James T. Hodge

Senior Counsel

Practices and Industries

Real Estate Development, Financing, and Transactions Commercial Lending Bankruptcy & Creditors’ Rights Zoning & Land Use Environmental

James Hodge is a member of the Firm’s Real Estate & Lending Service Team. Mr. Hodge customarily represents commercial and mortgage lenders, developers, owners, investors and builders in real estate, mineral, including coal, oil and gas, and commercial loan transactions.

His experience includes real estate and mineral purchase and sale documentation and closings; title insurance, examination and surveys; real estate and mineral acquisition and development; planning and zoning; landlord and tenant issues and documentation; third-party opinion letters; commercial mortgage loan documentation and closings; federal regulation of real estate and real estate lending; loan defaults and workouts, foreclosures and pre-bankruptcy counseling.

REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS

Mr. Hodge is routinely involved in financing, acquisition and development of multi-use projects such as:

Lexington Center
Lexington Hyatt Regency Hotel
The Civic Center Shops Mall
Rupp Arena
Phoenix Park
Lexington-Fayette County Public Library
Park Plaza Apartment Tower
Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Building Annex

EDUCATION

J.D., University of Kentucky, with distinction, 1971
B.A., Berea College, 1968

ADMISSIONS

Kentucky

HONORS

Woodward/White’s Best Lawyers® 2025 Lexington Real Estate Law “Lawyer of the Year”
Woodward/White’s Best Lawyers in America® in the area of Real Estate Law, 1989-Present
Recognized in Kentucky Super Lawyers, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Commissioner of Law for Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, 1975-1977
Lieutenant, United States Navy, Judge Advocate General’s Corps., 1971-1975
AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES AND MEMBERSHIPS

Real Property sections of Fayette County, Kentucky and American Bar Associations
Lexington Mortgage Bankers Association

CIVIC INVOLVEMENT

Rotary Club of Lexington
Past Member, Board of Directors for Bluegrass Tomorrow
President of Central Christian Church Apartments, Inc.
Trustee of Central Christian Church
Leadership Kentucky

PRESENTATIONS

Mr. Hodge is a frequent lecturer for law schools, bar associations, trade groups and continuing education programs. His lectures include:

November 2004 – University of Kentucky, College of Law, Lexington, Kentucky: 9^th Biennial Real Estate Law and Practice Institute. “Kentucky Recordation: The County Clerks & Recording Issues.”
July, 1997 – University of Kentucky, College of Law, Lexington, Kentucky: Trust and Fiduciary Law Workshop, “Creditors Rights To And Claims Against Trust Assets.”
October, 1996 – Seminar on Issues for Lenders. “Limited Liability Companies: An Overview.”
April, 1994 – University of Kentucky, College of Law, Lexington, Kentucky: 4th Biennial Real Estate Law and Practice Institute. “The Real Estate Settlement and Procedures Act `RESPA’ and The Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act `FIRPTA’.”
April, 1993 – Fayette County, Kentucky, Bar Association, Lexington, Kentucky: Real Estate Seminar. “Commercial Real Estate Lending/Priority of Liens.”
March, 1993 – Kentucky Bankers Association, Louisville, Kentucky: Recent Developments in Compliance: Lending Related Issues. “Regulation of Truth-in-Lending.”
October, 1991 – Kentucky Bankers Association, Bowling Green, Kentucky: Real Estate Compliance for Lenders. “The Truth-in-Lending Act and The Home Equity Loan Act.”
April, 1991 – Kentucky Bankers Association, Louisville, Kentucky: Competency In Compliance. “Truth-in-Lending Act.”
January, 1991 – University of Kentucky, College of Law, Lexington, Kentucky: Construction Law Institute. “Financially Distressed Construction Projects/Real Estate Defaults & Workouts.”
September, 1987 – Kentucky Municipal League and Louisville Bar Foundation. “Planning and Zoning Law.”