Leighton Lord to Chair Midlands Section of Urban Land Institute

Columbia, SC — W. Leighton Lord III, Chairman of the Board of Nexsen Pruet, has been elected Chair of the Midlands section of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and will serve on the organization’s statewide executive committee.

With more than 36,000 members in 90 countries, ULI provides leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. It reflects the entire spectrum of land use and real estate development disciplines, and works in both private enterprise and public service.

The South Carolina District Council, which has over 375 members, focuses on issues related to quality of growth and development, pursuing a statewide vision for responsible land use in recognition of the distinct qualities of the Upstate, the Midlands, and the Coastal regions of South Carolina.

At Nexsen Pruet, Lord practices in the areas of real estate, partnership and corporate law, with a special emphasis on real estate finance, real estate development, commercial leasing, and state land sale registrations.

Before joining Nexsen Pruet, he clerked for the Delaware Chancery Court and served for three years as staff counsel to the U. S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Delaware and his law degree from Vanderbilt.

Lord is a member of the class of 2008 of the Liberty Fellowship, a statewide leadership initiative, He is also chairman of the board of Heathwood Hall Episcopal School; was a member of the Site Selection Committee for the City of Columbia homeless facility; and served on the executive committee of the Foundation for Columbia’s Future and on the South Carolina Venture Capital Authority.

Nexsen Pruet, LLC is one of the largest law firms in the Carolinas, with more than 170 attorneys and offices in Columbia, Charleston, Greenville, Hilton Head, and Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Charlotte and Greensboro, N.C.  Founded in 1945, Nexsen Pruet provides a broad range of legal services to the business community and represents companies and other entities in local, state, national, and international venues.