
Lucas A. Smith
Atlanta
Office: 404.962.6414 | Fax: 404.962.6307
lucas.smith@millermartin.com
Practice Areas
- Overview
- Experience
- Education
- Involvement
- In-Depth
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Overview
Lucas ("Luke") Smith is a member in the Commercial and Corporate Departments and splits his practice between general corporate and real estate matters and a niche practice in the resort, hospitality and leisure industries. Luke prides himself on dedication to his clients and top-notch, business driven legal work.
Corporate: Luke regularly assists clients in closing deals and advises clients in connection with mergers & acquisitions (buy and sell side), joint ventures and spin-offs; debt and equity; formations and governance; securities; marketing, telemarketing and regulatory compliance; accounts receivable financing; and general corporate matters.
Real Estate: Luke’s real estate practice is transactional driven and includes acquisition & development; finance, condominium, planned communities & mixed-use; divestitures; leasing; and general real estate matters.
Resort: In addition to the above, Luke is the Chair of the firm's Resort and Hospitality Practice and represents condominium, hotel, timeshare & fractional, and mixed-use, developers, operators, lenders, management companies and related service providers, including operators of travel, vacation, destination and other leisure-based clubs. His experience includes acquisitions, finance, construction and renovation, direct marketing, management and franchising agreements.
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Experience
Corporate:
- Represented client in the acquisition of competitor with membership campgrounds in Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Louisiana, and Arkansas, financed by 28 Credit Unions and 2 Banks (ACG Detroit’s “Deal of the Year” 2023, under $50M).
- Represented client in the strategic acquisition of regional competitor based in Minnesota.
- Represented client in comprehensive corporate restructure and related equity raise and debt financing
- Represented client in the establishment and funding of series equity investment platform.
- Represented both regional and national banks in connection with marketing program rollouts and related compliance work.
- Represented a UK-based private equity purchaser (and its US-based subsidiary) in $100M acquisition of online travel agency and travel club software business.
- Represented startup companies in Colorado, California, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee, each of which now has over $50M annual revenue.
- Represented consumer finance company in the rollout and legal compliance of a direct-to-consumer 3rd party loan program.
- Represented operators in restructuring and senior and mezzanine debt transactions.
- Represented UK-based services provider in comprehensive US-Based operations
- Represented staffing company in the acquisition of several competitive businesses.
Real Estate:
- Represented developer in the acquisition, planning, financing and development of mixed use project in Orlando, Florida.
- Represented large real estate fund in connection with resort and hotel financings, conversions, development of consumer products including compliance for sales and marketing operations in various states.
- Represented hotel operator in the acquisition and 150-key redevelopment of hotel in St. Petersburg, Florida.
- Represented operator in the acquisition of high-rise hotel in Chicago.
- Represented boutique investment firm in the acquisition and financing for the development of a high-rise in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
- Represented boutique investment firm in the acquisition and financing for the development of a high-rise Waikiki Beach, Honolulu.
Resort:
- Represented large timeshare brand in the acquisition of 80+ resort timeshare management & exchange program business.
- Represented large timeshare brand in the development, registration, marketing and sales of various timeshare and club-based products.
- Represented telemarketing company in comprehensive regulatory compliance plan in furtherance of white-labeled marketing & sales efforts.
- Represented web-based travel lead generation company in travel and privacy specific compliance project for product offerings on behalf of itself and its 3rd party clients.
- Represented start-up boutique hotel & resort management company in the development of loyalty and club-related products and legal compliance in connection with sales & marketing operations.
- Represented experiential travel operator in legal compliance work for its internal and white-labeled product offerings, including related legal compliance work in all applicable states. Representation included comprehensive analysis of gift card law relating to loyalty points-based program offerings in addition to pure experiential travel offerings.
- Represented large timeshare brand in the acquisition of a series of resorts in Branson, Missouri and the integration and legal compliance required for purchaser to begin sales and marketing operations.
- Represented timeshare operator in the acquisition and redevelopment of large indoor waterpark hotel in Wisconsin and advice in connection with all sales and marketing of interests therein.
- Represented start-up ultra luxury travel club and online booking platform in the creation and 50-state legal compliance for sales and marketing of the club product.
- Represented boutique investment firm in $200M+ acquisition and financing of consumer receivables generated by a large timeshare brand.
- Represented a membership campground operator in the development of a universal electronic consumer document set for compliance in all of operator’s sales & marketing states.
- Represented loyalty program operator in as contractor of major hotel brand licensor in the rollout of loyalty brand operations.
- Represented travel club in joint venture with timeshare brand for experiential travel program for prospects and members of timeshare brand.
- Represented private equity firm in the acquisition of multi-site timeshare plan and post-acquisition legal compliance advisor for multiple state sales & marketing efforts.
- Ongoing representation of various travel club operators in various states for legal compliance in connection with sales and marketing operations in said states.
- Represented lead generation and travel certificate company in comprehensive legal compliance plan for its product offerings and services on behalf of 3rd party clients.
Publications:
- "Choosing the Right Match in Your Resale Partner: An Association's Perspective," Developments Magazine, April/May 2017
- "Travel Clubs: Considerations for an increasingly valuable vacation product,' Developments Magazine
- Co-author with James J. Scavo. "Web-Based Travel Products and Offerings," Developments Magazine, November/December 2011
Speaking Engagements:
- "The kNOws of Communicating with Customers and Prospects," moderator, ARDA World, May 2018
- "Alternative Fuels to Growth," panel presentation, ARDA World, May 2016
- "Travel Clubs - A Product That's Time Has Come," panel presentation, ARDA World, April 2014
- "Consumer Protection 2013: Lost in a Sea of Regulations and New Oversight," panel presentation, ARDA World, April 2013
- "Commercial Development Within a Mixed Use Development" and "The Retail Strip, Office Buildings and Condominiums, Restaurants," Lorman Seminar, 2007
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Education
- J.D., cum laude, The University of Georgia School of Law, 2006
- B.A., magna cum laude, Merrimack College, 2003
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Involvement
Bar Admissions- Georgia
Accolades- The Best Lawyers in America® - Real Estate Law, since 2024
- Georgia Super Lawyers® - Rising Star - 2018-2020
- American Resort Development Association (ARDA) Award for Best Alliance Partner, Finalist, 2013
- CALI Excellence for the Future Award: Constitutional Law, 2006
Memberships- State Bar of Georgia, Corporate & Real Estate Law Sections, Member
- Atlanta Bar Association, Corporate & Real Estate Law Sections, Member
- American Resort Development Association (ARDA), Member
- Real Estate Group of Atlanta (REGA), Member
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Luke was a Division I men's hockey player and captain of the team.