Georgia has one of the most dynamic commercial real estate markets in the Southeast. Atlanta continues to attract major developers, institutional investors, and private equity funds, making it one of the most active cities in the country for large-scale property transactions. Whether you are closing a commercial acquisition, structuring a joint venture, navigating a rezoning approval, or securing construction financing, working with the right real estate lawyer can protect your investment and keep your transaction on track.
Georgia’s real estate legal market is anchored by some of the strongest practices in the Southeast. According to Chambers USA, which conducts thousands of independent client and peer interviews each year to identify the leading law firms and lawyers in each state, King & Spalding and Alston & Bird currently hold Band 1 status in Georgia Real Estate, with Eversheds Sutherland, Troutman Pepper Locke, and McGuireWoods also consistently ranked across multiple categories.
Here are seven real estate lawyers in Georgia who stand out for their experience, verified track records, and consistent peer recognition.
1. Joshua M. (Josh) Kamin: Managing Partner, Atlanta Office and Real Estate Partner at King & Spalding LLP, Atlanta, GA
Josh Kamin is a nationally recognized private equity real estate lawyer and serves as the Managing Partner of King & Spalding’s Atlanta office. Chambers USA has ranked him Band 1 in Georgia Real Estate for 17 consecutive years. He is a Fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers and served as former Chair of the ACREL Equity Investment Structures Committee. Best Lawyers in America named him the Best Real Estate Lawyer in Atlanta in 2012, and he received Connect CRE’s Atlanta and Southeast Lawyers in Real Estate Award in 2024. Georgia Trend magazine named him to its Georgia 500 Most Influential Leaders list in both 2024 and 2025. He played lead roles in the GE Capital Real Estate equity platform sale and the acquisition and redevelopment of Turner Field in Atlanta.
2. Allison M. Ryan: Real Estate Finance and Investment Partner at Alston & Bird LLP, Atlanta, GA
Allison Ryan earned her J.D. and B.B.A. from the University of Michigan in 1996 and has been recognized by Chambers USA in Georgia Real Estate for 20 consecutive years at Band 1, the longest individual streak confirmed in this research. She served as co-chair of Alston & Bird’s Real Estate Finance and Investment Group, which comprises more than 50 attorneys. Chambers clients describe her as ‘one of the most technically proficient attorneys’ who is ‘a brilliant business person and also a very good negotiator.’ Her practice focuses on development, equity investments, joint ventures, acquisitions, and complex financings for institutions, investors, and developers across major U.S. markets.
3. D. Clayton Howell: Commercial Real Estate Partner at Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP, Atlanta, GA
Clayton Howell has over 25 years of experience advising real estate sponsors and institutional investors on commercial real estate projects across the United States. He earned his J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law. Chambers USA has ranked him Band 1 in Georgia Real Estate for 17 consecutive years. He previously represented Hines on the development and sale of the 1180 Peachtree Building and advised on Georgia Tech’s Technology Square project. Eversheds Sutherland has operated in Georgia since 1924 and has been recognized by Law360 as a Georgia Regional Powerhouse. The firm was involved in a 10-figure, multistate real estate transaction for a Georgia client.
4. Brent Gilfedder: Real Estate Private Equity and Capital Markets Partner at King & Spalding LLP, Atlanta, GA
Brent Gilfedder specializes in structuring and executing real estate investments and transactions, with a growing focus on data center real estate, one of the most active sectors in the U.S. market right now. Chambers USA has ranked him Band 2 in Georgia Real Estate for 8 consecutive years. In April 2025, he was elected as a Fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, a distinction awarded by invitation only after a rigorous peer screening process. He advises private equity institutions, equity investors, and developer-sponsors on joint ventures, development transactions, acquisitions, dispositions, and real estate investment trusts.
5. Jessica L. Hill: Land Use and Zoning Partner at Troutman Pepper Locke LLP, Atlanta, GA
Jessica Hill is the most recognized Georgia attorney for land use and zoning. Chambers USA has ranked her Band 1 in Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use for Georgia every year from 2020 through 2026. Troutman Pepper Locke holds Band 1 firm status in that same Chambers category for Georgia in 2026. Best Lawyers in America has recognized her in Land Use and Zoning Law and Real Estate Law, and Legal 500 USA included her in Real Estate: Land Use and Zoning for 2025 and 2026. Her practice focuses on rezoning applications, variances, special use permits, annexations, and comprehensive land use plan changes, primarily for developers and property owners in the metro Atlanta area.
6. Cindy Upchurch: Commercial Real Estate Partner at Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP, Atlanta, GA
Cindy Upchurch has been recognized by Chambers USA in Real Estate for Georgia for 10 consecutive years at Band 2, one of the longer sustained individual ranking streaks at that level confirmed in this research. Her practice covers commercial real estate finance, leasing, acquisitions, development, and retail property matters. She is part of the Eversheds Sutherland Atlanta real estate team, which has consistently delivered high-value transactions for developers, investors, and institutional clients across the country. The firm’s Georgia real estate practice holds Band 1 status from Chambers USA and has been recognized by Law360 as a regional powerhouse in the state.
7. John Grieb: Commercial Real Estate Partner at McGuireWoods LLP, Atlanta, GA
John Grieb has been recognized by Chambers USA in Real Estate for Georgia for 11 consecutive years at Band 3. He is a former chair of the Real Estate and Land Use Department at McGuireWoods and a former chair of the Commercial Real Estate Section of the State Bar of Georgia. His practice covers commercial real estate finance, joint ventures, multisite and multistate portfolio acquisitions, development, leasing, and financing across office, multifamily, and retail property types. He has extensive experience representing real estate brokerage and investment advisory companies and negotiating complex joint ventures across multiple jurisdictions.
How to Choose the Right Real Estate Lawyer in Georgia
The seven lawyers on this list cover the full range of real estate legal needs in Georgia. Kamin at King & Spalding is the strongest choice for private equity real estate, portfolio transactions, and high-value commercial deals requiring both creativity and institutional relationships. Ryan at Alston & Bird is well suited to institutions, developers, and investors who need a dealmaker with a 20-year track record in complex equity and development transactions.
Howell at Eversheds Sutherland brings deep experience in urban development, institutional investment, and large-scale commercial projects backed by a firm with a century of Georgia roots. Gilfedder at King & Spalding is the right fit for clients entering the data center market or needing private equity real estate structuring expertise. Hill at Troutman Pepper Locke is the most credentialed Georgia attorney for land use approvals, rezoning, and development entitlements in the Atlanta metro.
Upchurch at Eversheds Sutherland is a solid choice for commercial finance, leasing, and retail property matters with a decade of sustained peer recognition. Grieb at McGuireWoods rounds out the list for clients who need a seasoned practitioner with multistate portfolio experience and strong State Bar of Georgia connections.
Georgia’s real estate legal market moves fast, particularly in Atlanta, where competition for development sites, zoning approvals, and institutional capital is intense. The right attorney depends on the type of transaction, the asset class involved, and whether your priority is closing a deal, getting a permit, or protecting your position in a joint venture. Every lawyer on this list has earned their place through years of verified, independent recognition.
If your real estate matter is significant, these are the names worth knowing before you move forward.
