Profile
Taylor English provides me the opportunity to get my clients top-drawer legal services in all areas, whether those areas are my sweet spot regarding resort issues or issues that arise from my client’s day-to-day carrying on of business.
Jim Scavo is nationally recognized for his representation of clients involved in the resort, recreational property, real estate and travel industry. His clients include developers, marketers, brokers and managers of multilocation vacation clubs, timeshare and fractional developments, destination and travel clubs, cruise club/use offerings, golf course and country club communities, condominiums, residential second homes, subdivisions and exchange companies. He serves as lead outside regulatory counsel for some of the leading fractional and timeshare developers operating in the United States while assisting many start-up enterprises in the resort industry. He is well known for his origination of the legal work on many innovative resort products offered in the United States, some of which have grown to be industry leaders, including multilocation timeshare vacation clubs, the point-based Exchange Company concept and the establishment of many diverse club products, including destination clubs, travel clubs, cruise-related clubs and Internet-based resort/vacation club offerings. Mr. Scavo is well known for having helped clients in defense of consumer complaint litigation, whether that litigation was privately or governmentally initiated.
Mr. Scavo offers his clients a full range of legal services, including assistance in project acquisition and development, financing, creation of resort plan documents, workouts of troubled projects, conversion of projects into fractional arrangements, registration and licensing filings with regulatory authorities, and providing legal advice in respect to compliance with state and federal marketing regulations. He has served as lead defense counsel to resort marketers and developers on regulatory challenges throughout the United States and has served as regulatory counsel in a resort transaction that was in excess of $2 billion.
Mr. Scavo was the founder of his prior law firm and its nationally known Resort and Hospitality Group. After more than 25 years at his former firm, he joined Taylor English. Mr. Scavo received his law degree in 1976 from St. John’s University in New York, where he was a member and editor of the St. John’s Law Review. He is a frequent speaker and author in respect to topics regarding resorts and the travel industry. He is a routine instructor for Continuing Legal Education for attorneys, and the author of many law review and trade journal articles regarding resorts and regulated real estate. Mr. Scavo maintains his office both in Savannah and Atlanta.
Memberships
State Bar of Georgia
The State Bar of California
Atlanta Bar Association, Real Estate Section, Former Chairman, 1987
Academy of Hospitality Industry Attorneys, Charter Member
American Resort Development Association, Trustee
Community Associations Institute (CAI), Past National Trustee
Community Involvement
2005 Republican Inaugural Senatorial Inner Circle (1 of 55 in State of Georgia)
Commissioner, Atlanta Clean City Commission, 1977-1979
Practice Highlights
Experience
Performed all due diligence and assisted as to acquisition of resort operator, Intrawest Resorts by Fortress Investments for more than $2 billion.
Originated all legal work and required registrations for the Bluegreen Vacation Club in 1994 and have continuously represented that Club in its success the last 22 years through present.
Assisted in the formation of Exclusive Resorts and argued in multiple jurisdictions to position their product as not being a timeshare offering.
Created and drafted all formational legal work to kick off this newly designed and innovative club format allowing members to vacation, as they choose.
Originated, documented and filed for registration of the RCI Points program, which has assisted RCI to become one of the world’s leading timeshare and vacation experience exchange companies.
Working on behalf of resort developers and marketers, have negotiated and resolved multiple actions taken by the state attorneys general and the Federal Trade Commission, both in national enforcement actions and in individual state actions.
Performed all due diligence and closing of the acquisition of Drayton Towers, a historical high rise in Savannah, Georgia, by Flank, Inc. our client.
Originated strategy and plan for the swap of the Summer Bay Resort, Las Vegas, with Harrah’s Hotels for the re-establishment of an over 20,000 Summer Bay time share ownership resort on Harrah owned real estate.
Initiated and documented all Interstate Land Sales Act filings for lot sales at Reynolds Plantation, Green County, Georgia.
Documentation and regulatory compliance, including registrations, related to new product offering at Cloisters Condominium complex, Sea Island Resorts.
