C. Thomas Steele, Jr.
Attorney
Primary Practice Areas
• Business Law
• Real Estate
• Taxation
• Estate Planning for Business Owners

Education
• University of North Carolina at Asheville
(B.S. with Distinction in Accounting, 1984)
• University of North Carolina School of Law
(J.D., 1987)
• Certified Public Accountant

Contact

Attorney

C. Thomas Steele, Jr.

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Practice Areas

Overview

Tom’s practice includes advising individuals and entities with the purchase, sale, exchange and refinancing of commercial and residential real property; providing advice in estate planning and estate administration, guardianship and trust matters; assisting lenders in connection with foreclosures and commercial real estate closings; assisting clients in partition proceedings; and providing services as an expert witness in real property matters.
Education
  • University of North Carolina at Asheville (B.S. with Distinction in Accounting, 1984)
  • University of North Carolina School of Law (J.D., 1987)
  • Certified Public Accountant
  • CCIM Designation earned 2008
  • Formerly an SBA designated attorney
Admissions & Certifications
  • Admitted to practice before the North Carolina Bar 1987
  • Board Certified Specialist in Real Property Law – Residential, Business, Commercial and Industrial Transactions by the North Carolina State Bar 1994
  • Certified Public Accountant by the North Carolina State Board of Certified Public Accountant Examiners 2001
  • CCIM Designation 2008
  • Admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court 2016
Professional Organizations
  • North Carolina Bar Association, Board of Governors (2009-2012)
  • North Carolina Bar Association Professionalism Committee and formerly served on Strategic Planning & Emerging Trends Committee and Development Committee
  • Member of the Construction Law, Elder Law, Estate Planning, and Real Property Sections of the North Carolina Bar Association
  • North Carolina Bar Association Real Property Section Council- served as Legislative Committee Chair, Treasurer, Vice Chair, Chair and Past Chair (2001-2009)
  • Alamance County Bar Association (Judicial District 15-A) served as Secretary, Treasurer, Vice President, and President
  • Member and Past President and Board Member, Real Estate Lawyers Association of North Carolina (RELANC)
  • Member of North Carolina Land Title Association
  • Member of American Land Title Association
Representative Work
  • Regularly represents clients in acquisition (including agreement negotiation, financing and closing of transaction) and disposition of income producing properties (both single site and multiple site/multi-state transactions), including retail, industrial, office and medical office facilities.
  • Regularly represents clients in acquisition (including agreement negotiation, financing and closing of transaction) and disposition of owner occupied and user facilities (both single site and multiple site/multi-state transactions), including retail, industrial, office and medical office facilities.
  • Regularly represents clients in acquisition (including agreement negotiation, financing and closing of transaction) and disposition of residential and agricultural properties.
  • Has represented certified development companies in connection with the making of SBA 504 loans to various commercial entities.
Publications & Presentations
  • “Mandatory Student Fees At Public Universities; Bringing the First Amendment Within the Campus Gate”, published in Journal of College and University Law, Spring 1987 Number 4.
Honors & Awards
  • Eagle Scout
  • Board Certified Specialist in Real Property Law – Residential, Business, Commercial and Industrial Transactions by the North Carolina State Bar 1994
  • Inducted as one of eight members of the Class of 1987 in the James E. and Carolyn B. Davis Society at the University of North Carolina School of Law
  • Selected by his peers for inclusion in Woodward/White’s The Best Lawyers in America® in Corporate Law, 2012-2016 and in Real Estate Law, 2012-2016. Selected as a 2016 Lawyer of the Year for Closely Held Companies and Family Business Law
  • Honorary Member of the University of North Carolina-Asheville’s Chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma (2012)
  • UNC – Asheville Roy A. Taylor Distinguished Alumnus of the Year, Presented 2013
