Ron Talley is a Partner in the Savannah office and concentrates his practice in the areas of Real Estate, Environmental Law and Commercial Finance. Mr. Talley is experienced in the areas of commercial finance, land use and development, brownfield development, environmental compliance and permitting, along with the defense of environmental enforcement actions asserted by state and federal regulatory agencies.  He has assisted clients throughout the United States on a broad range of matters such as remediation and redevelopment of properties impacted by releases of regulated substances, acquisition and sale of industrial properties, coordinating wetland permitting for commercial and industrial properties, defense of wetland enforcement cases initiated by the Corps/EPA (involving developers, timber companies and other parties), ground leasing, sale/leaseback transactions, and real estate conveyances, including the handling of all required due diligence for buyers, sellers and lenders in such transactions.  Mr. Talley's work has encompassed many property types, including shopping centers, hotels, restaurants, distribution facilities, industrial properties, office/business parks, hospitals, timber property, etc.  He has also been a frequent speaker on various topics for continuing education seminars focused on real estate and environmental law issues.

Mr. Talley is a member of the American Bar Association, the State Bars of Georgia and South Carolina, and the Savannah Bar Association. He is admitted to practice in Georgia and South Carolina.

Mr. Talley graduated from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1982 and from the University of South Carolina Law School with a J.D., cum laude, in 1989.

• Representative Engagements

  • From 2004-2008, handled closings for  approximately $1 billion of sale/leaseback transactions and credit tenant loan transactions involving various types of properties located throughout the U.S.  These transactions entailed document negotiations and coordination of due diligence investigations on matters such as zoning, environmental, survey and title matters (including title insurance).  Many of these transactions involved multiple sites, development funding/construction, joint ventures, long-term escrows, franchises, environmental impacts or other complicating factors.
  • Represented parties in various types of leasing transactions, including ground lease developments, retail leasing, office leasing, industrial and warehouse leasing.
  • Representing the developers of a large public-private partnership in Savannah's historic district.  Prior to acquisition and realization of the redevelopment plans for the property, the project required extensive environmental due diligence and remediation activities in order to assess and quantify risk from environmental conditions.  The project involves a mixed use development of retail, restaurant and residential uses.
  • Representing the realty division of a major railroad in the development of Hutchinson Island, across the Savannah River from the Savannah historic district. The development includes The Westin Savannah Harbor Resort and The Savannah International Trade and Convention Center. Over a 12-year period, the firm  handled land acquisition, environmental permitting, zoning and land use issues, governmental relations including the annexation of the property into the City of Savannah, negotiation of a contract with the City which enabled irrigation of the golf course on the island with treated effluent, and formation of a public-private partnership which developed the infrastructure for the island, resulting in a combined investment of over $200 million.
  • Representing the purchaser of historic landmark property in the Savannah Historic District, which was the former site of a manufactured gas plant.  The property had been listed on the Hazardous Site Inventory ("HSI") under Georgia's Hazardous Site Response Act.  Consequently, the project involved negotiations with the seller concerning liability for remediation and monitoring activities and formulation of strategies for future redevelopment of the subject property.  The parties negotiated restrictive covenants for the property based on desired property uses, coordinated potential development plans, and obtained Georgia EPD approval of the general types of property uses in order to successfully de-list the property from the HSI.  The parties also sought and obtained EPD approval of the buyer as a qualified prospective purchaser under State law, which benefitted the buyer by limiting its liability related to known environmental conditions.
  • Representing a national banking institution concerning real estate owned by the bank which was listed on the HSI.  This project involved coordination of investigation, remediation, and monitoring activities with the environmental consultants and correspondence with Georgia EPD concerning regulatory compliance matters.  The property was de-listed from the HSI so it could be sold and redeveloped as a local government office building.
  • Representing a major trailer manufacturer in its acquisition and redevelopment of an industrial property in the Midwest that had been impacted by various constituents, including solvents, PCBs, and asbestos, among others.  Prior to closing, a long-term agreement was executed with the seller concerning financial responsibility and cost-sharing.  A significant part of the project also entailed negotiations with the local and State governments concerning remediation requirements and incentives for site development.
  • Representing the owner of a $750 million recycled tissue mill in connection with various issues such as land use, title and environmental matters.
  • Representing a regional Development Authority on the development of a 1,750-acre mixed-use industrial park; the project involved, among other things, the drafting of comprehensive restrictive covenants for various property uses and environmental conditions in order to meet the requirements of Section 404 of the Clean Water Act.
  • Representing developers and lenders in the financing, acquisition and leasing of commercial real estate projects across the United States and addressing numerous types of environmental compliance issues in connection with such transactions.
  • Representing a REIT in the sale and acquisition of retail shopping center properties throughout the southeastern United States.
  • Representing a national fertilizer distributer in the sale of industrial property in South Carolina.
  • Representing a national supplier of building materials in coordinating environmental site investigations of property throughout the Eastern United States in order to construct new distribution centers.
  • Representing regional hospitals in various real estate and leasing matters, as well as assisting in transfer/renewal of certain licenses and environmental permits in connection with a merger of two hospitals.
    

• Professional Affiliations and Awards

  • State Bar of Georgia
  • State Bar of South Carolina
  • Savannah Bar Association
  • Georgia Environmental Law Section, Representative At Large: 1994 & 1996
  • South Carolina Natural Resources Section
  • Real Property Section (ABA), CERCLA Issues Committee: 1994
  • Real Property Section (ABA), Air Quality Committee: 1994
  • ABA Litigation Section, Co-Chair Subcommittee on Wetlands and Waterways Litigation: 1997-1998
  • American Law Firm Association, Environmental Law Steering Committee: 1997-1998
  • Past Co-Chair of the Georgia Environmental Law Seminar