EX-5.6 71 g97582exv5w6.txt EX-5.6 OPINION OF FENNEMORE CRAIG. . . . FENNEMORE CRAIG, P.C. 3003 North Central Avenue, Suite 2600 Phoenix, Arizona 85012-2913 James M. Bush Arthur D. Ehrenreich C. Webb Crockett Richard T. Coolidge LAW OFFICES Kenneth J. Sherk Neal Kurn Anthony V. Ehmann Robert P. Robinson Phoenix (602) 916-5000 Michael Preston Green John D Everroad James W. Johnson Jay S. Ruffner Tucson (520) 879-6800 Jordan Green Louis F. Comus, Jr. A. Bates Butler III Donald R. Gilbert Nogales (520) 761-4215 Ronald L Ballard Timothy J. Burke Ronald J. Stolkin Stephen M. Savage Lincoln (402) 323-6200 Roger T Hargrove William L. Kurtz Mark A. Nesvig George T. Cole Lauren J. Caster Timothy Berg Neil H. Hiller William L. Thorpe Charles M. King Cynthia L. Shupe Phillip F. Fargotstein Paul J. Mooney Cathy L. Reece David A. Weatherwax Graeme Hancock Rita A. Eisenfeld David N. Heap Don J. Miner Anne L. Kleindienst Norman D James Ray K. Harris Margaret R. Gallogly Scott M. Finical Andrew M. Federhar Nancy-Jo Merntt Kimberly A. Howard Arana Hector G. Arana Gregg Hanks Karen Ciupak McConnell Jay S. Kramer Christopher L. Callahan Jim Wright Bryan A. Albue David E. Vieweg Benjamin W. Bauer Sarah A. Strunk Michael J. Phalen J. Barry Shelley Christopher P Staring Janet Weinstein George 0. Krauja John Randall Jefferies John J. Balitis, Jr James J. Trimble PAUL A. KRULISKY Janice Procter-Murphy Robert J. Kramer John M. Pearce Jean M. Sullivan (602)916-5330 Keith L Hendricks W.T. Eggleston, Jr Stephen A. Good M. Virginia Perry (602)916-5530 Douglas C Northup Marc H- Lamber Kendis K. Muscheid Theresa Dwyer pkrulisky@fclaw.com Elizabeth M. Behnke Susan M. Ciupak Jeffrey S. Pitcher Dewain D. Fox Jay L. Shapiro John E. Kofron James D. Burgess Scott L. Altes Amy Abdo Janna B. Day Susan M. Wissink Sal J. Rivera Paul A. Krulisky Barney M. Holtzman Donald G. Blankenau1 John D. Bethea Lori A Higuera Michael J. Pearce Lawrence E. Palles Thomas R. Wilmoth Kevin J. Bonner Paul E. Wolf Sharon J. Oscar Ruth Graham Kern John F. Daniels III Cortland J. Silver Susan Stone Rosenfield Stacie Keim Smith David H. Benton Jane Proctor Thomas D. Ulreich-Power Michele L. Tyler Julio M Zapata Charles H. Houston, III Patrick J Black Dawn G. Meidinger Catherine M Woods Bart S. Wilhoit Paul Moore Adrienne W. Wilhoit M Brent Peugnet Alec R. Hillbo Erwin D. Kratz Ali J. Farhang Scott Day Freeman Laura A. Lo Bianco Lisa A. Brautigam Christa D. Torralba Elizabeth J. Whitton Sean M. Sabo Susan M. O Rodney J. Fuller(3) Pamela O. Colquette(2) Joshua R. Forest Louis D. Lopez Melissa W. Rawlinson Alexander R. Arpad M. Ellen Peters Chad R. Fuller Scott J. Shelley Nicolas B. Hoskins Eric J. Boyd A. Joseph Chandler Todd Kartchner William D Sawkiw Anthony M. Grafitti Sherida Colvin John Lesueur Todd Hall Renee E. Schmidt Whitney M. Sedwick Deryck R. Lavelle Stephen D. Benedetto Marc A. Marra Sarah M. Glover John P. Torgenson Aaron Cain Jaron J Bromm(1) (2) Admitted In (3) Admitted In New York and (1) Admitted In Nebraska Only California Only the District of Columbia only
November 22, 2005 Ashton Woods USA L.L.C. 1080 Holcomb Bridge Road Building 200, Suite 350 Roswell, GA 30076 Ladies and Gentlemen: We have acted as special counsel to Ashton Woods Construction, LLC, an Arizona limited liability company (the "Guarantor"), a subsidiary of Ashton Woods USA L.L.C. ("Ashton Woods"), in connection with the Registration Statement on Form S-4 (the "Registration Statement") filed by Ashton Woods, Ashton Woods Finance Co. ("Ashton Finance") and the subsidiary guarantors listed in the Registration Statement, including the Guarantor, with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The Registration Statement relates to the issuance by Ashton Woods and Ashton Finance of up to $125 million aggregate principal amount of their 9.5% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2015 (the "New Notes") and the issuance by the subsidiary guarantors named in the Registration Statement of guarantees (each a "Guaranty" and collectively, the "Guarantees") with respect to the New Notes. FENNEMORE CRAIG, P.C. Ashton Woods USA L.L.C. November 22, 2005 Page 2 The New Notes and Guarantees will be issued under an indenture, dated as of September 21, 2005 (the "Indenture"), among Ashton Woods, Ashton Finance, the Guarantor, the other subsidiary guarantors named therein and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee. The New Notes and Guarantees will be offered by Ashton Woods and Ashton Finance in exchange for $125 million aggregate