Scott is the leader of the Firm’s Real Estate Practice Group.  As an experienced transactions lawyer, he is a recognized leader in commercial real estate and corporate/real estate finance. Scott has a wide ranging practice that gives him a unique perspective when crafting legal strategies for his clients.

Scott has a wealth of experience in real estate, but primarily focuses his real estate practice on the acquisition, development and sale of commercial and industrial properties and the negotiation of retail, office and industrial leases for properties located all across the United States. Scott also assists his clients with the management of corporate real estate portfolios. In order to better assist clients with green building and green leasing issues, Scott earned accreditation as a LEED Green Associate from the Green Building Certification Institute.

Scott has experience in a diverse range of corporate finance and real estate finance transactions in connection with providing counsel to businesses and lenders as to structuring, negotiating and documenting all aspects of senior debt credit arrangements, including multi-state, multi-lender, and multi-currency transactions (both secured and unsecured, including traditional commercial mortgage transactions). His practice regularly includes syndicated financings, representing borrowers, administrative and collateral agents and participating lenders. Scott has worked on financings across a range of industry groups, including health care, transportation, energy/natural resources, insurance, retail, business services, asset management, restaurant franchises, media and entertainment, and consumer products.

Scott is a Fellow of The American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL). He is a prior Chair of the Real Property Section of the North Carolina Bar Association and also sits on the Board of Advisors for the UNC Center for Banking and Finance.

Publications

Professional Activities

  • Board of Advisors, UNC Center for Banking and Finance
  • North Carolina State Bar Association, Real Property Section and Business Law Section
  • American Bar Association, Real Property, Probate and Trust Section and Business Law Section
  • Forsyth County Bar Association
  • Member, Real Property Council (NC Bar Association Real Property Section) (2009-2012), Legislative Chair (2012-2013), Treasurer/Executive Committee (2013-2014), Vice Chair (2014-2015), Chair (2015-2016), Immediate Past Chair (2016-2017)

Honors and Awards

  • Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America (BL Rankings) in the fields of Banking and Finance Law, Real Estate Law, Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law, 2015 – Present 
  • Received the Best Lawyers® "Lawyer of the Year" Award in the field of Banking and Finance Law (Triad), 2022
  • Super Lawyers Honoree, Real Estate, Banking, North Carolina Super Lawyers magazine (Thomson Reuters), 2020 – 2021
  • Recognized in Business North Carolina magazine’s Legal Elite, 2019
  • Selected to the North Carolina Rising Stars list by Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters) in Real Estate, 2017
  • AV Rating, Martindale-Hubbell

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 a developer on the conversion of a historic 20 story office building into a mixed use development with a boutique hotel, restaurant and apartment units, including associated construction finance.
  • Represented a developer on the conversion of a 19-story office building into a mixed use development with a boutique hotel, restaurants, retail spaces and luxury residential condominiums.
  • Represented a national bank with corporate real estate acquisitions, dispositions and leasing of retail and office properties.
  • Represented a health care company in connection with lease of Class A office space in locations throughout United States.
  • Represented a national tenant in connection with leasing of industrial/warehouse properties.