practice areas

Taylor English’s Construction Practice Group focuses on avoiding and solving problems in the most practical and efficient manner. Our Construction Practice Group originated from some of the Nation’s most well-known construction law firms to create a formidable team that is taken seriously within the industry and by adversaries alike.

Practice Area Attorneys
and Professionals

We have a seasoned group of corporate, finance and tax lawyers, most of whom have been partners in large national or regional law firms, and several have served as general counsel of significant public or private companies.

Practice Area Attorneys
and Professionals

The members of our practice group are seasoned professionals who are committed to providing our clients with effective representation on a cost efficient basis. Paul Durdaller is the practice group leader of the Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights practice group at Taylor English Duma LLP.

Practice Area Attorneys
and Professionals

Taylor English’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Practice Group handles the complete range of employee benefits and executive compensation matters.

Practice Area Attorneys
and Professionals

We understand that the employer-employee dynamic is central to the success of a business. Taylor English’s Employment, Labor & Immigration Group represents management in all aspects of the employment relationship, from training to counseling, from internal complaints to full-blown litigation.

Practice Area Attorneys
and Professionals

Taylor English’s Environmental and Renewable Energy Practice Group’s lawyers have over seventy years of collective experience in the field of environmental and renewable energy law.

Practice Area Attorneys
and Professionals

We have created the Financial Institutions team at Taylor English Duma LLP – bringing together attorneys from different specialties across the Firm – in order to seamlessly deliver to financial institutions the types of services that are most needed in this difficult economy.

Practice Area Attorneys
and Professionals

The members of Taylor English’s Intellectual Property group advise businesses, inventors and entrepreneurs regarding the development, protection and exploitation of intellectual property assets.

Practice Area Attorneys
and Professionals

The Lending, Workout & Foreclosure practice group at Taylor English represents national, regional, local and community banks and lending institutions in all manner of actions related to troubled loans. Our team brings legal and business experience gained from years working on workout and restructuring transactions at top national firms and as in-house counsels at some of the country’s largest corporations.

Practice Area Attorneys
and Professionals

The Litigation & Dispute Resolution practice group at Taylor English is comprised of experienced attorneys who provide creative, efficient and cost-effective advocacy for our clients.

Practice Area Attorneys
and Professionals

The Real Estate, Lending and Finance group at Taylor English has extensive experience in all types of transactions involving commercial, industrial, residential and multi-family real estate.

Practice Area Attorneys
and Professionals

The Resort, Hotel & Hospitality Group of Taylor English is nationally known for its representation of clients involved in the resort, hotel, restaurant, regulated real estate, travel and hospitality industry. The group consists of experienced attorneys from several distinct practice areas who provide creative, cost-effective advocacy to clients.

Practice Area Attorneys
and Professionals

Taylor English provides tax planning, credit and controversy legal services to our clients. Using our value focused approach, our tax attorneys work directly with clients and our other attorneys to ensure appropriate attention is given to the opportunities and consequences of all manners of federal, state and local taxes.

Practice Area Attorneys
and Professionals

Taylor English represents clients with the development and use of technology and e-commerce in their business. Many issues and opportunities arise for businesses involving technology, whether with the development and distribution of technology solutions, the licensing and use of technology products, or the procurement or outsourcing of IT services.

Practice Area Attorneys
and Professionals

attorneys and professionals

    I

    O

    U

    V

    X

    Y

news and bulletins

latest news

read all the news

bulletins

read all bulletins

about the firm

Taylor English is a full-service law firm composed of the region's most experienced, results-driven lawyers. Our model is purpose built around our clients and designed to seek new opportunities for them.

more information | map and directions | firm overview (pdf)

Luke Smith is a member of Taylor English’s Corporate & Business, Resort, Hotel & Hospitality; and Real Estate, Lending & Finance practice groups. Prior to joining Taylor English at the inception of the Resort, Hotel and Hospitality practice group, Mr. Smith served as a member of the transactional group at Weinstock & Scavo, P.C., where he worked with many of the other members of his practice group prior to their joining Taylor English.

Mr. Smith’s practice includes corporate and finance, real estate, resort and land development, e-commerce and marketing and telemarketing law. Mr. Smith routinely represents clients in acquisition, financing and securitization transactions and other complex business transactions, as well as business planning and the negotiation and closing of mergers and business combinations, and the assistance of product development in electronic commerce and other arenas. Mr. Smith also assists entrepreneurs and investors in the creation of new business ventures, and has worked with several startup and high-growth companies, in all aspects of their business development and operations, from capital raising, corporate structuring and securities offerings to website development and business negotiations.

Mr. Smith notably represents a variety of clients throughout the resort and leisure industry such as condominium, hotel, timeshare, fractional development, and condo-hotel developers, management companies and exchange companies, travel clubs, vacation clubs, destination clubs and other leisure-based clubs and products.

Mr. Smith’s marketing and telemarketing practice involves negotiating and memorializing marketing agreements, development of websites and electronic marketing materials, and assisting clients with federal and state marketing law and regulation compliance, including sweepstakes, prize and gift promotions, telemarketing, email, do-not-call and various other FCC, FTC and state statutes and regulations.

Mr. Smith received his J.D. degree, cum laude, in 2006 from The University of Georgia School of Law and his B.A., magna cum laude, in philosophy and political science in 2003 from Merrimack College, where he was a member of Pi Sigma Alpha (National Political Science Honor Society), as well as a Division I Men’s Ice Hockey player. He is the recipient of the 2006 CALI Excellence for the Future Award for excellent achievement in the study of Constitutional Law I at The University of Georgia School of Law.

Presentations & Speaking Engagements

  • “Commercial Development within a Mixed Use Development” and “The Retail Strip, Office Buildings and Condominiums, Restaurants” as part of Lorman Seminar entitled “Real Estate Development from Beginning to End,” Summer 2007, Savannah and Macon Georgia

Publications & Articles

  • “Travel Clubs: Considerations for an increasingly valuable vacation product.” Co-author Anthony T. Polvino. Developments Magazine, October 2010
  • "Web-Based Travel Products and Offerings.” Co-author james J. Scavo. Developments Magazine, November/December 2011

Representative Transactions

  • Lead Lender Counsel in Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities, Timeshare and other Real Property-based receivables hypothecation loan and purchase facilities
  • Counseled clients in Conducting National Marketing Campaigns on behalf of Banks, Telecommunications Providers and Retail Outlets
  • Lead Counsel in the development of high rise and mid-rise mixed use condominium developments in Orlando, Florida
  • Represented Inspirato in the rollout of the Inspirato.com luxury travel program.
  • Lead Counsel for Hotel/Resort Developer in the negotiation of Agreement for Hotel Reservation System
  • Advised Client in High Rise Loan Workout and Property Management Arrangement for Condominium Developer in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
  • Negotiated and closed several mergers of destination clubs with assets in excess of $100M

We deliver superior service through...

1. Purpose-Built Efficiency

Everything we do is focused on greater efficiency, flexibility and entrepreneurship. The result is that our clients view us as part of their business building investment, not a corporate expense.

2. Purpose-Built Partnerships

We are partners, not vendors. The result is that we are accountable, respectful and care as much about our clients' business as we do our own.

3. Purpose-Built Results

We are problem solvers. We are constantly looking for new and innovative ways to provide value and results and seek flexibility in how we structure engagements.