Phil Lawson

Founder and Chairman

Phil Lawson is the Founder and Chairman of LHP Capital, bringing more than 50 years of real estate finance and development experience to the company’s leadership. His strategic vision has been instrumental in the construction or rehabilitation of commercial and residential properties valued at over $2 billion. Under his guidance, LHP and its predecessor, Lawler Wood Housing, have grown into a national leader in affordable housing, developing 115 properties comprising over 15,000 apartment units. Early in his career as Chief Financial Officer at Lawler-Wood, Phil also played a pivotal role in shaping the Knoxville skyline, overseeing transformative developments like the Riverview Tower and the U.S. Federal Courthouse. He holds a BS in Accounting from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

In 2020, he founded the Lawson Family Foundation to serve as a catalyst for the development of a more inclusive Knoxville community, awarding more than $5.5 million in charitable grants to local nonprofits to date. Expanding on this mission in 2022, he established the Grandiflora Foundation to transform a vacant church into an inclusive event venue in East Knoxville, while simultaneously executing an award-winning restoration of the historic Rule House on the same block. In addition to charitable giving through his two foundations, Phil has personally donated over $6.5 million to local, national, and international charities and created significant endowments for social work advocacy and education at UT and Maryville College.