Lee's practice is grounded in the intersection of business and government, assisting clients (both public and private) in the opportunities that exist there and in navigating the complexities that can arise in the regulatory arena. Much of his work involves negotiating and structuring public-private partnerships and assisting clients in project developments utilizing layers of funding and regulatory schemes.
Lee has a particular emphasis on the representation of non-profit and for-profit developers utilizing low income housing tax credits and tax exempt debt in connection with affordable housing developments. He also advises clients in deals using historic tax credits, and new markets tax credits in connection with commercial real estate developments. He actively works with the Firm's public housing authority and private developer clients who are rehabilitating aging public housing assets or developing new housing through HUD's Mixed Finance and Rental Assistance Demonstration project transactions, and he represents banks and other lenders in connection with the same. As a part of that representation, he drafts and negotiates joint venture development agreements and analyzes and structures cross-cutting legal and regulatory constraints from multiple funding sources such as tax credits, HOME Program Funds, Housing Trust Fund Funds, Federal Home Loan Bank Affordable Housing Program Funds, CDBG, and HUD subsidy programs. He also advises Opportunity Zone funds, with a particular emphasis on affordable housing projects. As a part of his practice, Lee regularly advises clients on real property acquisitions/dispositions, zoning and land use issues, and financing agreements.
Lee also serves as bond counsel to private and public entities in a variety of bond financing transactions, including the issuance of general obligation bonds, revenue bonds, special assessment bonds, tax increment financing bonds, and exempt facility bonds. Lee's work also involves representing clients expanding or relocating their businesses, from site selection through negotiation and finalization of the legal issues associated with a new project site.
Additionally, he has represented varying participants in the development and financing of solar energy farms, including developers, lenders in equipment sale-leaseback transactions, and tax equity investors. Further, Lee was a part of the Baker Donelson team that represented the Mississippi Public Service Commission in connection with its review and adjudication of a putative rate filing by an investor-owned utility for a multi-billion dollar Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle Generating Facility.
Prior to attending law school, Lee served as assistant to the commissioner at the Mississippi Department of Transportation, worked with local government officials to provide continuing education seminars and technical assistance for municipalities and counties, and served as a legal extern in the Office of the Chief Counsel to the Governor of the state of Mississippi.