Expanding Our Team to Better Support You
At Hook Law, we continue to grow with a clear focus—strengthening how we support you and your family over time.
We are pleased to welcome Felix Swierski IV to our Virginia Beach office. Felix focuses on trust, estate, and wealth transfer planning, including estate and gift tax strategy, charitable planning, and business succession planning. He has experience planning for taxable estates, including those with assets near or exceeding $30 million. He previously practiced with firms known for their depth in private wealth planning, including Arnall Golden Gregory, where he worked on sophisticated estate planning matters. Felix earned his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center while working full-time and brings a disciplined, detail-oriented approach to complex planning needs.
We are also pleased to welcome Eric L. Smith as our Chief Financial Officer. Eric brings deep experience across financial strategy, operations, and long-term planning. He most recently served as Chief Operating Officer at Croatan Investments, where he helped lead firm-wide operations, capital strategy, and investor relations. Prior to that, he spent more than a decade with Armada Hoffler Properties, a publicly traded real estate investment trust, where he held senior leadership roles, including Chief Operating Officer and Chief Investment Officer, and was directly responsible for more than $1.5 billion in assets. At Hook Law, Eric’s focus is on strengthening the firm’s financial and operational foundation—supporting thoughtful growth and a consistent, well-managed client experience.
These additions reflect a deliberate investment in both the depth of our planning capabilities and the strength of the firm behind the scenes.
As always, our priority remains the same: providing clear guidance and a consistent, trusted experience for you and your family.
If you have any questions or would like to connect, we are here.
Hook Law
Tejal D. Desai
757-399-7506 | 252-722-2890
tdesai@hooklaw.net
Tejal Desai joined Hook Law in 2022 as the firm’s COO and transitioned to the role of CEO in 2025. He is dedicated to serving clients, strengthening the business, and shaping the future of Hook Law. With a passion for delivering best-in-class professional services, Tejal evaluates growth opportunities through strategic hires and acquisitions, fostering an environment where all members of the firm can succeed and thrive. With a proven track record of driving growth and managing complex operations, Tejal brings a wealth of experience to the role.
Over the span of his career, Tejal has led the growth of an operating company from less than 500 employees in one state to over 2,000 employees in multiple states. He has been instrumental in the acquisition, development, or disposition of close to $1 billion in commercial real estate transactions. Tejal has acted as in-house counsel managing internal clients and external counsel in various matters, including commercial litigation, complex real estate closings, employee relations, business structuring, investor relations, and commercial loan workouts. With vast experience in capital markets and capital improvements, Tejal has raised and deployed over $90 million in capital from high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and institutional investors into real estate investments across the country from 2016 to 2019. Tejal’s comprehensive background in business growth, real estate, legal affairs, and capital markets uniquely positions him to provide valuable insights and strategies to clients.
Tejal grew up in Virginia Beach and currently resides in Norfolk, Virginia with his wife and two children. Outside of work, Tejal enjoys spending quality time with family, traveling, exploring organizational development, reading, engaging in sports, and staying active with a good workout.
