Stites & Harbison, PLLC

Our real estate lawyers have extensive experience handling sophisticated transactions for both domestic and non-U.S. clients involving all kinds of real estate assets, including apartments, condominiums, shopping centers, mixed-use projects, office buildings, hotels, industrial properties and golf course communities. We regularly assist clients, both individual and institutional, in the negotiation and structuring of equity joint ventures, and the formation of limited liability companies and general and limited partnerships.

Developers and owner/operators such as Ultima Holdings, The Muntzing Sattele Company and ABG Development trust Stites & Harbison to stay on top of the legal details from project inception to completion. These details include planning, acquisition, financing, construction, leasing, contract negotiation and negotiating easements and access rights for a variety of properties.

The firm's attorneys, for example, handled purchasing and refinancing matters for five shopping centers developed by one of its clients and worked closely with another client in the conversion of rural land into booming residential subdivisions. We have also represented clients in the formation of equity joint ventures for the development of vertical mixed-use projects in several states ranging in value from $25 million to $85 million per project.

In another instance, the firm handled the $150 million purchase of 40 apartment complexes throughout the country on behalf of a public company while at the same time assisting a residential developer in putting together an assemblage of six tracts involving more than 20 legal descriptions for a mixed-use development containing mid-priced homes for working families.

The real estate attorneys in the firm's Lexington office have helped several clients bring innovative mixed-use development projects on line throughout central Kentucky. Many of these are communities developed around golf courses and which incorporate the conservation of scenic land.

The firm's attorneys have handled deals for a complete range of property development including:

• Retail and shopping centers
• Airports
• Low-income and multi-family housing developments
• Multi-use developments
• Office buildings
• Business and industrial parks
• Golf resort communities
• Residential developments, including single family homes and
• Specialty properties such as hotels, mobile home parks and mini-storage warehouses

Lenders and borrowers count on Stites & Harbison to represent them in matters such as:

• Mezzanine and mortgage financing
• Debt instrument conversion
• Joint ventures and other arrangements

The attorneys serve pension funds, institutional advisors, credit companies, insurance companies and individuals.

Along with the traditional tasks of due diligence and document preparation, the real estate attorneys and paralegals "get the deal done" by taking a proactive approach to ensure that every detail is covered so the deal doesn't stall. They will never present a problem to a client unless they also offer solutions.