principal amount of their outstanding 9.5% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2015 and the related guarantees of those notes. In connection with the Registration Statement, we have been requested to render the opinions set forth herein. In connection with this opinion, we have examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of (i) the Articles of Organization of the Guarantor, (ii) certain written consents of the sole member of the Guarantor, (iii) the Indenture, (iv) the Registration Statement, (v) a specimen of the New Notes and the Guarantees; and (vi) such other corporate records, agreements, certificates, documents and other instruments of the Guarantor and such certificates or comparable documents of public officials and of officers and representatives of the Guarantor as we deemed necessary or appropriate for purposes of rendering the opinions set forth below. In such examination and in rendering the opinions set forth below, we have assumed (i) the legal capacity of all natural persons, (ii) the genuineness of all signatures, (iii) the authority of all signatories, (iv) the authenticity and completeness of all documents submitted to us as forms of the documents to be executed, (v) the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies, (vi) that the statements contained in the Indenture, the Guarantees and the Registration Statement are true, correct, and complete as to all matters of fact, and (vii) that the New Notes and the Guarantees will be issued as described in the Registration Statement. As to any facts material to this opinion which we did not independently establish or verify, we have relied upon statements or representations of officers and/or other representatives of the Guarantor and others, all of which statements and representations we have assumed to be true and correct in all respects as of the date hereof. Based upon and subject to the assumptions, limitations, qualifications and exceptions set forth herein, it is our opinion that: 1. The Guarantor is validly existing as a limited liability company and in good standing under the laws of the State of Arizona, and the Guarantor has the limited liability company power to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under the Guaranty. 2. The execution, delivery and performance of the Indenture and the Guaranty by the Guarantor has been duly authorized by all necessary limited liability company action on the part of the Guarantor. FENNEMORE CRAIG, P.C. Ashton Woods USA L.L.C. November 22, 2005 Page 3 3. The execution and delivery by the Guarantor of the Indenture and the Guaranty and the performance of its obligations thereunder have been duly authorized by all necessary limited liability company action and do not and will not (i) require any further consent or approval of its members, or (ii) violate any provision of any law, rule or regulation of the State of Arizona, or (iii) or violate its articles of organization. The foregoing opinions are subject to the following qualifications and limitations: With respect to our opinions set forth in paragraph 3 we express no opinion with respect to the enforceability of the Indenture or the Guaranty. We are qualified to practice law in the State of Arizona. We express no opinion as to, and for the purposes of the opinions set forth herein, we have conducted no investigation of, and do not purport to be experts on, any laws other than the laws of the State of Arizona. This opinion speaks as of the date hereof. We assume no obligation to advise you of any change in the foregoing subsequent to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement even though the change may affect the legal analysis or a legal conclusion or other matters in this opinion letter. This opinion has been prepared for your use in connection with the Registration Statement and may not be relied upon for any other purpose; provided, however, that Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP may rely upon this opinion with respect to its opinion to you in connection with the Registration Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Securities and Exchange Commission as Exhibit 5.6 to the Registration Statement and to the reference to this firm under the heading "LEGAL MATTERS" in the Prospectus forming a part of the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are included in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Very truly yours, /s/ Fennemore Craig, P.C. -------------------------------- Fennemore Craig, P.C.