DLA Piper is pleased to announce that the legal department for one of its clients, the Atlanta Braves, has been honored as the In-House Legal Department of the Year in the Real Estate category by the Fulton County Daily Report. The firm and its client were profiled in the publication's November 9, 2016, edition, and were honored at a reception and dinner at the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead that evening.

The award was based on the Braves' legal navigation through the complex issues surrounding the development of SunTrust Park and the adjacent mixed-use development, The Battery Atlanta. The Braves are set to begin play in SunTrust Park in Cobb County outside Atlanta next spring.

DLA Piper's real estate team, led by Maxine Hicks, assisted the Braves with all aspects of the new ballpark, including negotiating definitive documents with the County and related authorities; handling all real estate transactions related to the matter; negotiating county revenue bonds and private financing; drafting and negotiating all design and construction related agreements; and collaborating with the Georgia Department of Transportation, Cobb County and other local authorities on  infrastructure, including a pedestrian walkway over Interstate 285.

DLA Piper also represented the Braves in connection with the adjacent mixed-use development known as "The Battery Atlanta™," including office, retail, residential, hotel and entertainment components and an additional concert/theatre venue. The estimated cost of the stadium, parking and related infrastructure is US$672 million. The estimated cost of the Phase 1 mixed-use is US$400 million.

The Atlanta Braves' General Counsel, Greg Heller, told the Fulton County Daily Report, "DLA Piper was chosen as outside counsel because of the firm's depth and experience along with a few key recommendations from people we knew and trusted."