Partner Attorney

Samuel M. Chambliss, III

Sam concentrates in the areas of Commercial Real Estate, Commercial Leasing and Commercial Lending, along with Small Business Representation.  He has been recognized by Georgia Trend Magazine as being one of the most effective real estate attorneys in Georgia.

About Sam

Experience and expertise

Areas of Practice:

  • Commercial Real Estate
  • Commercial Leasing
  • Commercial Lending
  • Small Business Representation

Education

  • B.A., the University of Richmond, cum laude, 1980
  • J.D., the University of Memphis, 1985

Admitted to Practice

  • Georgia
Acquisitions and sales

Sam’s experience in commercial real estate and development involves a large variety of real estate projects, including apartment projects, multi-tenant and owner occupied office buildings, shopping centers, outlet centers, commercial and residential condominium projects, multi-use developments and warehouse/industrial facilities. His experience includes everything from the preparation and negotiation of letters of intent, purchase and sale agreements, reciprocal easement agreements, closing and transfer instruments, and loan documentation, to the due diligence work needed during the contract and closing process.

Multi-family practice

A specialty of Sam’s is multi-family. Over the years Sam has represented apartment and condominium developers from beginning to end, starting with undeveloped land and preparing and/or negotiating reciprocal easement agreements (REA’s), condominium declarations and development agreements, as well as loan documents with national lending institutions. Sam currently represents two multi-state entities based outside of Georgia that have acquired several existing apartment developments during the market downturn, and also currently represents a local ownership entity selling apartment projects in the metropolitan Atlanta market.

Commercial leasing

Sam prepares, evaluates and negotiates leases for office, retail and warehouse/service/industrial facilities. The documentation process involves everything from leases in multi-tenant office buildings and shopping centers, to ground leases for build-to-suit facilities.

Commercial lending

Sam’s commercial finance practice involves the representation of developers and owners as well as commercial banks and financial institutions. This area of practice includes the drafting and negotiation of loan commitments, pre-closing documents and loan securitization instruments, as well as the coordination of the loan closing process. Sam’s lending practice also includes loan workouts, foreclosures and disposition of distressed properties.

Legal experience

Previous experience includes practicing law with some of America’s largest national law firms, namely Alston & Bird, LLP based in Atlanta and McGuire Woods LLP based in Virginia.

Professional affiliations

Sam is a member of the Georgia Bar Association and an active member of The Real Estate Group of Atlanta (REGA). He is a co-leader of the Atlanta Real Estate Prayer Breakfast, one of Atlanta’s commercial real estate industry’s largest annual events.

Personal background
Sam and his wife Elizabeth have five children and six grandchildren. He is an active member of The Church of the Apostles in Atlanta where he serves as a Lay Eucharist Minister and an usher. Sam helped create a character-building curriculum at Whitefield Academy in Atlanta and leads a large men’s group there called Men’s Fraternity. He enjoys outdoor cooking, camping, rafting and fishing.
Seminar and speaking experience

Sam frequently chairs and speaks at numerous legal seminars, including:

  • Speaker, ICLE Seminar, February 2013. Author: “Guaranties: Make Them Worth More Than the Paper They’re Written On.”
  • Speaker, ICLE Seminar, December 2012. Author “Commercial Leasing 2013: We Survived the Attack but are Still Fighting Back!”
  • Co-Chair and Speaker, Understanding Commercial Real Estate Loan Workouts & Remedies in the New FDIC Era”, Community Bankers Association of Georgia, July 2010. Author: “First Line of Defense: Prudent Loan Workouts and FDIC Policy”
  • Speaker, Who’s On the Line? With Banks Living in Perilous Times, Do You Really Know Your Borrowers and Guarantors?, October 2010.
  • Speaker, Landlord Tenant Law, April 2009. Author: “Leasing Up in a Down Economy: You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”
  • Co-Chair, Moderator and Speaker, Commercial Leasing for Business and Legal Professionals, January, 2005. Author: “Rental Abatement and Other Financial Opportunities: Be Creative!”
  • Co-Chair, Moderator and Speaker, Commercial Leases, CLE International Seminar, February 2004. Author: “Buyer Beware: Evaluating Lease Issues Before Purchasing Income-Producing Property.”
  • Speaker, Commercial Leases: Practical Advice for Today’s Market, CLE International Seminar, February 2003. Author: “Expanding Onward and Upward: A Practical Guide for Navigating your Way Through Lease Expansion Opportunities.”
  • Speaker, Commercial Leases: Remedies, Enforcement and Answers for the New Economy, CLE International Seminar, January 2002. Author: “Negotiating Effective Leasing Commission Agreements.”
  • Speaker, Landlord-Tenant Law, ICLE Seminar, December 2001. Author: “Landlords, Don’t Let Your Usufructs Grow Up to be Leases.”
  • Chair, Moderator and Speaker: Commercial Leasing 2001 for Business and Legal Professionals, September 2001. Author: “Brokerage Agreements: Breaking Down the Key Elements of a Leasing Commission Agreement.”
  • Chair, Moderator and Speaker: Commercial Leasing 2000 for Business and Legal Professionals, May 2000. Author: “The Landlord is Not the Only One Calling the Shots: The Important Role of Lenders in Commercial Leases.”