Steve Leara’s duties encompass all legal work for Retail Specialists and Retail Strategies. He has been involved with all aspects of commercial real estate for over 30 years as a broker and developer, as well as representing national and local real estate clients in all aspects of the industry, including: (i) capital raises and formation; (ii) acquisition, development and financing agreements; (iii) lease negotiations and disputes; (iv) property management; and (v) dispositions.

Steve received a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Brown University in 1986. He earned his J.D. degree from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University, graduating magna cum laude in 1994. He is licensed to practice in Alabama and Georgia.

In 2001, the Birmingham Business Journal selected Steve as one of the “Top 40 Under 40” when recognizing outstanding young business leaders.

Steve is an associate professor for Mergers & Acquisitions and Bankruptcy Law at the Cumberland School of Law (Samford University – Birmingham, AL).  He is currently a board member of the Brown Football Association (Providence, R.I.) and the Holy Trinity/Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Cathedral Foundation (Birmingham, AL) for which he also serves as its President. He was formerly a board member of the Mountain Brook Sports Corporation (Mountain Brook, AL) and SouthPoint Bank (Birmingham, AL).