Butler Snow attorney Tray Hairston recently spoke at the Next Move Group’s 2024 Mardi Gras Site Selectors Panel & Economic Development Conference on February 8, 2024. The event brings economic development professionals together to stay at the forefront of the profession through interactive sessions led by industry experts and site selection consultants.
Tray spoke on the ‘Legalities of Economic Development’ and focused on the varying types of economic development organizations, confidentiality, conflicts of interest and ethics, public-private partnerships and incentive compliance.
At Butler Snow, Tray Hairston concentrates on public finance and economic development matters, including all types of municipal bond issues, serving as bond counsel for taxable and tax-exempt financings throughout the country. He has served as bond counsel, lender’s counsel and underwriter’s counsel for various cities, counties and financial institutions and worked on more than $2 billion in transactions. One of Tray’s seminal legal publications is The Future of Economic Development, 35 Miss. C.L. Rev. 370 (2017).
Before joining Butler Snow, Tray served as Counsel and Economic Development Advisor to Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant. Tray is also Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) through the International Economic Development Council. Tray has been recognized by Mid-South Super Lawyers® for Government Finance (2016-2023), Mississippi College School of Law as Young Lawyer of the Year (2013), and Mississippi Business Journal as one of its Top 40 under 40 (2012–2013). In addition, The Bond Buyer publication recognized Tray as one of the 28 “Rising Stars” within the public finance field throughout the country.
Tray is a member of the National Association of Bond Lawyers, International Economic Development Council, Southern Economic Development Council and Mississippi Bar Association. He received his undergraduate degree from Tougaloo College, his MBA from Belhaven College, and his Juris Doctor from the Mississippi College School of Law.
