Nationally Recognized Real Estate Lawyer Joins Morris, Manning & Martin


ATLANTA, GA--(Marketwire - June 21, 2010) -  Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP, one of Atlanta's leading law firms and an AmLaw 200 firm, is pleased to announce that Homer Lee Walker will join the firm as a partner in its Real Estate and Real Estate Capital Markets practices. Walker is joining the firm from Alston & Bird. His practice focuses on the development and operational aspects of commercial and residential projects, including complex mixed-use projects, as well as formation and capitalization of joint venture platforms and investment funds. He is a frequent speaker on developer-oriented topics, including legal issues surrounding LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification through the U.S. Green Building Council. Walker's clients include leading national REITs and developers, among them Atlanta-based Regent Partners -- the developer of Buckhead's award-winning 50-story Sovereign Building, a mixed-use development with 500,000 square feet of office and retail space and 82 units of residential condominiums.

Walker is featured as one of the leading Georgia lawyers for real estate in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business. He is also listed for commercial real estate in Georgia in both The Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers, Corporate Counsel Edition. He is a member of the Real Estate Section of the State Bar of Georgia, the International Council of Shopping Centers, the Urban Land Institute and the Real Estate Group of Atlanta. Walker received his J.D. from Emory University School of Law in 1986, where he was a Member of the Board of the Emory Law Journal, and his B.A., cum laude, from the University of Georgia in 1983, where he was Phi Beta Kappa.

"Morris, Manning & Martin is a firm with a national and international Real Estate and Real Estate Capital Markets practice staffed by seasoned lawyers that understand the business of real estate and the related capital markets," offered Walker. "Additionally, the firm's nationally-recognized Tax, Environmental, Bankruptcy and Litigation practices provide the broad spectrum of legal services necessary to support my clients' needs. It also helps that the firm's lawyers believe that the practice of law can be, and should be, fun. I'm looking forward to quickly becoming a contributing member of the firm."

Morris, Manning & Martin has over 40 lawyers in its Real Estate and Real Estate Capital Markets practices, representing leading national developers, lenders, investors and investment funds, global timber companies, listed REITs and publicly-offered non-listed REITs. The firm's real estate development practice is often associated with pioneering the development of large-scale urban mixed-use projects such as Atlantic Station in Atlanta.

Thus far in 2010, the firm's Real Estate practice has represented clients in connection with real estate acquisitions and financings in 39 states; four Canadian provinces; Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas; and Minas Gerais, Brazil. Our Real Estate Capital Markets practice has filed registration statements for offerings totaling in excess of $7 billion.

"Morris, Manning & Martin has a leading real estate practice with national and international reach. Lee recognized that we provide him with a premier platform from which to service his clients," offered Louise M. Wells, Morris, Manning & Martin's Managing Partner, adding, "We are thrilled Lee is joining us. There's a lot of energy flowing through our halls these days."

"Real estate is one of our core practices. We took advantage of 2009 to refine our focus and message. Today, our efforts have substantially strengthened and broadened the reach of our practice," said Sonny Morris, one of the firm's founding partners, providing, "Adding someone of Lee's quality is concrete evidence of that."

About Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP
With our roots in the Southeast, Morris, Manning & Martin (www.mmmlaw.com) is a full-service law firm with national and international reach. We dedicate ourselves to the constant pursuit of our clients' success. To provide our clients with optimal value, we combine market-leading legal services with a total understanding of their needs to maximize effectiveness, efficiency and opportunity. MMM enjoys national prominence for its green industry, healthcare, intellectual property, capital markets, environmental, insurance, mergers & acquisitions, technology, timberland and forest products, real estate, and litigation practices. MMM has offices in Atlanta, Raleigh-Durham, Savannah, Taipei, Beijing and Washington, D.C. and an alliance with FGCN in São Paulo, Brazil.

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