Mr. Tatum earned his bachelor's degree from Texas Tech University in 1980 and his law degree, with honors, from the same university in 1984, where he was a member of Phi Delta Phi, Order of the Coif and Texas Tech University Law Review. His practice is concentrated in the representation of developers in the acquisition, construction, management and sale of residential, commercial and industrial property, of landlords and tenants in lease transactions, including build to suit, bond, sale-leaseback and other lease-finance arrangements, and of lenders and borrowers in commercial lending transactions. He was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in 1984. Mr. Tatum was born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1958.