  • J. Nelson Young Tax Scholarship (University of North Carolina School of Law, 1987)
  • Alamance District Award of Merit, presented by Old North Council State Boy Scouts of America, 2013
  • Selected for inclusion in North Carolina Super Lawyers in the practice area of Real Estate Transactions, 2006-2013, 2016-2021
  • Business North Carolina’s Legal Elite in Real Estate, 2006, 2009, and 2015
  • NC Bar Association Real Property Section Distinguished Service Award
  • Maintains an AV® Preeminent” 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell (the highest peer review competence and ethical rating possible)
Community Involvement
  • NC Bar Association Real Property Section Distinguished Service Award
  • Former member of Love School of Business Accounting Advisory Board-Elon University
  • Front Street United Methodist Church Stewardship Committee and Board of Trustees. Formerly served as Sunday school teacher and on Staff Parrish Relations Committee, Long Range Planning Committee, and  Administrative Board
  • Chair, Eagle Board, Alamance District, Old North State Council, Boy Scouts of America (2005 – present)
  • Chair, Alamance District, Boy Scouts of America (2014 – 2015)
  • Merit Badge Counselor and Troop Committee Member, BSA Troop 142-Shiloh United Methodist Church
  • Hospice and Palliative Care Center of Alamance-Caswell, LLC, formerly a Board Member and also served as Treasurer, Vice-Chair and Chair
  • Hospice of Alamance-Caswell Foundation, Inc.- formerly Board Member (previously served as Secretary, Vice-Chair and Chair)
  • Burlington-Alamance Board of Realtors Affiliate Member
  • Burlington – Alamance Realtors Commercial Alliance —Affiliate Member
  • Alamance – Caswell Home Builders Association – former Board Member and Treasurer (2005 – 2011)
  • Alamance Country Club — Former Board Member and Treasurer (2006 – 2009)
  • Alamance Battleground Friends, Inc. — Former Board Member
  • Alamance Battleground Chapter, Society of the Sons of the American Revolution
  • The United Methodist Retirement Homes Incorporated and The United Methodist Retirement Homes Foundation – Board of Trustees (2013 – 2021)
  • Firm Representative for the UNC School of Law, Law Firm Campaign (2007 – present)
  • Former Treasurer, Walter M. Williams High School Alumni and Friends Association
  • Served as member of the Burlington Recreation & Parks Commission
  • Served as a member of the board of directors of Habitat for Humanity of Alamance County, N.C., Inc.
  • Served as a member of the board of directors of the University of North Carolina at Asheville Alumni Association Board of Directors
  • Treasurer, Walter M. Williams High School Booster Club (2010 – 2018)
  • UNC School of Law, Law Alumni Association Board of Directors (2012 – 2019)
  • UNC Asheville – National Alumni Council (2013 – 2019)
  • Alamance County Historical Museum, Inc. (2019 – present)
  • The United Methodist Retirement Homes Foundation, Inc. (Board Member 2013 –2021)
  • Alamance Extended Care, Inc. (The Village At Brookwood 2021 – 2023)
  • Board Member, Burlington Downtown Corporation (2023 – present)
  • Board Member, The University of North Carolina at Asheville Foundation, Inc. (2024 – present)
Personal
  • Born in Sylva, North Carolina
  • Raised in Burlington, North Carolina
  • Married to Kimberly Hindman Steele
  • Two sons, William and John Charles

Working With Us

EXPERT LEGAL COUNSEL FOR BUSINESSES, NON‑PROFITS, AND FAMILIES

At Pittman & Steele, we sit with our clients, not across from them. We listen first, then speak. We work for our clients, not around them. Pittman & Steele takes the long view, investing in relationships and our local community. It’s not about parking spaces, dark suits, or thick documents. It’s about outcomes that position our clients for success. If your business, non-profit, or family needs expert legal counsel, we welcome the conversation.

If you would like to start the conversation, please contact us at 336.270.4440

Please note that we cannot represent you nor can we treat unsolicited information as confidential until we know that doing so will not create a conflict of interest. Accordingly, please DO NOT send information about any matter unless you have a written engagement letter from us stating that we represent you as a client.