Charles F.
James, IV

Position: Partner
Office: Pensacola

Charles James is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group, where he focuses on real estate development and finance.

Charles represents institutional lenders, developers, and investors in complex real estate finance and development transactions throughout the Southeast. His practice focuses on structuring, negotiating, and closing complex deals, with an emphasis on efficient execution, clear communication, and practical solutions.

Charles advises banks and institutional lenders across the full life cycle of commercial real estate financing, including construction, revolving, term, bridge, and mezzanine financings. His experience includes structuring and documenting multitier capital stacks involving senior and subordinate debt, mezzanine financing, preferred equity, and joint venture arrangements. He regularly represents lenders and sponsors in transactions requiring coordination among multiple capital sources and is experienced in the intercreditor, collateral, and structural issues inherent in complex deal structures. His practice spans all stages of the deal cycle — from initial structuring and underwriting through closing and, when necessary, workouts, restructurings, and enforcement.

In addition, Charles represents developers, owners, and sponsors in the acquisition, development, financing, leasing, and disposition of real estate projects across a wide range of asset classes, including multifamily and mixed-use developments, condominiums, hotels and resorts, marinas, retail centers, and office properties.

Admitted in Florida and Alabama, Charles maintains a multistate practice and issues title insurance in both states as an agent for major title insurance underwriters. Clients value his responsiveness, accessibility, and ability to deliver practical solutions in fast-paced transactions.

Board certified as a Specialist in Real Estate Law by The Florida Bar, Charles is active in The Florida Bar’s Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section. He is known within the real estate finance and development community for leveraging industry relationships to facilitate efficient execution and timely closing of complex transactions.

Noteworthy

Board Certified in Real Estate Law, The Florida Bar
AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rating in Martindale-Hubbell
Florida Super Lawyers
Florida Trend’s “Legal Elite”

Experience

Represented the developer of a $67 million multibuilding, mixed-use project — comprising residential, retail, and office space with a multistory parking garage — in downtown Pensacola, Florida.
Represented a tribal developer in the development, buildout, and leasing of commercial retail space within a 500-acre destination lifestyle center and amusement park in Baldwin County, Alabama.
Represented the buyer in the acquisition of pari-mutuel facilities in Florida and Alabama.
Represented a lender in a $125 million multistate revolving line of credit secured by various asset classes.
Represented a regional lender in standardizing commercial, real estate, and industrial loan documentation used throughout the state of Florida.
Represented the landlord in the negotiation of office tower leases in excess of 300,000 square feet.
Represented leverage lenders, community development entities , and qualified active low-income community businesses in tax credit financings.