Atlanta Construction & Development Conference

Shaneel Lalani is Chief Executive Officer at Lalani Ventures. Since he founded the company in 2012, Lalani has grown Lalani Venture’s real estate portfolio to more than two million square feet of commercial space, with a vast majority of properties located in Georgia. Under Lalani’s leadership, Lalani Venture’s core business strategy focuses on purchasing underperforming assets and adding value through renovations and strategic leasing strategies. He has completed more than 100 real estate transactions that are valued at approximately $250 million. In November 2020, Lalani acquired Underground Atlanta with plans to maximize the potential of the historic entertainment destination and complement the surrounding investment in Downtown Atlanta. On the heels of the Underground Atlanta acquisition, Lalani purchased 34 Peachtree, a 300,000-square-foot office building in Downtown Atlanta, with plans to revive the office tower that currently sits at 33% occupied. Lalani and his family migrated to Atlanta 20 years ago from India, and he currently resides in Decatur with his wife and daughter.

Over the past two decades, Malloy has worked in a variety of capacities within the development industry, including development planning and execution, marketing and branding, leasing, and public relations. Today, Malloy is a senior leader within Selig Development Company, a subsidiary of Selig Enterprises. Malloy is focused on the development of Selig’s mixed-use developments including: The Works at Chattahoochee, 1105 West Peachtree, City Springs, and 1200 Spring Street. In addition to her experience executing developments, Malloy possesses a strong marketing, branding, and communications skill set, which allows her to provide a unique perspective to any development. Prior to joining Selig, Malloy spent 12 years with Carter where specialized in the development of complex, large-scale urban mixed-use projects. The majority of these projects were public-private partnerships (P3). Malloy also led Carter’s Advisory Services business unit and all of Carter’s internal and external corporate and project-level marketing and communications teams. Prior to earning her MBA, Malloy worked at Morgan Stanley where she performed financial analysis and played a large role in client relations, providing her with a solid understanding of the investment banking and securities.

Buddy Burks, PE, serves on the Enterprise Accounts team for the Construction Solutions division of Nucor Corporation, the nation’s largest domestic steel producer and supplier. With over a decade of experience in structural engineering and business development, Buddy brings a unique blend of technical expertise and client-focused strategy to the built environment. In his role at Nucor, Buddy is part of a specialized team of structural engineers dedicated to enhancing building efficiency and performance through innovative design solutions and strategic use of Nucor’s diverse product offerings. He collaborates with stakeholders across the country to optimize structural systems and drive value throughout the construction process. Buddy holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in structural engineering and is a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of Tennessee. He is also an active and engaged member of the AEC community, regularly participating in industry events, thought leadership forums, and collaborative initiatives that aim to advance the future of construction.

Tayler Henry serves as the Vice President of our Atlanta office. Since starting with Gordon Highlander over 10 years ago, Tayler has spent many years as a field superintendent, mastering the intricacies of project execution. This experience paved the way for his transition into project management, particularly in e-commerce, where he played a key role in growing the company's portfolio. Among his most notable accomplishments, Tayler managed an industrial Amazon TI project during the challenging times of COVID, valued at over $100 million, as well as the NTT North American Headquarters office project, valued at over $12 million. He relocated to Atlanta last November to spearhead a grassroots initiative, cultivating trade partner relationships in anticipation of launching the new office early next year. Tayler has quickly built strong personal and professional networks in the city and is an active member of the ABC Georgia chapter.

Mr. Fransen serves as Coro’s President. In this capacity, he is responsible for Coro's acquisitions, dispositions and financing activities, as well as overseeing its strategy and investment management. From 2010 to 2017, Mr. Fransen served as Coro’s Chief Investment Officer. Prior to joining Coro in 2010, Mr. Fransen was President, North American Operations of the Slokker Group, headquartered in Washington, DC. There he oversaw commercial, residential and specialty properties in 13 U.S states and Canadian provinces. Mr. Fransen previously served as legal counsel at Baker Botts LLP and Battle Fowler LLP. Mr. Fransen received a B.A. from the University of Virginia, a J.D. from the Fordham University School of Law and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago. Mr. Fransen is a member of International Council of Shopping Centers, Urban Land Institute and Midtown Alliance, a director of the Buckhead Coalition, and board member of Central Atlanta Progress.

Keith Mack has been an integral part of the development and construction of significant projects in the Southeast since 1994. As the Founder and Managing Principal of Gibraltar Capital Partners, he plans to continue his track record of completing multiple projects in the hospitality, multifamily, and office sectors. Over his 30 plus year career, Keith has executed some to the City’s must iconic projects, including components of the 5 billion dollar, 12 million square foot mixed-use development known as Centennial Yards, the 3344 Peachtree/Sovereign mixed-use project in Atlanta, Thompson Buckhead, Thompson Savannah,  Hyatt Place/Hyatt House Downtown Historic District in Charleston, South Carolina, in addition to more than a million square feet of office and retail tenant improvements. ​ Keith holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture from the University of Virginia, a Master of Science in Building Construction from the University of Florida, a Master of Business Administration from Georgia State University, and is a licensed real estate salesperson in the State of Georgia.   In 2009, Keith founded the Circle of Trust, a commercial real estate networking organization that boasts more than 8,000 members in Atlanta and Chicago. He is also a member of Urban Land Institute, Real Estate Executive Council, Partners for HOME and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Harvey comes to Portman Residential from Mill Creek Residential Trust where he led development operations for the Atlanta region, and prior to that, Jamestown Properties. He brings a strong focus on mixed-use development, urban high-rise construction and strategic multi-family development to our team, managing national operations and overseeing strategy and execution. Harvey has spent his fifteen-plus real estate career building Atlanta, and has been involved in the development of more than 4,000 multifamily homes with a total capitalization of over $1.2 billion. He is an active member of the Urban Land Institute, Real Estate Group of Atlanta, and the International Council of Shopping Centers.

