Member Highlight – Agent: Mark Bond

Mark Bond, a partner in the Gulfport office of Balch & Bingham LLP, was well prepared for the practice of real estate law by his work in the banking industry with an emphasis in lending prior to law school.  He graduated from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 2011 and joined Balch shortly thereafter.  His path toward a focus in real estate developed from assisting a client with a large-scale land acquisition in rural Mississippi early in his career.  The experience gained from that project has led to a wide variety of commercial and industrial projects, including financing and leasing.  Mark also has a corporate practice and represents state agencies in procurement law.

As a young lawyer, Mark says he learned the following lessons about the real estate business:  “(i) no two real estate projects are alike, expect the unexpected; and (ii) setting expectations early and maintaining open channels of communication with clients, lenders, surveyors and opposing counsel from due diligence to closing is critical to the success of any transaction.”  His advice for someone new to the practice would be to “find a firm where you can work daily with other attorneys with years of experience and absorb that knowledge.  Also, take an interest in your clients and their projects.  Do not just treat them as a source of revenue.”  Whether reviewing titles on the coast or in more rural parts of the state, Mark says you never know what you might discover.  His favorite find to date has been a deed description referencing a moonshine still.

Mark is recently married to Morgan Fore Bond, an exceptional third-grade teacher, and they live in Gulfport with their Scottish terrier, Wrigley.  Away from work, they enjoy traveling and finding new restaurants as they did on their honeymoon in Antigua.  Mark is also an avid baseball fan of the Ole Miss Rebels and Houston Astros.