JIM HARLAN
MANGING MEMBER
James I. Harlan, MA, JD is a Managing Member of Sapient Funding CFS, LLC and Sapient Property Group, LLC. Mr. Harlan has nearly 50 years of personal experience as a trial lawyer and real estate consultant. He had been a licensed real estate broker for many years, but ultimately focuses his expertise as a real estate lawyer. He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal for his service during the Vietnam war. He is the author of several real estate related articles and presentations throughout his career. Mr. Harlan has been awarded a Lifetime California Community College Certification as an Instructor and has formerly been accredited to teach CEU real estate courses for the Texas Real Estate Commission.
After serving his appointment as Iowa Assistant Secretary of Agriculture-Director of Regulatory Division, Mr. Harlan began his real estate career as a real estate broker and real estate lawyer for General Growth Properties, the then largest publicly held REIT shopping Center developer and manager in the US, developing the legal documentation for the sale of 20 shopping centers to a major lender. Mr. Harlan was then recruited to Chicago to represent the then fifth largest retailer in the US, Montgomery Wards, for his advice in most facets of its real estate transactions. He prepared and negotiated legal documents for merger, acquisition, development, improvement, and leasing of 50 Jefferson-Ward conversions throughout the Eastern United States. He also prepared and negotiated most legal documents for the acquisition, joint venture, and construction of major tenant retail stores for regional shopping centers.
Returning to Texas, Mr. Harlan ultimately represented MCI Worldcom, Inc., the second largest long distance telephone carrier in the US. He became an Associate Counsel – Network and Facilities Telecommunications, specializing in Law & Public Policy: Litigation /Real Estate for nearly a decade. He was later honored with the MCI’s MAP Award for Performance in Law and Public Policy. After leaving MCI, Mr. Harlan was hired by Verizon, formerly GTE Communications Company, the then second largest wireless carrier in the US to negotiate dark fiber, swap agreements, leases, licenses, joint construction projects and all other contractual requirements for the engineering and construction of both the local and long-distance networks.
