During the last four decades, David Crawford has tackled nearly every type of obstacle there is in commercial and residential real estate transactions. His high level of responsibility to his clients and his experience are among the reasons why clients trust David to be the reasonable and calm hand at the wheel during negotiations of even the most contentious and complex transactions.

David focuses his practice on the acquisition, sale and financing of commercial and residential properties. In his commercial real estate work, David is especially experienced in advising larger entities in the purchase of retail and office property and storage facilities. He also represents high-value homebuyers, particularly those buying historic homes in downtown Charleston, South Carolina.

In both his commercial and residential real estate work, David is known as a cool negotiator and fierce advocate for his clients. His singular focus is to ensure his clients receive the best outcome, even when that means advising them to walk away from a transaction.

Civic and Professional Activities

  • American Bar Association
  • Charleston County Bar Association
  • Agent for the Charleston Trident Board of Realtors
  • Chicago Title Insurance
  • Commonwealth Title Insurance
  • Lawyers Title Insurance
  • Old Republic National Title Insurance Company
  • Chairman of the Board of Directors, Carolina Youth Development Center-Charleston Orphan House, Inc., 1999-2002

Honors and Awards

  • Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America (BL Rankings) in the fields of Real Estate Law, Banking and Finance Law, Corporate Law, 2008 – Present
  • Received the Best Lawyers™ Banking and Finance Law "Lawyer of the Year" award in Charleston, South Carolina, 2021
  • Recognized in Charleston Business Magazine's Legal Elite, Residential Real Estate, 2017, 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.

  • Facilitated real estate sales, acquisitions and development for automotive and aerospace industry sellers and buyers in conjunction with economic incentive packages. This work included drafting contracts, leases, ground leases, options, easements, rights of way and dedications to public entities.
  • Oversaw multimillion-dollar purchases, sales and financing, including construction financing, of commercial properties including retail, office, mixed-use, self-storage, marina and industrial properties in numerous states.
  • Assists with the real estate component of radio tower acquisitions and sales, as well as the sale of radio stations.
  • Represents developers in the acquisition of real estate for residential and commercial development, including drafting restrictive covenants, property owners’ association documents, utility conveyance documents, and dedications of roads, sewer, water and drainage easements.
  • Handled thousands of residential real estate closings including for purchases and sales of multimillion-dollar historic homes.