Joe Foltz is a transactional attorney with a passion for helping clients achieve their goals. For more than three decades, Joe has been one of the Atlanta market’s leading attorneys for regional, national and international transactions. A trusted advisor, Joe is known for his practical, business-focused counsel, his creative solutions, and unwavering devotion to his clients.

Joe regularly represents developers, property owners, managers and equity investors in the acquisition, development, leasing, structured financing, and management of commercial real estate, including hotels, condominiums, and retail, multifamily, office and industrial developments.

He also practices in the area of corporate finance, secured lending and general corporate law. Joe’s corporate practice includes representing commercial lenders in mortgage and asset-based facilities, as well as general corporate representation of closely held and regulated companies in mergers, acquisitions and finance transactions, and regarding governance issues. His experience includes representing high net worth individuals in sports and entertainment enterprises and international investors in US-based operations.

As part of a robust hospitality practice, Joe is an active member and speaker in the International Society of Hospitality Consultants. He also has been involved in Vistage International, a leading CEO advisory organization, for more than 25 years, and is a member of the Association for Corporate Growth. Joe is fluent in French.

Honors and Awards

  • Chambers USA Ranked Lawyer, Real Estate, Georgia, 2008 – Present
  • Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America (BL Rankings), Real Estate Law, 2016 – Present
  • AV Preeminent Rating, Martindale-Hubbell, 2020

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.

  • Managed $470 million high yield bond financing for quick service restaurant owner operator.
  • Negotiation and closing with master developer of $300 million mixed-use development on manufacturer's surplus land. 
  • Negotiated and managed the closing of boutique hotel developer’s $300 million mixed use development on manufacturer’s surplus land in Savannah, Georgia involving eight different private and public finance sources, including state historic tax credits and taxable bond financing.
  • Managed the $250 million acquisition from a national franchisor of 194 quick-service restaurants (QSR) across the southeastern US in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi.
  • Managed the $200 million stock purchase of a joint venture interest in a nationally recognized ocean resort property. 
  • Managed the asset purchase of a $150 million golf resort with new joint venture partner and rolled-in interest of former owner. 
  • Sales and management back of $150 million hotel portfolio.
  • Advised on the creation of independent consultancies for doing business in the US by international manufacturers, including in the Alsace-Lorraine region of France.
  • Negotiated licenses for film studio's use of manufacturing and industrial sites.
  • Negotiated joint ventures between hotel developers and national hotel REIT.
  • Managed acquisition, construction lending and permanent financing of garden style multi-family communities.