Jerry Converse has more than 30 years' experience in commercial real estate law and business and financing transactions.  He is board certified in Commercial Real Estate Law under the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

As head of the real estate practice in the firm's Austin location, he has significant experience in advising and counseling American and foreign business organizations, institutions and developers regarding their real estate, facilities and relocation/expansion matters. These matters include:

• The purchase, sale, development, relocation, expansion, financing and leasing of corporate, commercial and industrial real property projects
• Governmental and industry economic development incentive programs for relocating and expanding companies
• Zoning, subdivision and other land use regulation matters
• Annexation and extraterritorial jurisdiction matters
• Land development and commercial, industrial and residential subdivision covenants, conditions and restrictions schemes
• Construction contract negotiation, preparation and enforcement
• Real estate lending and alternative financing transactions (users and lenders)
• Ownership entity formations, syndications, operations and dissolutions
• Real estate broker regulations and agreements
• Condominium and timeshare formation and regulation

Jerry's recent and significant transactions and matters include:

• Lead outside counsel to a global supplier of integrated circuits for personal and networked computing and communications in the acquisition and development of land in Austin, Texas for an 875,000 square foot campus facility, including property acquisition and development agreements, advice and counsel regarding governmental regulations and infrastructure agreements, and advice and counsel regarding architect agreement and construction contract.
• Lead outside counsel to a worldwide technology solution provider in the negotiation and documentation of approximately $70 million in governmental incentives (tax abatements, economic development agreements and government grants) in support of its location of four of six new data centers to Texas locations.
• Local counsel in implementing the transfer of real estate assets in Texas to spin-off from a global supplier of integrated circuits for personal and networked computing and communications.
• