Client-Centric | Deal-Driven

 

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 condominiums. 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, crisis management, 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 Republican Party, State Executive Committee Member (9th District)
• 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