Real Estate 2024: C. LEE WARFIELD

First joining Thalhimer as an associate broker in 1995, Warfield now leads the real estate firm’s seven offices and 450 associates in Virginia. In 2016, he became Thalhimer’s fourth CEO since its 1913 founding, adding to the role of president, which he has held since 2011. Warfield has been chairman of Thalhimer’s board since 2017.

Thalhimer Realty Partners, one of the company’s subsidiaries, is part of the team developing some of Richmond’s $2.44 billion Diamond District mixed-use project. Its current team, Diamond District Partners, is developing the commercial and residential portion of the district that will surround the baseball stadium for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels, although the Squirrels later chose a different development team for the baseball stadium they will lease.

Following the change, Thalhimer and Loop Capital formed a new entity, Diamond District Partners, without Republic Properties, which was part of RVA Diamond Partners, the initial development team selected by the City of Richmond. In July, Republic Properties sued Thalhimer and Loop Capital for $40 million, alleging they breached their venture partnership with Republic when they formed the new entity. Warfield said in a statement the lawsuit had “no merit.”