B. Joan Davis

Email B. Joan Davis ›

Joan is one of the firm’s primary litigators, who focuses her practice on eminent domain law, land condemnation cases, complex commercial litigation as well as general civil litigation.

Experience

Joan has over thirty years of experience in eminent domain and condemnation law and has taught seminars to other lawyers on how to handle condemnation cases involving commercial property.  She has a wide range of experience in federal district court, federal bankruptcy court, and many state court systems.

Joan has been inducted as a Lifetime Member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum for obtaining multiple recoveries for her clients in excess of One Million Dollars.  She has also been given an AV Preeminent Rating by Martindale Hubbard for holding herself to the highest ethical standards.

Representative Clients

Joan represents a number of Fortune 500 clients including real estate developers, shopping centers, and retailers.  For example, she is regional land-use counsel for Rite Aid and Eckerd Corporation and regional condemnation counsel for McDonald’s Corporation.  She also represents a number of lenders and landowners in complicated real estate matters and land condemnation matters.

Education and Background

Joan graduated from the University of North Carolina law school with honors. While in law school, she served as the Articles Editor for the North Carolina Journal of International Law and Commercial Regulation, where she received the William T. Joyner award for excellence in legal writing.  She has published numerous articles on eminent domain issues including ” What Commercial Landlord’s, Tenants and Lenders Need to Know about Eminent Domain” and “Eminent Domain and Condemnation: 5 Essential Steps to Protect Your Commercial Property“.

Joan was a founding member of the board of trustees for Art for Hospice, Inc and TriRecSports. She has also served on the board of trustees for the Montessori Community School.

Testimonials

“We rely on Joan’s exemplary skill to handle our eminent domain and real estate litigation in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee and Georgia.   Joan’s approach to state and municipal roadway projects is the most innovative that I have seen.  She is proactive in keeping up with state and city roadway projects and often addresses a situation before it becomes a major problem for us.  She has worked with state and local officials to redesign many projects to reduce their impact on our business.  She ensures that our property rights are protected and that we receive just compensation for the rights are taken from us.  She seeks compromise where appropriate, but does not hesitate to litigate an issue that requires judicial resolution.  Her knowledge and expertise in dealing with commercial real estate litigation has proven invaluable to us time and again.”

Joe Lancaster

Real Estate Director

Rite Aid Corporation

“The state was poised to take over twenty acres of family farmland (inherited from my great-grandfather) for a highway project, when a friend referred me to Joan for advice.  My cousins and I were not sure what to do. Some wanted to settle for the state’s offer, but others thought the land was worth more.  Joan managed to corral all seven stakeholders, spread out all over the country, and gave us one voice.  She kept us informed and engaged, and she worked diligently with us to achieve an amazing result.   Joan and her team did an excellent job with their research, giving them a very solid position during the negotiations. Ultimately, we settled for $1.8 million – far more than the state’s initial offer. I would highly recommend her to anyone who needs a knowledgeable condemnation attorney.”

Dwight D Henninger DVM, PhD

“My nephew’s hotel was caught up in a major NCDOT roadway project right before the U.S. Open came to town.  The entrances to the hotel were blocked with “Road Closed” signs, and the construction crew used much of the parking lot as a staging area for their equipment. We feared he would lose his business.  The state deposited money with the Court, but it simply wasn’t enough.  I hired Joan to help him. She negotiated with his lenders to reduce the payments on the hotel loans and helped him to refinance his debt.  Then she persuaded the state to pay $1.2 million for the new right of way and staging area, which was more than double what they had offered him.  At Joan’s insistence, they also repaired the damage to the parking lot and gave us a sign easement to help direct traffic to the hotel around the construction.  Without Joan’s effort, all would have been lost.  I cannot thank her enough.”

Suren Meyers

Dear Joan,

“Our students at GGU public administration department and GGU law school have cited your eminent domain articles in their research papers. Thank you for helping not just your clients but also America’s classrooms.”

Best wishes,

Joaquin Jay Gonzalez III, Ph.D., Professor and Chair

Department of Public Administration, Edward S. Ageno School of Business

Golden Gate University

“Joan – I appreciate all the hard work and time that your staff devoted to my case.  It’s nice to know that someone cares about the feelings of others and is willing to help compensate for their loss.  Once again, I say thank you and may God bless you and your staff.

Sincere thanks, Earl Porter”