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John is a former member of the firm's Executive Committee and currently serves as the managing partner of the firm's Memphis office. He joined Bass, Berry & Sims, PLC following 29 years of law practice with the firm of Burch, Porter & Johnson. His practice focuses on commercial transactions, real estate, and corporate and securities.

Corporate Finance: John has represented borrowers in multi-property, multi-state hotel financings and assisted in negotiations of license and franchise agreements with national hotel franchisors and licensors.

Mergers and Acquisitions: John has over thirty years of experience advising clients in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, commercial and residential real estate development, and commercial lending. He has served as counsel to hotel management companies and their principals generally and has closed the acquisition of a hotel management company, including negotiations with a major corporate lender for credit facilities in connection with such acquisition. He counsels entrepreneurs in connection with their start-up and privately held companies and business investments and has closed numerous acquisitions and dispositions of various businesses.

Real Estate: John has extensive experience in the hospitality industry and has served as counsel to various limited partnerships, limited liability companies and corporations in connection with the acquisition, construction and sale of hotel properties, including the representation of such entities in negotiations of credit facilities with national financial institutions and lenders. He has extensive experience in reviewing leases for commercial office space and representing commercial and residential real estate developers in development transactions and negotiations with institutional lenders. He serves as counsel to a publicly held REIT in the acquisition and disposition of multi-family properties and in negotiating credit facilities with institutional lenders for the purchase and refinancing of such properties.

John is a former chairman and current board member of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Memphis and currently serves as a board member of Young Life Urban, a Christian nonprofit organization serving inner city youth. He also currently serves as a trustee of Presbyterian Day School and the Memphis Boys and Girls Club Foundation. He has served as president and director of the Memphis Vanderbilt Club. John and his wife, Marsha, previously served as president of the Memphis University School Parents Association.