Newsroom
Speaking Engagements
- "Fractional 101," Ragatz Associates Fractional Interest Conference2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
- "Opportunities & Lessons Learned in a Mixed Use World," American Resort Development Association ConventionApril 9, 2008
- "Fractionalizing One Off Homes," Ragatz Associates Fractional Interest ConferenceMarch 19, 2008
- "Various Club Products," Golf Mountain and Resort Conference2005, 2006, 2007
- "Legal Aspects of Condominium and Homeowner Associations," Lorman CLENovember 2007
- "Development Constraints and Financing the Acquisition and Construction," Real Estate Development From Beginning to End, Continuing Legal Education SeminarJune 27, 2007
- Resort Development Conference, CLE International2007
- "Master Planned Developments and Community Associations," Lorman Education Services CLENovember 2006
- "Methodist College Hospitality Management," Guest Lecturer, MBA Program2006
- "Timeshare Regulations," ARELLO 75th Annual Conference2005
- "Acquiring Financing," Fundamentals of Real Estate Development, Continuing Legal Education SeminarJune 21, 2005
- "The Regulatory Twilight Zone," ARDA Annual Convention2004
- "Resort Development: A Case Study," ARDA Annual Convention2003
- "How to Write a Do Not Call Policy," ATA 19th Annual Convention2002
- "Successful Combinations: Vacation Ownership and Resort Hotels," American Hotel and Motel Association, International Show2000
- "Telephones, Technology and the Mail: Developing Issues in Marketing Real Estate," Georgia Bar 22nd Annual Real Property Law Institute Conference2000
- "The ABCs of PUDs," "The Basics of Timesharing," American Bar Association Annual Real Estate SymposiaMarch 2000
- "Resort Condominiums and Timesharing: Emerging Club Issues," American Bar Association Annual Spring CLE1993
- "Development and Documentation of Golf Clubs," ICLE, Real Property Institute1990
- "Regulated Real Estate," Georgia Bar Real Property Law Institute Conference1988
- Chairman, Real Estate Seminar: "Private Restrictive Covenants," Atlanta Bar AssociationMarch 1988
- "Enforceability of Real Estate Restrictive Covenants, Defenses, Case Trends and the Owners Association," Atlanta Bar AssociationMarch 1988
- "Structuring Fractions for Flexibility and Profit," ARDA Annual Convention1987
- "Multiowner Developments," ICLEFebruary 1986
- "PLI Land Use Dispute Resolution," Modern Control Of Real Estate1980
Publications
Headlines
- October 14, 2013
- "Clubs Clubs and More Clubs Developments," ARDAJuly 2007
- "A Differing View of Joint Tenancy Deeds," Timesharing Today, Nov/Dec, 2006
- "Developer Timeshare Sales Over the Internet," Developments Magazine (ARDA)September 2006
- "Reservation Agreements and Preconstruction Contracts," Ask the Attorney/ARDA Developments MagazineAugust 2006
- "Fractional Projects V. Traditional Timeshare," Ask The Attorney/ARDA Developments MagazineJuly 2006
- "How to Draft Mixed Use Community Covenants," The Practical Real Estate Lawyer (ALI/ABA)November 2002
- "Marketing Resort Timeshares: The Rules of the Game," St. John’s Law ReviewWinter 1999
- "All You Ever Wanted to Know about ADA Requirements," RCI PremierDecember 1998
- "Large Scale Subdivision and Golf Course Development," Developments MagazineFebruary 22, 1995
- "Residential Communities, Homeowners Associations and You," Atlanta RealtorApril 22, 1988
- "Office and Medical Condominiums," ICLEFebruary 22, 1986
- "Timeshare Documentation," ALI-ABA, The Practical Real Estate LawyerMay 22, 1985
- "The Lawyers Role in Document Drafting," PLIMay 22, 1982
- "Avoiding Timeshare Management Problems," Timesharing II, ULI1982
- "TimeSharing, Q and A," CAI NewsFebruary 22, 1981
- "PLI Land Use Dispute Resolution," Modern Control of Real EstateMay 22, 1980
- Co-author. "Community Association Late Fees and Publication of Delinquencies,” Real Estate Law Journal1979
- "Dispute Resolution in a Community Association," Urban Law Annual, 17 (1979) 295
Services
- Corporate and Business
- Financial Institutions
- Government and Internal Investigations
- Leisure and Hospitality
- Complex Credit Facilities and Securitizations
- Formation of Timeshare Resorts and Vacation, Travel and Destination Clubs
- Hotel and Resort Management and Operations
- Marketing, Promotional and Affinity Programs
- Project (Hotel and Resort) Acquisition
- Project (Hotel and Resort) Financing
- Project (Hotel and Resort) Structuring and Development
- Regulatory Compliance and Administrative Law
- Trade Practice/Governmental Investigations
- Manufacturing
- Non-Profit
- Real Estate
- Restaurant, Food and Beverage, and Licensing
- Retail
- Technology
- Telecommunications
Education
St. John’s University School of Law, JD, 1976
State University of New York at Oswego, BA, History/Political Science, 1973, History Honors Program
Bar Admissions
Georgia
California
Accolades
Dean Emeritus, Professional Management Development Program (CAI)
Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated
Chair, Atlanta Bar Association Real Estate Section
Editor of Atlanta Bar Association “Ask the Attorney” newspaper column
Editor, Savannah Morning News “Ask the Attorney” newspaper column
Editorial Board, St. John’s Law Review
Associate Managing Editor, St John’s Law Review