Real Estate Transactions

We have experience with all categories of real estate transactions including land, office, industrial, commercial and retail, multi-family, medical, hospitality, governmental, and higher education.

Land Development

We represent land developers in all aspects of the development process, from the initial acquisition and financing, to the planning, permitting, and entitlement phase, to negotiating sales of tracts to homebuilders, and other end users, including land banking transactions.

Acquisitions

We represent clients regularly in the acquisition, sales and financing of office, industrial, and retail properties, including mixed use and specialty projects. Our work starts early in the process with most clients, identifying the proposed use and the subject property, and negotiating an acquisition contract. We work with our clients to quickly review and identify due diligence issues, including title and survey matters, and working expeditiously to resolve these in a cost-effective manner. We negotiate debt financing and work closely with the client to negotiate and close equity and debt transactions as required to close the acquisition.

Dispositions

We represent clients in all aspects of the real estate business in the sale, ground lease, exchange or other disposition of real estate assets.

Commercial Leasing

We represent clients in all aspects of the commercial leasing realm, from negotiating ground leases for development, negotiating office and retail leases from both the tenant and landlord perspective, and working on lease disputes and work-outs.

Condominiums

We have experience creating condominium regimes for residential and commercial condominiums, including but not limited to creating the condominium declaration, creating a condominium owners association, and assisting with the management and operation of the condo project.

Residential Development

We represent a number of residential homebuilders, in acquiring property, securing entitlements, negotiating construction contracts, and ultimately selling units to home buyers. These range from condominium units in mid-rise and high-rise developments, urban infill townhome and patio home projects, traditional suburban single family residential, and rural large lot ranchette type subdivisions. We also regularly create and draft covenants, conditions and restrictions that govern the use of the property, as well as property owners associations.

Governmental Real Estate Transactions

Jeb Brown regularly represents clients in governmental real estate transactions. These types of transactions are complex often take the form of a capital lease or lease with option to purchase, and include bond financing. We have experience with college campus buildings, student housing facilities, parking and support structures, and hotel and conference centers. We work with all the participants, from the governmental entity and its counsel, to the general contractors and developers, and the financing team to structure these transactions in a way that allows the client to efficiently and cost-effectively deliver a facility to the governmental user. This is a niche market and one in which few attorneys have our experience. This experience often results in our engagement to assist a governmental entity, or another participant in the transaction, to efficiently and cost-effectively work to get the deal closed.

In addition, we have significant experience in acquiring, selling and financing government-occupied real estate, including GSA leased properties in Texas and throughout the United States. Properties leased to governmental entities provide a unique set of challenges for buyers and sellers, including tenants that may have preferential rights such as early termination rights and non-appropriation rights. In addition governmental real estate projects can carry unique security characteristics, and make due diligence for buyers, borrowers, and lenders difficult. Clients in this sector need experienced counsel to make sure they achieve their objectives cost effectively.

Construction and Development

We represent property owners and general contractors in the creation and negotiation of construction and development contracts. Jeb Brown also was the owner of multiple residential construction companies.

Local Counsel

We regularly act as local Texas counsel for out-of-state real estate clients in acquisition, disposition, and financing transactions. From assisting with title and survey review, to forming Texas based entities or qualifying out of state entities to do business in Texas, and delivering Texas-specific legal opinions in connection with closing transactions, we have the resources and experience to handle the client’s needs in Texas.