Greg Hecht is an over 36-year attorney and a principal of Hecht Walker Jordan P.C., a ten (10) attorney law firm. Greg’s major practice areas are Land Use/Rezoning work, Real Estate Litigation, Construction Litigation, Commercial Property Tax Appeals, Business Litigation, Employment, Contract, Local Government work and assisting clients with resolving matters with local governments and authorities related to development, permitting and construction activities. Greg and the lawyers at Hecht Walker Jordan, P.C. have rezoned and assisted clients with all types of real property matters including multi-family, mixed use, industrial, single family, retail, hotel, motel, shopping centers, office buildings, studios, public private partnerships, and many local government authority related projects. In addition to representing developers, builders and real property owners, the attorneys of Hecht Walker Jordan, P.C. have represented numerous local governments including the City of Atlanta, Fulton County Board of Commissioners, Dekalb County, Henry County, Clayton County, College Park, East Point, Lovejoy, the Clayton County Water Authority, the City of Morrow, the Clayton County Housing Authority and many other local governments and authorities. Greg recently served as the Mediator to resolve the Service Delivery Disputes between all of the Cities of Cobb County and the Cobb County Commission related to the end of the two year transition period for the City of Mableton. The lawyers of Hecht Walker Jordan know local government and use that knowledge for their clients. Greg has been lead counsel in over 1000 hearings and over 300 trials. He has litigated all kinds of matters including business disputes, construction disputes, building disputes, land use disputes, permitting disputes, development disputes, employment disputes, partnership disputes, fiduciary disputes, local government denials of land use and property rights, civil rights matters, personal injury, wrongful death and many other matters. Greg is an AV rated attorney by Martindale Hubbell, the Highest Ranking for Legal Ability and Professional Ethics, He has been named by his peers in multiple years as Legal Elite, as denoted in Georgia Trend Magazine and has been designated multiple years as a Super Lawyer, as denoted in Atlanta Magazine. Hecht Walker Jordan is one of only three (3) small to medium sized firms in the State of Georgia to be ranked by Chambers USA Spotlight for 2026 in Real Estate and is recognized as one of US News’ Best Firms also. Greg has been recognized for his community and legal service for a lifetime. In 2002, Greg was the Recipient of the Gideon’s Trumpet Award, given to “One Georgian Who Best Ensures Equal Justice for All”. He was a past recipient of the Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice’s Professionalism Commission’s Community Service Award. In 2022, Greg received the Children’s Rights Inspiration Award for “For Making Extraordinary Contributions to Children so They Can Live Free from Fear, Abuse and Exploitation”. He has received community service awards from United Way and Southlake Kiwanis also. Greg served as a State Senator and a State Representative and was the Recipient of the Speak Up for Children Legislative Service Award and the Georgia Council on Aging’s Legislator of the Year Award. In the State Senate, Greg was Vice-Chair of the Judiciary Committee, Appropriations Sub-Committee Chair for the State Senate for Criminal Justice, and Chair of the Corrections and Institutional Properties Committee. In 2014, Greg was the Democrat Nominee for the State of Georgia for Attorney General and received over 1 million votes for the position. Over the past seven years, Greg has also served as a mediator, special master and arbitrator. (See Henning Panel). Born and raised in Georgia, Greg attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for his BA Degree and received the Chancellor’s Award Denoted the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award, given to “One Male and One Female Student in the Graduating Class Who Best Demonstrate Unselfish Interest in Human Welfare.” Greg attended the University of Georgia School of Law for his Juris Doctorate Degree, where he was one of two National Delegates for the 40,000 law students in the US in the ABA House of Delegates. Greg also served as an Assistant DA for four (4) years and a Special DEA Airport Drug Task Force Attorney targeting drug cartels. He has served as counsel for counties, cities and local government authorities. Outside of his legal practice, Greg has served over ten (10) years on the Carter Center Board of Counselors. Greg served as Chairperson of the Southern States Steering Committee for Children’s Rights, a national organization which tries to protect foster care children and other children in state custody or oversight from abuse and neglect. Greg served 16 years on the Alzheimer’s Services Center Board including 3 years as Chair, 10 years on the Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity Board including a term as President, over 10 years on the Special Olympics Georgia Honorary Board and over 10 years in Southlake Kiwanis. He served 9 years on the Families First Board, a non-profit organization that provides counseling and shelter for abused and neglected children and abandoned mothers, 10 years as a Legal Explorer’s Post Leader for high school students, and 5 years on the Prevention Plus Board which provides a teen center to keep kids off the street and away from drugs. He is the upcoming Chair of the Board of Directors for RED, Rehabilitation Enables Dreams. He has written an unpublished novel, a murder mystery at the Georgia Capitol. Most importantly, he is blessed to be the father of twin daughters, both adopted at age 4, who started their lives in foster care, and a son by birth. Greg appreciates the opportunities to apply his life, legal and community experience for his clients.