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Deal-Driven Built For Business Large Firm Expertise
Small Firm Agility Where Business & Law Come Together

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McDermott Law was created out of a driving desire to provide highly personalized legal and business advice to privately held businesses, organizations, associations, investors, and entrepreneurs.
We have a passion for working side-by-side with businesspeople like you.

Practice Areas

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Commercial
Real Estate

Corporate Transactions
& Formations

Financing

Outside
General Counsel

McDermott Law’s deep and diverse experience enables us to provide practical, client-specific solutions that are efficient and effective. Whether rendering advice on the formation of an entity, growth, spin-offs, the acquisition or sale of assets, exit strategies, or engaging and overseeing other professional advisors, McDermott Law strives to provide wise counsel throughout the life cycle of your business.

With a high level of integration and involvement with our clients, you may find McDermott Law at a client’s headquarters discussing long-term vision and growth; coordinating and attending a client’s sales meeting with a REIT; on-site, managing a voluminous, bet-the-company closing; or stopping by a client’s home with urgent documents.

At McDermott Law, your business is our business. We understand bottom lines, margins, costs, risks, and rewards. Every transaction is approached with genuine care and concern for your business, preferences, and goals. Are you ready for a law firm that is a partner in your success?

Due diligence, title remediation, investment, acquisition, development, leasing, and sales. Projects include:

  • Healthcare real estate
  • Mixed-use developments
  • Residential developments
  • Religious and community centers
  • Shopping centers, malls, and other retail
  • Entertainment venues (e.g., movie theaters, live entertainment)
  • Various forms of real estate financing
  • Education real estate
  • Industrial parks
  • Condominiums

Representing investors, owners, businesses, and non-profits in such matters as:

  • Joint ventures
  • Asset transactions
  • Corporate spin-offs
  • Corporate succession
  • Corporate governance
  • Entity selection and formation
  • Purchases and sales of businesses
  • Ownership interest acquisitions and dispossessions
  • Various forms of non-real estate asset-based financing
  • Board governance
  • Board succession

Representing financial institutions, corporate clients, private purchasers, borrowers, guarantors, and investors in various types of secured, unsecured, senior, and subordinated debt transactions, such as:

  • Real estate and non-real estate asset secured loans
  • Line of credit
  • Private equity
  • Loan workouts
  • Equipment financing
  • Special purpose loans
  • Financial restructuring
  • Letter of credit facilities
  • Loan purchases and sales
  • Senior and subordinated credit
  • SBA financing

Working side-by-side with clients on such matters as:

  • Strategic planning
  • Structural efficiency
  • Candidate evaluation
  • Investigation coordination and oversight

Meet Our Attorneys

Gary T. McDermott

Jon L. Cook

Gary T. McDermott

Gary is a business attorney with a broad-based practice, including helping developers and property owners complete commercial real estate deals, assisting financial institutions in resolving lending disputes, aiding clients in corporate matters and asset transactions, and serving as a trusted legal advisor and outside general counsel.

Gary’s real estate practice involves a broad spectrum of developments, including healthcare real estate, mixed-use developments, shopping centers, residential subdivisions, industrial parks, and entertainment venues. He represents developers and property owners in developing, negotiating, financing, documenting, and closing such complex commercial real estate transactions. Gary’s deep real estate experience includes a vast array of lease arrangements, including office, restaurant, retail, industrial, entertainment production (film and television), medical, and ground leases.

He represents borrowers, guarantors, investors, purchasers of debt, and financial institutions in such matters as managing distressed debt, loan workouts, loan restructuring, and debt purchases and sales. He also works with such parties in various financing matters, including development loans, leasehold secured financing, and SBA loans.

Gary guides clients in various corporate matters such as asset purchase agreements and transactions, entity selection and formation, and entity interest transfers. He assists non-profit groups with such matters as formation, governance documents, coordinating and overseeing investigation and litigation matters, advising regarding board of directors and governance issues, and 501(c)(3) matters.

Gary serves as outside general counsel to multiple clients. In doing so, Gary not only aids them with the applicable above-described matters; he also helps them with identifying and reducing potential liability, corporate succession, coordinating and overseeing other professional service providers and advisors, corporate structure, and strategic vision and implementation.

Prior Legal Experience

  • Womble, Carlyle, Sandridge & Rice, LLP, Partner (previously Senior Associate, previously Associate)
  • Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein, LLP, Associate
  • Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein, LLP, Summer Associate
  • Cowsert & Avery, LLP, Summer Associate

Select Honors and Awards

  • Super Lawyer
  • North Carolina Legal Elite
  • The Best Lawyers in America
  • Business Leader Pro Bono Impact Award
  • Mecklenburg County Bar Pro Bono Attorney of the Year
  • The North Carolina Chiropractic Association’s Chiropractic Honor Roll Award

Select Speaking Engagements

  • FundingPost’s Venture Capital Panel, panelist
  • North Carolina Bar Association Hot Topics in Real Estate CLE, planner and moderator
  • Womble, Carlyle, Sandridge & Rice, LLP, Healthcare Real Estate Industry Panel, panelist

Civic Activities

In addition to his dedication to his significant pro bono work, Gary has served the local community in various capacities, such as:
  • Pregnancy Resource Center of Charlotte’s Board of Directors, Board Member and Committee Chair
  • Mecklenburg County’s Professionalism, Lawyer Life and Culture Committee, volunteer
  • Christian Legal Society, volunteer
  • North Carolina Bar Association, Mentor

