A Legal Engine Behind Upstate Growth

Inside Burr & Forman’s Role in Powering Commercial Real Estate

Behind every major deal in the Upstate, there’s someone making sure the details keep pace with the vision. That’s where Adam Artigliere comes in. As a partner and commercial real estate attorney at Burr & Forman, he turns legal complexity into smooth landings.

Based in Greenville and deeply embedded in the Upstate’s legal and business communities, Artigliere helps his clients navigate the inevitable challenges in the purchase and sale of real property, from addressing title matters, to securing entitlements and negotiating restrictions for major site development.

“I still do a lot of economic development work,” Artigliere says. “But my main area is commercial real estate, and I handle those transactions from the beginning to the end.”

That end-to-end knowledge has made Burr & Forman a go-to firm for projects across South Carolina and beyond. With more than 380 attorneys across offices in the Southeast, the firm serves a broad client base: corporations, municipalities, governmental projects and financial institutions. The Greenville office’s recent work includes securing bonds to finance the Upstate’s most visible projects, advising health care systems throughout the United States, and serving as general counsel for local governments and authorities.

“Part of my responsibility with the firm is not only growing my own practice, but also growing the firm — making sure other attorneys have quality work and connecting our different practice areas,” Artigliere explains.

That connector mindset is also what drew him, and Burr & Forman, into deeper partnership with the Upstate SC Alliance.

A Strategic Investment in Regional Growth

The firm’s relationship with the Upstate Alliance began when Artigliere was still with McNair Law Firm, which later merged with Burr & Forman. McNair had been involved with Upstate Alliance for many years. McNair recognized the enormous impact Upstate Alliance was having on the growth in the region. They decided that they could not pass up the opportunity to become more deeply involved in supporting Upstate Alliance’s mission as a Board Member.

They based that decision on the unique value the Alliance offers through unified regional access and meaningful, business-focused engagement.

“Upstate SC Alliance allows me to focus on one group, one organization, that covers the entire region,” says Artigliere. “We are able to develop deep relationships with major players and economic development directors in the 10-county area. We work with our counties and local governments all the time. But having a connection with them through Upstate Alliance is valuable — they see us, they know us, they trust us.”

Artigliere has furthered his involvement with the Alliance since being elected to serve on the Executive Committee in 2022. He is currently the Upstate Alliance’s Vice-Chairman and serves an important role in guiding the organization.

“Maintaining a successful practice in the world of economic development requires developing long-term relationships. It is a slog. It takes time and visibility to cultivate trust,” he says. “The Upstate Alliance gives us that opportunity through its programs and keeps us engaged.”

Relationships that Generate Returns

The trust and visibility Burr & Forman gains from its relationship with Upstate Alliance aren’t just abstract benefits. Burr & Forman has tracked its return on investment in the Alliance, and the results are compelling.

“Our investment in Upstate Alliance has shown significant results,” Artigliere says. “While it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly where every client or matter comes from, we can often say, ‘We would not have been engaged by that client but for our investment and involvement in the Upstate Alliance.’”

In other words: the return is real, even if the math is complicated. And some outcomes are more direct than others. On a recent mission trip to Belgium with the Alliance, Artigliere and others helped build some significant new relationships for the firm.

“That trip was very valuable,” he says. “It is relatively abnormal to see such a direct, quick return on investment… but that trip was an exception. And I give all credit to the planning and coordination of Upstate Alliance for its success.”

Beyond international travel, Artigliere highlighted other Alliance programs that have expanded his network and deepened business ties: “I participated in the Investor Roundtable Club and through that, I connected with key professionals, and we’ve shared work for years.”

He also credits the Alliance with supporting the growth and network of his colleague Serina Combs, a young associate who clerked with the firm and joined full-time in September 2024 after earning her law degree. “I’ve introduced her to several different people through Upstate Alliance. She is now actively involved with Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW),” he says. “That’s a connection she made at an Upstate Alliance event.”

Supporting Relocation with Tools That Travel

Burr & Forman’s involvement goes beyond client work. Artigliere is also a vocal supporter of Upstate SC Alliance’s talent attraction tools, including the Move Up website and its cost-of-living calculator.

“I gave the Move Up website to someone in Italy just last week,” he shares. “I often talk to people outside of the state, or even just people thinking about moving here, and I send it to them. And then I show them the job board and I tell them, ‘It’s not fake jobs. It’s real.’”

From promoting the region to recruiting talent, Artigliere sees the Alliance’s resources as a natural extension of his role as both attorney and advocate for the Upstate: “We want people to move here. We need people to move here. This is a tool they can use.”

Staying Plugged In

Artigliere also finds value in the Alliance’s events, where industry experts speak on topics ranging from logistics to economic trends.

“There’s always something new to learn,” he says, noting event speakers like the South Carolina Ports Authority, Duke Energy, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. “I always learn something new at Coffee & Conversation, which I’m then able to come back and share with the people in our office.”

Even for someone who has been doing this work for well over a decade, the ongoing exposure to subject-matter experts and other stakeholders is valuable, especially when paired with the opportunity to help shape the region’s trajectory.

For Artigliere and Burr & Forman, success isn’t only measured in signed documents or closed deals. It’s measured in connections made, communities strengthened and a region that’s ready to compete on the world stage. And that vision is becoming a reality every day in Upstate South Carolina.

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This profile is part of a series on benefits of investing with the Upstate SC Alliance, highlighting both the role that private business plays in economic development and the value that companies can find by supporting our mission.