Georgia Eminent Domain Lawyers | Owners Counsel of America | Atlanta GA Condemnation Attorneys

Charles L. Ruffin
Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell and Berkowitz, PC
1600 Monarch Plaza 3414 Peachtree Road
Atlanta, GA 30326
Tel:(404) 577-6000 | Fax:(404) 221-6501
Email | www.bakerdonelson.com

Charles Ruffin, shareholder in the Atlanta and Macon offices of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell and Berkowitz, PC, has amassed over 30 years a wide array of litigation experience. He currently concentrates his practice in eminent domain and condemnation law, representing landowners and business operators of all sizes in eminent domain, condemnation and inverse condemnation matters. Mr. Ruffin's clients include a wide variety of national and international businesses from large multinational corporations to small individually owned businesses. Mr. Ruffin also represents nationally traded real estate investment trusts and other real estate investors. His clients include oil and gas interests, fast food franchisors and franchisees, hotel investors, commercial, shopping center and office developers, national drugstore chains, residential real estate developers, convenience store chains and a variety of individually owned enterprises, business operations, and properties. Mr. Ruffin maintains an active role in national and state eminent domain matters, serving as the Georgia representative in the national organization Owners' Counsel of America and as the Founding Chairman of the Eminent Domain Section of the State Bar of Georgia.

In 2005, Mr. Ruffin testified on three occasions on behalf of landowner interests before a special Georgia Senate Committee considering revision of eminent domain laws following the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Kelo v. City of New London.

In recognition of his achievements in his chosen specialty, Mr. Ruffin has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® for Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law every year since 2007. In addition, Mr. Ruffin leads his firm's eminent domain and condemnation law practice which is ranked Tier 1 by the US News/Best Lawyers ranking of practices in the United States.

Recent Representative Matters

October 2011 - Settled an eminent domain matter on behalf of a fast food restaurant corporation involving a metro Atlanta property. The location involved a corner interstate site in Clayton County. The Georgia Department of Transportation condemned the principal access to the site thus causing substantial damage to the value of the property. GDOT paid $2.3 million pursuant to the consent judgment obtained to conclude the settlement. That sum represented a 200 percent increase over the original sum offered by GDOT.
September 2011 - Settled a case involving mitigation and relocation costs for an Interstate 75 retail specialty and gasoline dispensary location. The settlement of $1,427,500 represented an increase of 60 percent over the GDOT pay-in to the court. The relocation and mitigation costs salvaged a business valued at $5.1 million.
July 2011 - After jury trial involving a Metro Atlanta auto repair franchisee, judgment for $1.15 million was entered for business loss award to client. Amount was 1,150,000 percent above the DOT business loss pay-in in the case.
January 2011 - Successfully tried to jury verdict a business loss claim by a major fast food franchisee in Central Georgia resulting from a total taking of the franchised site. The judgment was 320 percent higher than sums originally paid into court by the Georgia DOT.
October 2010 - Successfully defended in a jury trial an Atlanta based partnership that operates a 7,000 acre farming and quail hunting preserve in central Georgia against a private taking of land by an adjoining landowner
April 2010 - Settled a threatened condemnation of a largely abandoned shopping center in Valdosta, GA. The settlement involves cash of $5.62 million with the client keeping eight acres of in line space. The city plans a new arts complex on the former shopping center site
November 2009 - Obtained settlement for owner of multiuse commercial property. Compensation represented 127% increase over sums paid into court by Georgia DOT
October 2009 - Assisted client in forming litigation team to oppose routing of major City/County bypass in metro Atlanta. Successfully persuaded local DOT to reroute project so as to avoid destruction of development value of 400 acre residential tract
September 2009 - On behalf of hotel franchisee, garnered $1.7 million settlement with Georgia DOT and Georgia Tech Foundation for a business loss only recovery. Business loss involved a ground lease with only 11 years remaining; settlement was a 530% increase over the amount that GDOT and Georgia Tech originally offered
October 2008 - Negotiated a $2.3 million settlement of a condemnation case with the Georgia DOT on behalf of a large convenience store operator; settlement represented a 125% increase over sums the DOT had deposited with the court
August 2008 - Secured a favorable jury verdict in a condemnation case in a northern metro Atlanta county in which the client, a petroleum realty investor, was awarded a sum 300% greater than that testified to by the experts for the Georgia DOT
July 2008 - Negotiated a $2.550 million settlement for a nationally traded REIT in an eminent domain case involving damage to a property under lease as an auto dealership; settlement was a 252% increase over the sum originally paid into court by the Georgia DOT
June 2008 - Assisted petroleum distributor in obtaining DOT plan revision of site access thus preserving value of multipurpose interstate development site
June 2008 - Successfully negotiated settlement of total take of petroleum distribution property in metro Atlanta for large petroleum property investor; settlement precisely met client's goal for resolution of the matter
November 2007 - Negotiated a settlement for owners of a vacant tract of land who had a portion of their property condemned by the Georgia Department of Transportation; settlement was a 3,266% increase over what the Georgia DOT paid into court
April 2007 - Negotiated 340% real estate compensation increase over Georgia DOT initial offer for partial taking of interstate-oriented driving range/recreational facility
January 2007 - Jury verdict awarding 429% real estate compensation increase over Georgia DOT initial offer for partial taking of vacant agricultural tract; verdict later affirmed by the Georgia Court of Appeals and finalized by the Supreme Court of Georgia upon the unanimous denial of a writ of certiorari, resulting in total award exceeding $1,000,000
2006 - Assisted client in negotiating a cessation of potential condemnation of office development for economic development purposes in connection with the expansion of a metro Atlanta Airport
November 2005 - Negotiated 153% real estate compensation increase over Georgia DOT initial offer for partial taking of national fast food chain restaurant
2005 - Represented a developer in concluding a settlement affecting the construction of two proposed mixed use hotel/ condominium towers on 14th street in Atlanta exceeding clients settlement goals on both matters
2005 - Concluded a settlement of a power transmission line taking that adversely affected the development potential of a large residential tract in North Georgia
September 2004 - Negotiated 181% combined real estate/business loss compensation increase over Georgia DOT initial offer for total taking of convenience food store with retail fuel sales tenant's business
May 2004 - Negotiated 743% business loss compensation increase over Georgia DOT initial offer for total taking of convenience food store with retail fuel sales tenant's business

