team. For the majority of her practice, Kelly has focused exclusively on representing investors and lenders in LIHTC transactions across the country. Kelly focuses on all aspects of the representation of lenders and investors in connection with affordable housing transactions, including the use of traditional construction and permanent financing, federal and state tax credits, tax-exempt bonds, tax exempt loans, MTE...
Greer Mallette serves as managing partner and focuses his practice on real estate, construction, and business litigation matters. He advises small business owners regarding their rights, duties, and obligations, and has litigated claims of shareholder oppression, squeeze-outs, and breach of fiduciary duties. He works with banks, title companies and other property owners on matters related to commercial contracts, leases, loan closings and resolves real estate problems, such as title and bound...
Vaughn McWilliams specializes in general business and corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, real estate, and real estate and commercial finance. He represents lenders and developers in a variety of commercial real estate transactions, including senior housing, medical office, self-storage, multi-family, and tax credit financing. Vaughn also represents clients on the purchase and sale and financing of of closely-held businesses, including professional practices. Prior to moving to Birmingha...
Steve Monk is a member of the firm's Real Estate Practice Group. Steve's practice is primarily devoted to develop representational development work. Steve regularly represents clients in the annexation and zoning of properties for planned unit developments, traditional neighborhood developments and other mixed uses. Such representation includes preparation of developed plans for zoning, preparation of restrictive covenants, establishment of homeowners’/property owners’ association...
Charles Moore regularly represents financial institutions in a variety of matters. He has substantial experience in commercial finance, including mortgage warehouse lending, real estate finance, and bank holding company lending. Charles also commonly handles Change in Bank Control Act matters, Bank Holding Company Act matters, formation and capital raising activities of banks and bank holding companies, and other bank regulatory matters. Charles represents a number of Alabama-based community ...
Bobby Rives is a native of Huntsville, Alabama, and was admitted to the Alabama State Bar in 1996. He received his B.S.B.A. from Auburn University in Montgomery in 1990 and his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Alabama in 1996. While at the University of Alabama, Bobby was a Student Editor for the American Journal of Tax Policy. In addition, Bobby was awarded the University of Alabama Federal Tax Clinic Scholarship. Bobby concentrates his practice in the areas of real estate and finance...
Atkins Roberts practices primarily in the areas of commercial finance, real estate and bank regulation. Atkins regularly assists banks, financial institutions, investors, real estate developers and individuals in a broad range of commercial lending activities. He has represented developers (including non-profit corporations), syndicators, equity investors and lenders throughout the Southeast in numerous transactions involving low-income housing tax credits (federal and state). Atkins is fluen...
Mr. Seeley’s practice is concentrated in the areas of real estate law, banking law, and business law. In the real estate area, Mr. Seeley has prepared documentation for ground leases, commercial leases, real estate sales agreements, options to purchase, and vacation of roadways and easements; and has represented the purchasers of commercial real estate. Not only has he participated in the negotiation and drafting of leases, but also in litigation under those leases requiring eviction of...
Dawn has broad experience representing both lenders and borrowers in commercial lending transactions, with a particular emphasis on transactions involving commercial real estate. She also represents public companies, privately held entities and individuals in all types of commercial real estate transactions, including the buying, selling, leasing and developing of commercial real estate nationwide. Dawn represents a number of financial institutions on syndicated and non-syndicated constructio...
Maurice L. Shevin is a shareholder in Dentons Sirote’s Birmingham, Alabama office. He is a member of the Federal Regulatory and Compliance practice group and leads the Dentons Sirote Federal Regulatory and Compliance team. In his practice, Maury serves as counsel for trade associations, financial institutions, and business clients, advising them on business and industry concerns. He advises numerous local, regional, and national real estate, finance, and consumer credit clients with res...
Adam J. Sigman is a shareholder in Dentons Sirote’s Birmingham, Alabama office, where he serves as the chair of the Dentons Sirote Real Estate practice group. Adam focuses his practice on real estate as a practice area and industry, representing developers and investors in connection with acquisitions, sales, equity and securities, credit facilities, leases and all other commercial real estate needs. His clients span a broad spectrum of asset categories, including their retail, office, ...
