Lauren Parson Langham
Hometown: Jacksonville.
Family: She has been married to Sam, a commerical real estate appraiser, for 12 years. They have two children Anna, 9 and Sarah, 7.
Hobbies: Walking on beach, reading and playing piano.
Resides: South Jacksonville Beach.
Recommended book: “A Fine Balance” by Rohinton Mistry.
Recommended movie: “The Girl in the Cafe.”
Church: Palms Presbyterian.
Lauren Parson Langham has been a commercial real estate attorney with the Smith Hulsey & Busey for 17 years. She is a general commercial real estate practitioner. “I do it all including purchase and sales, contracts and closing documents, loans, loan workouts, leases and foreclosures.”
INTERESTING SPECIALITY?
Langham also sells bank branches. “Banks merge and they end up with all these branches that are right across the street from one another or next door. So, they need to get rid of one of them. They keep one and sell the other. I sell them in bulk. I’ll sell like 50 at a time in several different states. I have lawyers that work for me in different states. I handle the Florida transactions and then I manage the entire bulk sale for the bank.”
WHAT DOES SHE SEE GOING ON IN THE COMMERCIAL REALM?
“In my office, we are very busy. We haven’t slowed down at all. We’ve actually gotten busier. We are doing fewer new loans and more loan workouts. Some foreclosures and a lot of loan workouts.”
EDUCATION
She earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Florida and her law degree from the University of Florida College of Law.
WHY DID SHE BECOME AN ATTORNEY?
Her father, William Parsons, was a lawyer and is a circuit judge. “We have some family history there. I wouldn’t say that he talked me into it. We never really discussed it, but sometimes I think you lean towards things you are familiar with.”
HOW HAS IT BEEN TO BE A WOMAN IN COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE LAW?
“I think we still have a long way to go. I see a lot of progress, mostly in seeing more women lawyers and doing deals with other women lawyers. Organizations like Commercial Real Estate Women of Jacksonville show that there are more women involved in commercial real estate. But, in terms of Jacksonville industry, it’s still pretty ‘good old boy’, so it’s difficult to get the business.”
CLIENTS?
Big banks, Realtors and developers.
ISSUES?
“The residential market is now beginning to impact the commercial market. If you don’t have residential, you aren’t going to have any commercial going in anywhere, so you can’t get loans. We are definitely getting more loan workouts. We are working out a lot of loans that have gone bad.”
ROLE MODEL?
Langham cited her boss, Hank Wilson, as a great role model. “He a good guy and I’ve learned a lot from him. One of the things I really like about him is how he handles things. He has a wonderful bedside manner. He’s very smart, gifted and talented. When he’s handling a difficult person, he never raises his voice or gets anxious. He just has a really good way of handling people. Another thing I appreciate about him is his creativity. I strive to be that way. Don’t tell the client you can’t do it. Find a way to do it. If you can find a way within the bounds of ethics, do it. Do it this way, instead of that way.”
FAVORITE THING ABOUT HER JOB?
“The people I work with. I really enjoy the people I work with. You spend a lot of your day working and I feel you should not only like what you do, but who you are doing it with.”
BEST PROFESSIONAL ADVICE EVER RECEIVED?
“Learn everything you can. No matter what the future may bring, you know you won’t lose that. That can’t be taken from you.”
KEYS TO SUCCESS?
“Having a really good husband. He has his own business, but he is a hands-on dad. If he wasn’t a hands-on dad, I don’t know what I would do. I have to have help. I can’t do it by myself. I think that would be my biggest secret, picking a good spouse.”
- by Michele Newbern Gillis