Joseph D. McCullough

Joe McCullough practices primarily in the areas of commercial real estate, real estate development, and finance.

Born in Washington, D.C., Joe graduated magna cum laude from Wake Forest University in 1980. While at Wake Forest, he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He received his J.D. degree cum laude from Wake Forest University Law School in 1983, where he served on the Editorial Staff of the Wake Forest Law Review.

Joe's community activities have included coaching youth league football and basketball, serving on the Board of Trustees of Belmont Abbey College, Board of Directors of Catholic Diocese of Charlotte Housing Corporation, Board of Directors of HandsNFeet Foundation and as Board Member and General Counsel for Agape Parc, a respite care facility, and serving on the Boards of the ACC Championship Game and the Belk Bowl (formerly the Meineke Car Care Bowl).

Community & Professional

• Belmont Abbey College, Board of Trustees
• Mecklenburg County Bar
• North Carolina Bar Association - Real Property Section
• North Carolina State Bar
• Urban Land Institute

A sample of Joe's representative transactions includes:

• Representing a national real estate fund in the acquisition of a real estate portfolio consisting of 24 assets in 5 states.
• Representing a commercial bank in negotiating and restructuring a 16-loan portfolio secured by real estate in three states.
• Representing a national real estate group in securing mixed-use entitlements and economic development incentives for a 670-acre lakefront master-planned mixed-use community.
• Representing a foreign developer in the acquisition of four commercial shopping centers in North Carolina.
• Representing a national developer/homebuilder in the acquisition and development of 15 residential projects.
• Representing a leading national private investment firm in acquiring, developing, and financing senior housing and healthcare real estate.
• Representing City of Charlotte in the acquisition of a light rail transit system corridor.

• Listed in Best Lawyers in America "Lawyer of the Year" for Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law (2025)
• Listed in Best Lawyers in America for Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law, Land Use and Zoning Law (2016, 2019, 2020 and 2023)
• Martindale-Hubbell "AV" Preeminent Peer Review Rated