Scott Sims is a shareholder in Dentons Sirote’s Birmingham, Alabama office, where he is a member of the Real Estate practice group and leads the Dentons Sirote Hotels and Leisure team. Scott is a trusted counselor to business corporations, advising them on critical industry matters. He represents clients in commercial real estate transactions, loan closings, general business negotiations and transactions, cell tower leasing, and title work. Scott has worked on over 2,000 cell tower site...
Bradley J. Sklar is a shareholder in Dentons Sirote’s Birmingham, Alabama office, where he serves as Co-Leader of the Dentons Tax National Practice Group. Brad focuses on complex tax, entity, and business planning transactions, including mergers and acquisitions; sales of businesses; sale and purchase structuring and funding of large real estate transactions; raising capital; and navigation of state and local tax incentives. He counsels clients in tax and business planning and entity st...
Palmer Smith was admitted to the Alabama State Bar in 1973, after receiving a B.A. degree in Latin and History at Salem College and her J.D. from the University of Alabama. She served as a student instructor in legal research and writing, and was a member and secretary of the Moot Court Board. She also attended the William and Mary College of Law summer program in Exeter, England. After finishing law school, she pursued additional course work in an M.B.A. program at Auburn University at Montg...
Aaron B. Thomas assists companies and individuals in a wide variety of business and transactional related matters, including but not limited to the areas of real estate development, business planning, financing, contract negotiation, real estate closings, and leases. He has extensive experience in several different types of commercial properties, including retail centers, offices, hotels, industrial sites, residential and mixed-use developments, and other projects. A large portion of Aaron&rs...
Jim Vann is a shareholder and former president (2022–2024) of Dentons Sirote in Alabama. He is a member and former chair of Dentons Sirote’s Real Estate practice group. In his practice, Jim represents banks and other lenders in connection with all types of lending, including commercial and industrial loans, as well as real estate loans. He also represents developers and owners of multi-family and other commercial real estate in the acquisition, sale, leasing, and financing of such...
As a lawyer in Dentons Sirote’s Birmingham, Alabama office, Crystal’s practice focuses on commercial real estate transactions and real estate finance. Crystal represents borrowers and local, regional, and national financial institutions in lending transactions; purchasers and sellers in real estate acquisition transactions; and borrowers in loan transactions. In addition, Crystal advises landlords and tenants in lease negotiations. Crystal also practices in the area of public fina...
James Webb’s primary areas of practice include the representation of lenders, borrowers, developers and companies in all aspects of commercial real estate transactions throughout the United States, including lending, leasing, development, acquisitions and dispositions. In his lending practice, James represents both lenders and borrowers on acquisition, construction and permanent financing, with an emphasis on real estate secured financing. While he has experience in the representation o...
Keith Windle is chairman of the firm's Real Estate Practice Group and a member of the firm's Banking and Financial Services Practice Group. His primary areas of practice include real estate finance and development, commercial lending, foreclosure law, retail property leasing, and low-income housing investment and development. While maintaining a general real estate practice, Keith has devoted a substantial portion of his practice to representing banks and financial institutions in connection ...
Richard Wright is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group. He advises financial services providers on a broad range of matters. Richard has more than 36 years of experience representing financial institutions in commercial loan transactions, commercial collection and foreclosure, bankruptcy, workouts, and loan restructurings. Richard has represented lenders, investors, and sellers in multimillion-dollar real estate transactions throughout the southeastern and Gulf Coast states. A significan...
Theresa Johnston Friedman is originally from Montgomery and now resides in Mountain Brook with her husband, Jay Friedman. Theresa specializes in representing clients in real estate transactions across the country, including shopping center, multi-family, and office building development, and commercial and residential leasing. She also represents lenders and borrowers in real estate and other commercial financing transactions, including acquisitions, construction loans, lines of credit, perman...
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