Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, P.C.

Through industry immersion and more than a century of experience, the Chambliss Real Estate Group provides legal counsel on all aspects of commercial real estate transactions. Real estate lawyers represent clients on matters relating to residential, multi-family, office, commercial, industrial and mixed-use properties. Experienced in local, state, regional and national transactions involving sales and acquisitions, development, financing and leasing, Chambliss real estate lawyers can assist with the following:

Land Use and Zoning
Chambliss real estate lawyers assist developers and landowners on land use regulation matters, such as zoning, subdivision requirements and right-of-way abandonments.

Acquisition and Development
Chambliss provides clients with comprehensive legal and business services during all phases of acquisition and development, including zoning, governmental permitting and land use issues, and the evaluation of due diligence matters, including title, survey, leasing and environmental issues.

Commercial Leasing
Lawyers represent landlords and tenants on all aspects of commercial leasing, including the preparation and negotiation of all types of office, retail and industrial leases, including shopping center leases.

Real Estate Financing
Chambliss lawyers advise both lenders and borrowers in preparing and negotiating loan and financing documents for acquisition, construction and permanent real estate mortgage financing, and assisting in the legal issues involved in obtaining equity capital.

Construction Law
Lawyers prepare and negotiate construction contracts, including owner/architect agreements, and agreements relating to the providing of goods and services by suppliers and subcontractors.

Environmental Law
The firm counsels owners and operators on the myriad issues relating to compliance and due diligence matters for the acquisition and operation of real estate, including negotiation with various federal, state and local agencies.

Ownership Entity Structuring
Chambliss advises owners, developers and investors on the various issues in forming an ownership entity, including partnerships, corporations and limited liability companies, and the management and operational issues relating to the choice of entity.

Workouts and Bankruptcy
The firm represents creditors, owners and borrowers on issues relating to bankruptcy, foreclosure and workouts of problem real estate.

Tax and Estate Planning
Lawyers render tax and estate planning advice to clients concerning the tax implications and consequences of real estate ownership, including the use of family-owned entities and the use of like-kind (Section 1031) exchanges to defer the recognition of gain on the sale of appreciated property.

Experience

Represented a local developer in connection with the planning and development of a single-family residential neighborhood, such representation included the creation of the restrictive covenants, architectural guidelines, rules and regulations and the establishment of the owner's association

Assisted investment group in the acquisition and completion of a partially developed condominium complex, such representation included the purchase of membership interest, the obtaining of the applicable construction financing, the termination of the condominium regime, the subsequent site development and the completion of permanent financing

Represent purchasers, sellers and developers of office buildings, retail centers, industrial sites, apartment complexes, residential subdivisions and vacant land

Represent hotel owners and developers in land acquisition, development incentives, construction financing and franchising agreements

Assisted developer in connection with the conversion of a 137-unit apartment complex to a condominium regime

Assisted an apartment investment group with the acquisition of an apartment complex and the structuring of the ownership entity to allow for the inclusion of investors through the use of 1031 like-kind investment funds.

Represented a world-wide automobile manufacturer with the financing of its Chattanooga supplier park located adjunct to its Chattanooga manufacturing facility.

Assisted a national lender with respect to the issuance of a guidance line of credit for the development of several small-box retail sites.

Represent numerous owners' and condominium owners' associations.

Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel is committed to promoting racial, cultural, religious, ethnic and gender diversity in our workplace and in our community.  Valuing and respecting differences among our employees is very important to the firm.  Our commitment to diversity helps us better understand our clients and provide effective, comprehensive services.  Further, it fosters employee retention and ensures that we have a positive work environment at the firm. We also show our commitment to diversity by our participation in a wide range of professional and civic organizations.

Diversity Committee

Chambliss' Diversity Committee has created and maintains a set of strong guidelines for diversity recruitment and retention and promotes an environment of acceptance and support at the firm.  We realize the importance of significant racial, religious, cultural, ethnic and gender diversity, and our Diversity Committee oversees our initiatives to recruit employees from all walks of life.  The Committee also evaluates the effectiveness of diversity initiatives, updates the diversity guidelines as needed, and seeks new opportunities to broaden and retain a diverse workforce. A key portion of the firm's strategic plan is our commitment to increasing our diversity at all levels within the firm. 

Recruiting

Our Recruiting Committee is charged with hiring lawyers having diverse backgrounds and life experiences.  We interview annually at minority job fairs in Chattanooga and throughout the Southeast, and conduct on-campus interviews at schools with significant minority enrollments.  The firm is a member of the Diversity Section of the National Association for Law Placement (NALP).  Please visit the Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel Careers page for more information on attorney recruiting.

Professional & Civic Leadership

Our attorneys are involved in many civic and legal organizations, serving in board positions and volunteering time for projects that promote diversity in the community and in the legal profession.

Our firm partners with BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee and Brainerd High School to conduct Chattanooga's Street Law Diversity Pipeline Program, a nationally recognized educational series with the objective to promote diversity in the legal profession.  Through this program, our teams of lawyers go into the classroom to talk to students about legal careers.  We recently held a one-day conference that provided student workshops that were interactive, real-world examples of careers in the legal arena.

In 2010, members of the firm contributed more than 1,250 hours to pro bono work for clients who could not afford to pay for legal services. Giving back to the community through pro bono legal representation is a cornerstone of Chambliss’ practice.  Chambliss and many of its attorneys provide pro bono legal services to elderly, abused, and low-income residents of our region through Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET).  The firm received LAET’s first Pro Bono Firm of the Year Award, and recently, Chambliss attorneys Max Bahner, Bruce Bailey and Bill Carriger were three of the eight local attorneys inducted into LAET's inaugural Pro Bono Hall of Fame.  LAET previously honored William M. Barker, a senior attorney with the firm and former Chief Justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court, for his pro bono contributions by naming its Equal Access to Justice Award after him.  Finally, LAET's Pro Bono Volunteer of the Year Award is named after Bruce Bailey, who was instrumental in starting the Chattanooga Bar Association pro bono program. Our firm currently supports the following legal and community diversity initiatives and organizations promoting diversity:

• Boys & Girls Club of Chattanooga
• Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy
• Children's Home/Chambliss Shelter
• Girls Inc.
• Hope for the Inner City
• Junior Achievement of Chattanooga
• La Paz de Dios 
• Legal Aid of East Tennessee's Pro Bono Program
• National Association for Law Placement, Diversity Section
• National Hispanic Bar Association
• Street Law Corporate Legal Diversity Pipeline Program
• Tennessee Alliance of Black Lawyers
• Tennessee Bar Association Diversity Committee (Bruce C. Bailey chaired committee in 2010 and continues as a member)
• Urban League of Chattanooga
• Chattanooga Women's Leadership Institute
• YMCA.

Work/Life Balance

We are committed to helping our attorneys and staff integrate their professional and personal lives, so that they can satisfy the needs of their personal lives while reaching their full professional potential. Acknowledging the unique circumstances of each employee, we make the following arrangements when practical:

• Flex-time
• Part-time positions
• Job sharing
• Telecommuting
• Supportive environment for working mothers and single parents.