David Needham** is the lead attorney at the GA Eminent Domain Law Firm. In addition to Georgia, he is licensed to practice eminent domain in North Carolina, Florida, and Virginia.
“Client service and satisfaction is of the upmost importance to me and practicing in property rights defense allows me to contribute in that space.”
David grew up in the Southeast as a part of a close-knit, nurturing family whose members supported each other and valued time spent together. He has always understood that hard work shapes you and credits the many jobs he had as a young child – shining shoes, working at McDonald’s, mowing lawns, you name it – with helping build within him a determination to stand up for himself and do good by others.
Prior to concentrating exclusively on eminent domain, David managed an eight-state REO (Real Estate Owned) practice where he represented financial institutions on property litigation issues. He also gained significant experience negotiating pipeline takings against Fortune 500 utility companies. David won the highest property owner payout for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline project across West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina against Dominion Power.1*
David has continued to expand his ability to help others throughout his career. After spending fifteen years developing his mediation, arbitration, and negotiation skills, he decided to focus exclusively on representing property owners in eminent domain cases. He now helps protect the rights of individuals and businesses on land that is being condemned, and he seeks to ensure that they are treated fairly by the condemning authority.
“I want to be remembered by clients as a good lawyer who was there for them when they needed it most.”
The work ethic instilled in David at an early age prompts him to take the extra step with clients today, whether that means investigating the impact of a taking more closely, making special requests that could potentially mitigate damage to a property, or visiting properties as often as needed to fully understand his client’s needs.
David recalls with pride how one of his former clients contacted him to help her with several commercial properties being taken by the government in the Atlanta area. The client’s husband had fallen ill and couldn’t communicate with her effectively. So, she relied on David to handle the cases, meet with the DOT, communicate with tenants, deal with tax issues, and more. He had earned her complete trust and was honored to be able to help someone through a difficult time.
David extends this type of commitment and care to all his clients. He enjoys helping people navigate business and residential property issues that can often have huge impacts on their lives. And every client matters to David. He proudly recounts increasing a $25 offer to $4,000 for a small eminent domain taking in Georgia because he feels that everyone – no matter how much or how little is at stake – deserves to be treated fairly.1
David attended Indiana University for college, where he majored in Political Science and Criminal Justice, before earning his J.D. at Texas A&M University School of Law. When not fighting to protect the property rights of his clients, David serves his community on several non-profit boards, providing advice on administrative and contract matters. He’s also been known to pitch in by “swinging a hammer or teaching kids in a class” when needed. A dedicated father, he and his wife have two daughters and one son.
* Largest victory at the time on a per-square footage basis.
** indicates licensure in GA, NC, VA, and FL
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