Publications & Speaking Engagements

"Overview of Private Property Development and Eminent Domain Law in Georgia," invited speaker by Mercer University and Georgia State officials, Mercer University, Atlanta, Georgia, October 17, 2011
"How to Properly Prepare a case for Trial on Behalf of the Condemnee," Eminent Domain Section, State Bar of Georgia, November 2009
"The Examination of Expected Experts in a Condemnation Case," American Law Institute - American Bar Association Conference on Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Litigation, San Francisco, California, January 2008
"Update on Georgia Eminent Domain Law," Georgia Association of Convenience Stores Convention, Board of Directors, Ponte Vedra, Florida, June 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003
"Update on Georgia Eminent Domain Law," National Business Institute, Savannah, Georgia, September 2006
"Update on Georgia Eminent Domain Law," Lorman Educational Service, Macon, Georgia, July 2006
"Business Loss Recovery in Compensable and Non-Compensable Jurisdictions," American Law Institute - American Bar Association - Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Course of Study, San Diego, California, January 2006
"Kelo v. City of New London, Triumph or Tragedy," Real Property Law Section - State Bar of Georgia, Atlanta, Georgia, Fall 2005
"Legal Issues for Georgia Civil Engineers," Atlanta, Georgia, February 2005
"Taking an Eminent Domain Case to Trial," National Business Institute, Atlanta, Georgia, September 2004
"Maximizing Awards in Condemnation Cases," 26th Annual Real Property Law Institute, Amelia Island Plantation, Florida, May 2004
"A Plea for Rational Jurisprudence in the Law of Eminent Domain," Georgia Institute of Continuing Legal Education - Current Issues in Eminent Domain Law, Atlanta, Georgia, January, 2003
"A Case Study in Inverse Condemnation," Eminent Domain Trial Practice - Georgia Institute of Continuing Legal Education, Atlanta, Georgia, January, 2002
"Maximizing Awards in Condemnation Cases," Georgia Oilmen's Association, Amelia Island Plantation, Florida, January, 2000

Professional Honors & Activities

Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® in the area of Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law since 2007
AV® Preeminent Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
Member - State Bar of Georgia (Treasurer, Founding Chairman, Eminent Domain Section; Chairman, Military Legal Assistance Program; Member, Board of Governors Executive Committee)
Member - American Bar Association (Eminent Domain Committee, Real Estate Section)
Member - Atlanta Bar Association; Macon Bar Association
Past President - Macon Bar Association
Member - Emory Law School Council
Member - Lawyers Club of Atlanta
Chair - Eminent Domain Seminars, Institute of Continuing Legal Education, 2003-04
Georgia Counsel - Owners' Counsel of America
President - Downtown Macon Rotary Club
Member - Leadership USA
Member - Leadership Georgia
Fellow - American Bar Foundation
Fellow - Georgia Bar Foundation
Advisory Board - Institute for Local Government Legal Studies