A consummate real estate attorney, Ellen advises clients on commercial real estate projects that create jobs and sustain communities. Drawing on her experience as an in-house real estate attorney for one of the world’s largest convenience retailers, she understands the business goals of her clients.
Her experience includes guiding clients in acquiring, developing, leasing, managing, and selling commercial properties, including retail, office, manufacturing and mixed-use space. Ellen also has experience advising clients in the timber and agricultural sector on their real estate needs.
Ellen’s practice includes
- Negotiating and drafting purchase and sale agreements and ground leases;
- Negotiating and drafting ancillary real estate documents, such as deeds, easements, CCRs, development agreements, and SNDAs;
- Performing due diligence on commercial real estate transactions, including title and survey review;
- Closing commercial real estate transactions, both straightforward and complex;
- Advising clients on development and construction matters; and
- Advising clients on day-to-day real estate issues.
In addition to her above experience, Ellen also has experience counseling borrowers and lenders in commercial lending transactions. She has served as local counsel on a variety of multistate financing deals.
Ellen is licensed in common and civil law jurisdictions, familiarizing her with the two major worldwide legal traditions. In addition, she obtained a Certificate in International Law from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law.
Representative Experience
Any result the lawyer or law firm may have achieved on behalf of clients in other matters does not necessarily indicate similar results can be obtained for other clients.
- Served as in-house real estate counsel to a global convenience retailer with over 7,000 locations across the U.S.
- Represented a national bank with corporate real estate acquisitions, dispositions, and leasing of retail and office properties.
- Represented an institutional investment manager of timberland and agricultural property in the acquisition, disposition, and financing of timberland and farmland.
- Worked on a team representing national and regional retailers in connection with the acquisition, ground leasing, and development of retail sites.
- Worked on a team representing a life insurance company in the acquisition of commercial real estate, including office and multi-family properties.
- Worked on a team representing life insurance companies in connection with commercial real estate lending.
- Worked on a team representing the owner of two sports franchises with respect to property-related matters, including stadium lease and other real estate acquisition matters.
Professional & Civic Engagement
- Former Vice Chair, Mortgage Lending Committee, American Bar Association’s Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section
- North Carolina Bar Association
- Louisiana State Bar Association
- Mecklenburg County Bar Association
- Louisiana Supreme Court Committee on Bar Admissions, Assistant Examiner
- Leadership Winston-Salem, Class of 2019
- American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Louisiana, Board Member, 2012-2014
Honors & Awards
- Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America (BL Rankings), Real Estate Law, 2018-2021
