Timberland Acquisitions & Sales

Overview

For decades, Adams & Reese’s forestry lawyers have steered clients through the nuances of timberland acquisitions and sales nationwide, earning an industry-leading reputation in the sector. Whether buying or selling timberlands, establishing a sawmill, acquiring renewable energy assets, or making a long-term investment, we structure and execute transactions efficiently and effectively.

Structuring Complex Deals

Adams & Reese has negotiated multibillion-dollar timberland transactions, spanning millions of acres and multiple jurisdictions. Clients trust us to handle every stage of a deal, from negotiation of purchase agreements through due diligence to closing. By leveraging our extensive industry relationships and strong presence across the Southeast with a national reach, we assemble the right team to meet each client’s objectives.

With experience representing buyers and sellers, we understand the priorities of:

• Forestry companies, loggers, and lumber mills
• Large private landowners and timber investors (TIMOs, REITs, pension funds)
• Renewable energy and carbon sequestration entities
• Lenders and financial institutions

We ensure deals account for both short- and long-term investment goals, including international investment considerations and sustainability commitments.

Regulatory, Financing, and Risk Management

Timberland transactions present complex regulatory, financial, and environmental challenges. Adams & Reese ensures clients remain compliant with legal requirements while structuring deals to maximize value and mitigate risk. We advise on:

• Regulatory compliance: Addressing environmental laws, forest sustainability certifications, endangered species protections, wetlands regulations, and conservation easements
• Financing and tax considerations: Structuring deals to account for credit facilities, tax-advantaged timberland investments, REIT transactions, and investment restructuring
• Land management and operational planning: Negotiating agreements for land use, asset protection, and liability mitigation
• Supply and byproduct agreements: Structuring contracts for timber sales, mill byproducts, and long-term fiber supply arrangements
• Dispute resolution and risk management: Representing clients in lease litigation, tax disputes, eminent domain proceedings, wrongful cutting claims, and contract enforcement

Our industry knowledge ensures transactions meet financial, environmental, and regulatory objectives, protecting both assets and long-term investment returns.

Defining Strengths

• Capital markets
• Capital placement
• Conservation
• Conservation easements
• Cross-border transactions
• Easements
• Endangered species
• Environmental laws
• EPA
• Family office investors
• Foreign institutional investors
• Foreign pension funds
• Forest appraisals
• Forest audits
• Forest certifications
• Forest products
• Leases
• Lending
• Like-kind exchange
• Litigation
• Mills
• Options
• Pension funds
• REITs
• Rights of way
• Sawtimber
• Supply agreements
• Tax-exempt investors
• Tax planning
• Tax structuring
• Tax treaty planning
• Timber trespass
• Timberland financing
• Timberland purchase and sale agreements
• TIMOs
• Title insurance
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
• USDA
• USFS
• Water resources
• Wetlands
• Wildlife management and leases