Overview
Jennifer serves as the Vice-Chair of the firm’s Lending Practice Group. Jennifer practices corporate, banking, and business transactional law, with a concentration on commercial lending, real estate finance, and UCC secured transactions, including loan workouts. Her practice also covers local government law, including public utility law, public meeting law, public records (freedom of information), and procurement matters.
Jennifer frequently serves as local counsel in multi-state transactions in rendering third-party legal opinions under state law and has made and moderated several presentations on third-party opinion practice, including topics on professionalism and ethical considerations.
Jennifer handles complex business and financing transactions, including matters involving public and private real estate development projects, construction financing, office, and retail leasing; company and asset acquisitions; asset-based lending; and debt restructuring. Her clients include financial institutions, national and international-based manufacturing companies, real estate developers, healthcare organizations, nonprofit corporations, public utilities, and governmental entities. She is also involved in many aspects of public finance transactions.
Jennifer is the former President of the South Carolina Bar Foundation. She is the Immediate Past Chair of the Corporate, Banking, and Securities Law Section of the South Carolina Bar and serves as the Chair of its Legal Opinion Ad Hoc Committee.
Jennifer earned her J.D. from Wake Forest University and her B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Experience
- Frequently serves as local counsel in multi-state and international credit transactions, advising clients on real estate, contract and other matters of state law.
- Represents lenders in various commercial and public finance transactions, often serving as bank letter of credit or liquidity facility provider counsel.
- Works on taxable and tax-exempt financing transactions for hospital and medical facilities, educational facilities, student housing, public infrastructure improvements, parking facilities and public utilities.
- Works on the creation, development and financing of multiple resort and vacation time sharing projects; and works as local counsel on the securitization of related loans
- Works on the creation, development and financing for multi-phased, multi-use projects, including public, commercial, retail, entertainment, resort and multi- and single-family residential development projects
- Draft local government development agreements for qualifying projects
- Negotiates and drafts construction and design/build contracts for various real estate projects, industrial and manufacturing facilities, and golf courses
- Works on shopping center developments and negotiates and drafts local and national commercial and retail leases
- Represents local businesses and state and international-based companies, assisting with corporate, employment, contract, compliance and liability issues
- Serves as general counsel to local municipal water and sewer commissions
- Served as general counsel to the local municipal election commission (2019-2023)
- Serves as general counsel to the local council of governments and regional transportation authority
Honors & Recognitions
- Listed in The Best Lawyers in America®: Commercial Finance Law since 2017; Corporate Law since 2018; Real Estate Law since 2022; Banking and Finance Law since 2025
- Named, Chambers USA, Corporate/M&A: Banking & Finance (2017-2024)
- Named to Charleston Business Magazine "Legal Elite:" Corporate Law: Banking and Finance (2024); Corporate Investigations (2021, 2023); Banking and Finance (2020)
- 2024 Public Service Award Recipient, CREW Charleston
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Professional & Community
Civic Activities
- Junior League of Charleston, Inc.; Board of Directors (2005-2009, 2017-2018); Sustainer Vice President (2019-2020)
- MUSC Hollings Cancer Center Citizens Advisory Council (2011-2019)
- Trident CEO Council (2015-2023)
- South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority, Board of Directors (2019-present)
- - Finance, Administration, Audit and Compliance Committee Chairman
- Brookgreen Gardens, General Counsel
Professional Activities
- South Carolina Bar Association
- South Carolina Bar Foundation
- Nominating Committee (2022-2023)
- Immediate Past President (2021-2022)
- President (2020-2021)
- Board Member (2016-2022)
- Real Estate Practice Section
- Corporate, Banking and Securities Law Section
- Section Council Member, (2006-2011; 2017-present)
- Chair (2023-2024)
- Past Chair (2008-2009)
- Section Delegate to the House of Delegates (2010-2011)
- Legal Opinion Ad Hoc Committee, Chair (2006-present)
- Task Force on UPL in Commercial Transactions (2007-2008)
- American Bar Association, Section of Business Law; Section of Real Property, Probate and Trust Law; Numerous Committees and Subcommittees, including Committees on Legal Opinions
- Charleston County Bar Association
- South Carolina Women Lawyers' Association
- CREW Network and CREW Charleston
Paralegal/Assistant
Paralegal
Jenny Maestas
(843) 973-6823
jmaestas@burr.com
