Michael G. Ramsey has joined Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs LLP as a partner. He returns to Memphis after living in San Diego, where he was a partner at Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps LLP.

Ramsey, a native Memphian, earned a bachelor's degree at then-Memphis State University. He attended law school at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif. Ramsey concentrates his practice on real estate, an industry that has seen its shares of ups and downs lately.

Q: What is your practice area?

A: My practice area is commercial real estate transactions with an emphasis on office building acquisitions and leasing.

Q: What are the demands of a real estate practice these days?

A: I think the challenge is to provide high-quality legal service in a timely manner in an increasingly complex industry. It really takes depth and expertise.

Q: Is it more complex than it has been?

A: I think it depends on which snapshot in time you are comparing. I would definitely say that it is much more complex now and much more competitive than it was, say, 10 years ago.

Q: You are a native Memphian. How would you say the commercial real estate environment here is similar and different from other cities?

A: As time progresses, I think there are more similarities than differences in regional areas. One of the great positives of the Memphis area is the availability of developable land. Sure, it's harder to find but you can still find excellent unimproved land for new commercial development. In areas like Southern California, where I've been practicing the last few years, there is little or no developable land left and what that does is it concentrates competition within the infill corridors and urban revitalization areas. The scarcity of developable land in California makes what is left very expensive and often prohibitively expensive.

Q: What should people who don't practice law know about our legal system?

A: They should know that the law and the legal system are complex. And venturing out without legal counsel or without adequate counsel can be very risky. The law is hard work and a person needs an experienced hard worker on their side.

Q: Is there a person you would like to depose or get on the witness stand?

A: I can't think of anyone I'd want to depose or grill on the witness stand. I am a history buff and I would love to go back in time and interview a great historical figure. One that comes to mind is Winston Churchill. I'd love to go back in time and interview him to get a first-hand account of what it would be like to be in a strategy room during World War II.