Susan Talley is a founding member of New Orleans CREW and currently serves on its board of directors. She joined Stone Pigman law firm in 1981. Her practice includes all aspects of real estate development, financing, leasing, purchase and sales. She is co-chair of the firm's Real Estate practice group and is a member of the Management Committee

Susan has been involved in many of the major commercial real estate developments in Louisiana. After Katrina, Ms. Talley represented the owner of One Shell Square in negotiating a lease extension with Shell for Shell to maintain its presence in New Orleans. She is currently part of the team representing the Saints and the Benson family in the stadium lease extension and acquisition of New Orleans Shopping Centre and Dominion Tower. This project is critical to the revival of that end of Poydras Street.

She also represents the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana, on a pro bono basis. She has worked with the Diocese on implementing its Jericho Road project and negotiated a lease with Walgreen's for the Diocese to open a welcome center in the 9th Ward in a vacant Walgreen's that was blessed by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Susan has a long list of professional affiliations. She is Secretary of the American Bar Association Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law, the editor of their RPTE eREPORT, and also serves on the Section's Executive and Planning Committees. She is one of two U.S. Voting Governors of the Anglo-American Real Property Institute, as well as a member of ALI-ABA's Real Estate Law Advisory Panel.  Susan is an active member of a number of legal and real estate industry organizations, including the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, the American College of Mortgage Attorneys, the Council of the Louisiana State Law Institute, for which she currently chairs the Nominations and Membership Committee, the Bank Counsel Committee of the Louisiana Bankers Association and the International Council of Shopping Centers.

A frequent speaker and writer on real estate topics, Susan has been named to The Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA, Super Lawyers, Who's Who Legal--The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers and The Lawdragon 500 Dealmakers in America.

Among other civic and charitable endeavors, Susan is a member of the Advisory Board for WWNO, an NPR affiliate radio station.

Susan received her law degree from Tulane University School of Law, graduating summa cum laude in 1981.  She was selected to Phi Kappa Phi and the Order of the Coif, and served on the Tulane Law Review Board of Editors, 1979-81, and Business Manager, 1980-81.  She graduated summa cum laude from Louisiana State University in 1978. She is admitted to practice in Louisiana.

Founded 80 years ago, Stone Pigman has its roots in the real estate practice. The firm has been involved in most significant development projects in the metropolitan area and represents clients throughout the state and the Gulf South region.  Co-chaired by CREW Board member Susan Talley, the firm's real estate practice group counsels real estate developers, buyers, sellers, institutional lenders and major tenants.  Other members of the group include Michael Schneider, Scott Whittaker, James Slaton, Heather McGowan and Naomi Reyes. The firm is known for providing exceptional legal representation in an efficient manner.

Major projects of note include: the purchasing and redeveloping of the New Orleans Centre and Dominion Tower; lease negotiations with an energy company for over 650,000 square feet of office space; super-regional, regional and community shopping centers; the new Loew's hotel; a hydroelectric plant on the Mississippi River Old River Control Structure; and a gas storage facility on the Starks salt dome in Calcasieu Parish.

Members of the firm's real estate group are recognized throughout the U.S. for their expertise , and have been honored by publications such as Best Lawyers ® and Chambers®. They are also active in organizations such as the American Bar Association, the International Council of Shopping Centers, the American College of Real Estate Lawyers and the Anglo American Real Property Institute.

Stone Pigman has offices in both New Orleans and Baton Rouge.  Its flagship office is located on Carondelet Street in the historic New Orleans City Hall Annex building.  The Baton Rouge office is located in One American Place. The firm offers a wide array of business and litigation services to local, regional, national and international clients. 

“Vulture Ventures,” the August luncheon and panel discussion on distressed assets generated a terrific turnout. No surprise. With all the activity regionally and nationally with distressed assets and failing banks, many CREW members are being faced with these obstacles in one way or another.
 
The panel was comprised of the various disciplines represented in handling troubled Commercial Real Estate. Pam Hansen of Capital One represented the Lender's prospective.  Jon "Chip" Leyens, Jr. of The Steeg Law Firm placed himself in the shoes of the Borrower. Donna Taylor of Stirling Properties, was on the sidelines as the keeper or manager of the foreclosed or troubled asset. Cathy Alba, CCIM of Triple Net Lease was waiting in the wings to swoop in to purchase the troubled assets at a fraction of their mortgage.
 
Panelists shared their knowledge and expertise, providing a clear understanding of how to best advise clients with distressed assets (whether a lender or borrower), and how best to prepare for the onslaught in the market of these assets if you are a manager or a purchaser. At the forefront of the lively discussion was how to keep these properties out of the hands of the lender to avoid foreclosure or the placing of the asset in the Special Assets pool.

Ms. Hansen explained how the assets wind up in trouble and with their Special Assets group. Capital One, like most lenders would rather work with the borrower to insure this does not happen.

If assets do wind up as troubled assets, Mr. Leyens gave the audience advice on how to work with the lender to save your project. Having a clear plan of action before you meet is critical.

Ms. Taylor explained what happens once the assets become foreclosed upon or are placed in Special Assets. Since you never know what kind of project you will receive or the condition the project will be in, it is important to be prepared to handle what is given to you.

Waiting for the distressed assets to hit the marketplace is Ms. Alba, who represents groups of purchasers who want to invest in them. While there are many obstacles to overcome to secure the purchase, there is money to be made if handled properly.
 
The bad news: we will see more failures and real estate coming into the marketplace in a distressed stage. The good news: CREW New Orleans members are better prepared to handle distressed assets after “Vulture Ventures.”

CREW is delighted to announce that President Rose LeBreton, and Board members, Angela O'Byrne and Marie Moore are among CityBusiness' 2009 Women of the Year. Fifty women will be recognized at a formal luncheon at noon on November 3 at the downtown Sheraton Hotel for their successes in business, contributions to the community, and for setting the pace for our region’s future.

The November 9 edition of CityBusiness will include a special Women of the Year insert spotlighting all honorees.