Biographies

Garry W. Johnson, a principal with Tripp Scott, focuses his practice on corporate and business formations, mergers and acquisitions, commercial and public finance, and commercial and residential real estate transactions. He provides companies, financial institutions and government authorities with counsel on numerous facets of commercial, industrial development and public-lending transactions.

In the municipal financial and public sector, Johnson has represented governmental entities, underwriters, hospitals, universities and private companies in numerous projects, including all aspects of acquisition, financing, development and construction. Representative transactions have included counties and municipalities, school boards, hospital districts, universities, downtown development authorities, educational facilities authorities, improvement districts, underwriters, hospitals, universities and the like. Transactions have included conventional, vsriable-rate, auction rate, interest rate swap, lease, ground lease, capital lease, operating lease, sale-leaseback, synthetic lease and other structures.

In the private sector, Johnson has been involved in the formation and structuring of start-up and mid-level companies, real estate sales, purchases, leases and development, and debt and equity transactions including asset-backed commercial paper facilities, mortgage-backed credit facilities, secured and unsecured revolving credit lines, synthetic leases and off-balance sheet transactions, capital and operating lease structures and sale-leaseback structures.

Johnson has been involved in several high-profile ventures or developments involving both the public and private sector, including matters involving the development of the Broward County Convention Center, the Florida Atlantic University downtown campus and mixed-use opportunities at the BankAtlantic Center.

Johnson has been involved with the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Broward and the Broward Alliance. He serves on the board of the Boys and Girls Club of Broward County and is a member of the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the National Association of Bond Lawyers.

Johnson holds a law degree with honors and a bachelor's degree with high honors in accounting from the University of Florida. He worked for two years as a Certified Public Accountant before entering law school.