Stites & Harbison, PLLC

Robert H. Turner III (Rob) represents a variety of businesses with his practice focusing on corporate transactional matters and commercial real estate.  The corporate work ranges from mergers and acquisitions and the related acquisition finance, to contract negotiation and drafting.  Rob's experience with commercial real estate includes leasing, acquisitions and dispositions, and acquisition finance. Rob's clients include communications providers (VOIP, wireless, CLEC), and professional service providers (medical and accounting) to family-owned and operated businesses—many of whom use Rob as their outside general counsel.  As outside general counsel, Rob helps these clients manage their contracts, compliance and their legal affairs as matters arise.

While in law school in Seattle, Rob worked at AT&T Wireless Services (acquired by Cingular Wireless and, through merger, subsequently rebranded AT&T Mobility) gaining valuable telecommunications industry insight and direct commercial real estate experience assisting the company with site acquisitions for its communications infrastructure development in Washington State.

Recent Assignments

• Advising cloud-based communications start-up on organizational structure and pre-acquisition guidance (including private equity funding) for its roll-up plans to grow the business
• Closed a corporate merger between a wireless technology engineering and consulting firm and a Multiple Dwelling Unit Internet service provider.
• Negotiated multiple leases (operational and office) for a growing Atlanta-based childrens' oriented medical practice.
• Closed a CLEC's corporate debt refinancing and accompanying grant of warrants to the private equity firm providing the capital.
• Prepared, filed and obtained multiple certificates of convenience and public necessity for CLEC to transact business in multiple states.
• Negotiated corporate headquarters lease for Atlanta-based marketing and advertising agency.
• On behalf of a wireless technology engineering and consulting firm, negotiated a multi-year agreement for project manager services for the installation of a multi-county wireless "middle mile" network being financed through the NTIA's Broadband Technology Opportunity Program.
• Assisted a CLEC provider with its acquisition of IP-related technology for inclusion in the provider's communications cloud real-time voice application.  

Recent Speaking Engagements and Publications

• "Bicycle/Pedestrian lanes - an integral component to sustainable transportation infrastructure," Stites & Harbison, PLLC, Client Alert, September 6, 2011
• "Protect your communication infrastructure," guest column, Atlanta Business Chronicle, Technology Quarterly Section, August 12-18, 2011
• "Bike, walk paths lined in red tape," guest column, Atlanta Journal Constitution, June 3, 2010
• "From trails to triathlons," Daily Report, June 18, 2009
• "Partition of Real Property," Volume 3A, Chapter 33, Georgia Jurisprudence, Thomson Reuters/West (2008)

Before Stites & Harbison

Following law school, Rob worked at a technology/IP boutique law firm in Seattle during the dot-com boom.  After a short stop in Nashville, Rob has been actively involved in Atlanta's business and legal community since 2000.  Prior to joining Stites & Harbison, Rob was a senior associate with the Atlanta-based law firm of Gambrell & Stolz, LLP.

More Than Stites & Harbison

Outside the firm, Rob stays active in the local community. He is a Board Member for the Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities (www.armhc.org).  Rob's commercial real estate and corporate legal experience serve him well with his board membership on the MillionMile Greenway (www.millionmilegreenway.org), an organization that provides community the tools for creating and maintaining greenways and parks in their communities.

Besides Stites & Harbison

Rob relishes the time he spends with his wife and children, especially journeying with the family to the outdoors and hiking whenever possible. When he's not hiking, Rob remains committed to an active outdoor lifestyle with his family, including trail running and bicycling in Atlanta and beyond into North Georgia.