J. Matthew Van Dyke

Associate / Atlanta

J. Matthew Van Dyke is an Associate in the Real Estate Practice of Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP.

  • Full Bio

    Matthew Van Dyke is an Associate in the Real Estate Practice of Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP where he advises landowners, investors (including REITs and TIMOs), developers and owner-occupiers on a variety of commercial real estate transactions including the acquisition, sale and financing of healthcare related assets, shopping centers and large-scale institutional timberlands. Matthew also represents landlords and tenants in office, retail, and industrial leasing transactions.

    In addition, Matthew is a trusted advisor specializing in real estate solutions for corporate transactions, guiding clients through complex deals with expert insight and strategic advice.

    Outside of work, you can find Matthew playing tennis with his wife and kids or in the woods hunting for quail, whitetail deer, or his golf ball.

    An adopted son of Gainesville, Georgia, Matthew earned his undergraduate degree from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. He went on to receive his J.D. from Emory University School of Law, where he also earned a Certificate in Transactional Law and Skills.

  • Representative Experience

    • Represented Timber Investment Management Organization (“TIMO”) in the acquisition of 107,000 acres of timberlands located in 12 counties throughout Central Virginia.
    • Represented TIMO in the acquisition of 17,000 acres of timberlands located in 11 counties throughout upstate South Carolina.
    • Represented TIMO in the acquisition of timberlands in Texas.
    • Represented publicly traded real estate investment trust (“REIT”) in the acquisition of timberlands in Arkansas.
    • Represented publicly traded REIT in the sale of 35,000 acres of timberlands in Arkansas and Alabama.
    • Represented publicly traded REIT in the sale of certain timberlands to state agencies to be converted into Wildlife Management Areas.
    • Represented privately owned real estate company in the disposition and acquisition of shopping centers in metro-Atlanta, GA as well as all leasing activities with tenants.
    • Represented international engineering firm in the acquisition of real estate assets as part of a corporate M&A transaction.
    • Represented privately owned real estate company in the purchase and sale of medical office buildings and veterinary clinics throughout the continental United States.
    • Represented privately owned RE company in the acquisition of a $10MM shopping center in Birmingham, AL.
    • Represented publicly traded REIT in its small tract dispositions of timberland property throughout the southeastern U.S.
    • Represented privately owned timber company in the acquisition of 58,000 acres of timberlands throughout Louisiana and Arkansas.
    • Represented TIMO in the acquisition of timberlands located throughout Louisiana and Texas.
    • Represented national healthcare company in the acquisition of raw land in Georgia for future development.
    • Represented major cultural institution in the acquisition and disposition of real property throughout Georgia.
    • Represented developer in the purchase of vacant land to be used for single family, multi family, and BTR development.
    • Represented international manufacturing company in the acquisition of raw land for the development of its US manufacturing operations.

  • Bar Admissions

    Georgia
    U.S. District Court Northern District of Georgia

  • Education

    Undergraduate
    • The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina

    Law School
    • Emory University School of Law

  • Memberships

    Member, Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce
    Past President, Forsyth County Bar Association

  • Recognitions


    Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America, Real Estate Law (2026)

  • SGR Publications

  • Press