CHARLESTON, S.C. – Attorney Gray B. Taylor has earned the designation of LEED Accredited Professional.  This designation recognizes individuals for their knowledge of the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building rating system, a suite of standards for sustainable construction developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, a non-profit trade organization that promotes environmentally conscious building design and operation.

“This effort represents not just a commitment to our clients but also to the community at large,” said Chris Hughes, Chief Operating Officer of Buist, Byars & Taylor.  “As green building standards become increasingly more commonplace due to the well documented benefits of this approach, we are seeing a surge of demand for legal guidance in an area that only a few years ago was relatively unknown among local developers.”

Many municipalities throughout the country are beginning to require developers to meet LEED certification criteria for planned projects.  The trend is driven by a desire to reduce demand on critical natural resources and maximize the energy efficiency of these structures.

Gray B. Taylor is a shareholder and the head of the firm’s commercial real estate practice.  He holds a bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources from the University of the South, a master’s degree in Forestry from Clemson University and a law degree from the University ofSouth Carolina.  He is a member of the Urban Land Institute, the Congress for New Urbanism and serves on the Board of Directors for the Mount Pleasant Open Space Foundation.

Buist, Byars & Taylor, LLC, is a real estate law firm representing clients in the purchase, sale, use and development of residential and commercial real estate. The firm has offices in six locations, serving Mount Pleasant, the resort islands of Kiawah and Seabrook, the Hilton Head/Bluffton area, Charleston (West Ashley), Daniel Island/Wando and North Charleston. For more information, visit www.buistbyars.com.