For nearly 20 years Craig Thrift has represented clients in business transactions, mergers and acquisitions, franchising, real estate, leasing, corporate, limited liability company, partnership, securities, financing, and general business matters.
He serves as a trusted advisor to businesses and their owners in evaluating potential deals and developing strategies for success. Mr. Thrift brings a deep understanding of the legal, tax and business aspects of transactions to complex deals including mergers, acquisitions and sales of businesses, private offerings, financings and loan transactions, and structuring and restructuring of corporations, limited liability companies, joint ventures and partnerships. He advises clients regarding loans, non-competition covenants, employment relationships, shareholders agreements, security, escrow and guaranty agreements, settlement agreements, promissory notes, secured financings and other types of business contracts. Mr. Thrift routinely negotiates and creates documents for entity organizations, shareholder and owner agreements, capital formation transactions, business combinations, sales of businesses, restructurings and breakups.
Mr. Thrift has handled transactions valued at over $700 million for public companies and investment banks and enjoys working with a diverse clientele ranging from Fortune 500 corporations to startups, family offices, and venture capital and private equity funds. His clients represent a variety of industry sectors, including real estate, hospitality, technology, manufacturing, business consulting and other services.
Mr. Thrift is among the best-reviewed real estate and business law attorneys in Georgia on . He has achieved an AV® Preeminent Peer Review Rating, the highest rating awarded for legal ability and ethical standards, from Martindale-Hubbell. He has also received the Martindale-Hubbell Platinum Client Champion designation, the Martindale-Hubbell Client Choice Award, and the AVVO Clients’ Choice Award. He is a member of the State Bar of Georgia Business Law Section, Corporate Counsel Law Section, General Practice and Trial Law Section, Real Property Law Section, as well as the Franchise and Distribution Law Section.
Prior to forming Thrift McLemore, Mr. Thrift worked with certain publicly and privately held real estate companies and was an attorney with the international law firms of McDermott Will & Emery, King & Spalding, and Jones Day. Mr. Thrift received his JD from Washington and Lee University School of Law and his BA in Business Management from the South Carolina Honors College at the University of South Carolina. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Delta Phi.
