Meet John

At Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, John McArthur primarily focuses on real estate lending and commercial development. He regularly represents national and regional banks and other lending institutions and developers in transactions involving multi-phase commercial, industrial and residential development. John has represented numerous developers in land use and zoning proceedings. He has coordinated the acquisition and development of real estate tracts ranging from several acres to over 2,000 acres, including compliance with local and state planning and permitting.

John serves as chair of the firm’s Financial Services Industry Group. He regularly represents national, regional and state financial institutions in real estate and asset-based financings.

He has significant experience representing non-profit real estate foundations supporting public and private institutions of higher learning. Such representation includes the formation of non-profits and obtaining approval as 501(c)(3) organizations, structuring public/private partnership ground leased projects and ground lease/leaseback projects, and negotiation of complex funding vehicles such as new market tax credits and tax exempt funding. He also has represented universities and colleges in development of campus facilities, related zoning matters and endowment matters.

John has represented continuing care retirement communities in the development and financing of independent living, assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing facilities. 

He is well versed in handling general corporate matters for clients, including contract negotiation, mergers and acquisitions and entity formations.

EXPERIENCE

• •  Worked on zoning issues for the University of South Carolina’s planned research campus, InnoVista
• •  Represented municipalities and developers in the negotiation of annexations, development agreements and PUD zoning provisions
• •  Represented a mining company in pre-closing due diligence and acquisition of a mine site
• •  Represented the University of South Carolina Alumni Association in development and financing of the USC Alumni Center and the University of South Carolina Development Foundation in the development and financing of the 650 Lincoln student housing facility

• University of South Carolina, J.D., cum laude, 1981
• University of South Carolina, B.S., magna cum laude, 1978

• South Carolina, 1998
• U.S. District Court, South Carolina, 2003

• The Best Lawyers in America© Real Estate Law (2008-2024)
• Best Lawyers® 2020 Real Estate Law “Lawyer of the Year” Columbia
• Chambers USA Real Estate (2007-2019)
• South Carolina Super Lawyers® Real Estate (2010-2019)
• Columbia Business Monthly "Legal Elite of the Midlands" Commercial Real Estate Law (2018, 2020)

• South Carolina Bar
• American Bar Association
• The River Alliance, Chairman of the Board
• City Center Partnership, former Chairman of the Board
• South Carolina Business and Industry Political Education Committee, Board Member
• Columbia Chamber, former Executive Committee Member
• Columbia Development Corporation, former Board Member