Education

J.D., 2005 | University of Georgia Select Honors and Awards:
  • Magna cum laude
  • Order of the Coif

Memberships

Mecklenburg County Bar North Carolina Bar Association National Association of Chiropractic Attorneys

Bar Admissions

  • North Carolina, 2005
  • Admitted to practice before all North Carolina State Courts and the United States District Court of the Western District of North Carolina

Jon L. Cook

Whether representing one of the country’s largest lenders on a real estate transaction worth hundreds of millions of dollars or representing a new start-up company with even larger plans, Jon brings a tireless work ethic to providing his clients with excellent legal representation. Jon’s real estate and finance practice includes representing both borrowers and lending institutions with respect to the disposition of real estate, easements, survey analysis, title policy negotiations, condemnations, loan assumptions, transfers of ownership interests, collateral substitutions, and loan modifications and workouts. Jon also represents clients with respect to a broad range of corporate matters, including formation, governance, and both internal and external corporate agreements. Jon lives in the North Shore area of Chattanooga, Tennessee. He is an active member of his community, having volunteered his time at local animal shelters and Habitat for Humanity. He also has committed many hours of legal service to various non-profit organizations, including estate planning guidance for police officers and firefighters.

Memberships

  • Georgia Bar Association
  • Tennessee Bar Association

Prior Legal Experience

  • Scenic City Legal Group, PC, Chattanooga, Tennessee
  • Kilpatrick, Townsend & Stockton, LLP, Atlanta, Georgia
  • Minor, Bell & Neal, Dalton, Georgia

Education

J.D., 2005 | University of Georgia Select Honors and Awards:
  • Cum Laude

Bar Admissions

  • Georgia, 2005
  • Admitted to practice in all State Courts including Appellate and Supreme Court and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
  • Tennessee, 2013
  • Admitted to practice in all State Courts, including Appellate and Supreme Court
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Client Testimonials

Gary is an excellent real estate lawyer who gets results by being practical and goal oriented. He knows how to get a deal done promptly and on time.

Joe Cogdell

Gary is an exceptional Attorney with a successful background in providing services to his clients. He is hard working, reliable, and trustworthy and strives to make his clients a priority. His work ethic and knowledge can support any case presented.

Tracey Hummell

Gary is a hard-working, well-versed and client-centric attorney. He gives sound legal advice and considers the business needs of his clients in making any recommendations. Gary is an honorable attorney and a person with whom it is a pleasure to work.

Scott Anderson

Gary immerses himself in his client’s businesses. His depth of knowledge gives Gary an immense competitive advantage. I would highly recommend Gary to any business looking for solid business advice.

Sara Lincoln

Gary is a top flight real estate and business lawyer, a trusted confidant, and a professional who is practical and easy to work with. He has both the skills and the personality to be your go-to counsel.

Ted Claypoole

It’s scary starting a business because you constantly stare into the abyss of not knowing what to do next or if you’re even doing it right. The staff at McDermott Law are great for guiding that light to create clarity and peace of mind starting a business. Jon Cook’s counsel is truly exceptional because he listens, understands and helps you fulfill your needs in business organization. I highly recommend the services of McDermott Law.

Dr. Corey Idrogo

Jon is a very talented, versatile, and personable attorney. He exceeds expectations regularly and is a great person to have on your team. I would highly recommend Jon.

Jay Gordon

I worked with Jon when he was at Kilpatrick Townsend (then Kilpatrick Stockton). Jon always impressed me as a careful, thorough lawyer who anticipated problems and came up with creative solutions. He was an effective advocate for his clients’ interests. In addition, he was always pleasant to work with and was never flustered in even the most stressful situations. Jon is an excellent lawyer and I recommend him very highly.

Steve Edwards

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Client Testimonials

I worked with Jon when he was at Kilpatrick Townsend (then Kilpatrick Stockton). Jon always impressed me as a careful, thorough lawyer who anticipated problems and came up with creative solutions. He was an effective advocate for his clients’ interests. In addition, he was always pleasant to work with and was never flustered in even the most stressful situations. Jon is an excellent lawyer and I recommend him very highly.

Steve Edwards

It’s scary starting a business because you constantly stare into the abyss of not knowing what to do next or if you’re even doing it right. The staff at McDermott Law are great for guiding that light to create clarity and peace of mind starting a business. Jon Cook’s counsel is truly exceptional because he listens, understands and helps you fulfill your needs in business organization. I highly recommend the services of McDermott Law.

Dr. Corey Idrogo

Gary is an exceptional Attorney with a successful background in providing services to his clients. He is hard working, reliable, and trustworthy and strives to make his clients a priority. His work ethic and knowledge can support any case presented.

Tracey Hummell

Gary is a hard-working, well-versed and client-centric attorney. He gives sound legal advice and considers the business needs of his clients in making any recommendations. Gary is an honorable attorney and a person with whom it is a pleasure to work.

Scott Anderson

Gary immerses himself in his client’s businesses. His depth of knowledge gives Gary an immense competitive advantage. I would highly recommend Gary to any business looking for solid business advice.

Sara Lincoln

Gary is a top flight real estate and business lawyer, a trusted confidant, and a professional who is practical and easy to work with. He has both the skills and the personality to be your go-to counsel.

Ted Claypoole

Gary is an excellent real estate lawyer who gets results by being practical and goal oriented. He knows how to get a deal done promptly and on time.

Joe Cogdell

Jon is a very talented, versatile, and personable attorney. He exceeds expectations regularly and is a great person to have on your team. I would highly recommend Jon.

Jay Gordon

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