Robert brings more than 30 years of transactional experience to help clients “see around corners” and identify and solve challenges early in a project’s lifecycle. This experience, along with his dedication to client service and communication, helps Robert achieve his goal of being a practical, value-add counselor to his clients.
Robert has chaired the Real Property Section of the North Carolina Bar Association, the Board of Trustees of East Carolina University (a public university with more than 28,000 students) and committees of the local Chamber of Commerce, his church and the boards of active social service organizations. Robert’s demonstrated leadership abilities and experience often play a critical role in his successful representation of his clients.
Robert’s clients include national, regional and local real estate developers; real estate corporate service providers; public and private corporate end-users of facilities of all sizes and functions; and investors, lenders and borrowers. Robert’s experience spans a broad range of real estate and corporate transactions, including those involving his client’s most mission-critical facilities and largest employment centers. Robert has extensive experience in the development and leasing of tech and data center operation centers and financial services facilities. His client work often involves entity selections/formations and strategic business operational decisions.
Civic and Professional Activities
- Prior Member and Board of Trustees, Vice Chair, Providence Day School
- Prior Member, Governing Board, Carolina Thread Trail
- Former Member, Steering Committee, East Carolina University Baseball Stadium
- Member and Past Chair, Real Property Section, North Carolina Bar Association
- Member, Land Use Committee, Charlotte Chamber of Commerce
- Past Chair, Land Use Committee, Greensboro Chamber of Commerce
- Member, East Carolina University, Board of Trustees, 2007-2015, Chairman, 2013-2015, Vice Chair, 2012-2013
- Former Member, Board of Directors, Former Chair, Development Committee, East Carolina University Foundation
- Member, Board of Law Visitors, Wake Forest Law School
Honors and Awards
- Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America (BL Rankings) in the fields of Banking and Finance Law, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Commercial Finance Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, Real Estate Law, 1995 – Present
- Recipient, 2019 Virgil Clark ’50 Distinguished Service Award, East Carolina University
- Recognized in Business North Carolina magazine’s Legal Elite, 2013
- Chosen as one of the Best Lawyers in Charlotte by peers and listed in Charlotte Magazine
- Recipient, Advancement Award, East Carolina University Foundation, 2009
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.
- Representation of Charlotte-based regional developer with respect to its acquisition, financing and development of a Wilmington, North Carolina apartment community as part of a larger mixed-use development.
- Representation of two national companies (one US-based and one UK-based) in their leasing of facilities throughout the United States.
- Representation of regional real estate services company in a series of roll-up acquisitions to establish and grow the company’s presence and senior staff in North Carolina.
- Representation of national developer in the acquisition, financing and development of two urban multi-family projects in North Carolina, including multiple joint venture/LLC structures, preferred equity/mezzanine financing, senior construction financing with condominium and mixed use components.
- Representation of a development joint venture in the acquisition, development, financing and leasing of multiple blocks of Charlotte uptown properties as a 1,000,000+ square foot mixed-use project.
- Representation of a Fortune 200 company in consolidating and relocating its shared services division to Charlotte.
- Representation of regional developer in the acquisition, financing and extensive renovation and redevelopment of a Charleston-area apartment community.
