Tom is an experienced commercial real estate and land use attorney who guides clients at all stages of the real estate development process. Tom concentrates his practice in the areas of commercial real estate acquisitions and development, commercial leasing, and finance. He represents a number of real estate developers of retail, office, industrial and multi-use projects throughout the Southeast, including several shopping centers and single tenant build-to-suit projects. He also represents private equity funds in joint ventures with merchant real estate developers, as well as banks and other institutional lenders in making and restructuring construction and permanent loans. He has significant experience in commercial loan workouts, restructuring and collection.
Tom assists clients in various phases of the real estate development process, including land acquisition, diligence matters, rezoning and variances (including planned development districts for large scale projects), project construction and disposition. A significant component of Tom's practice is the representation of landlords and tenants in commercial leasing. This includes anchor and in-line shopping center space, as well as office, warehousing and industrial properties. He has spoken extensively on various issues pertaining to creditors’ rights in South Carolina, including the appointment of receivers and other issues related to complex foreclosures and the disposition of distressed properties.
Publications
- A Practical Guide to Commercial Real Estate in South Carolina, 2012 (co-author)
- Commercial Lease Evictions in South Carolina, February 2002
- Bankruptcy: A Creditor’s Perspective, February 2002
- Collection Practices, Procedures & Pitfalls, December 2002
- Advanced Real Estate Law in South Carolina, March 2003
- Workouts, Foreclosures and Other Collection Remedies, April 2003
Civic and Professional Activities
- Board of Directors, Center for Birds of Prey, 2010-present
- Lowcountry AIDS Services Legal Clinic, 2012-present
- Citizens’ Advisory Committee, Hollings Cancer Institute, Medical University of South Carolina, 2003-2004
- Board of Directors, Carolina Youth Development Center, 2004-2005
- Leadership South Carolina, 1998-1999
- Steering Committee, East Cooper Area Business Council, 2002
- American Bar Association: Real Property, Probate & Trust Section, Workouts, Foreclosures & Bankruptcy Committee
- Charleston County Bar Association
- South Carolina Bar Association: Lawyer-Accountant Relations Committee, 1997, Real Estate and Corporation, Banking & Securities Sections
Honors and Awards
- Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America (BL Rankings) in the fields of Banking and Finance Law, Litigation – Real Estate, Real Estate Law, 2010 – Present
- Received the Best Lawyers® "Lawyer of the Year" Award in the field of Litigation – Real Estate (Charleston), 2022
- Recognized in Charleston Business Magazine’s Legal Elite, Commercial Real Estate, 2020 – Present
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
- Represented regional shopping center developer in the construction, leasing, and disposition of shopping centers and mixed-use developments.
- Advises bridge capital investment fund in various joint ventures with different sponsors involving retail, industrial, and multifamily real estate projects.
- Represented national homebuilder in the acquisition and development of golf course resort community.
- Represented joint venture entity in the recapitalization, development and lease-out of downtown Charleston hotel, office and retail development.
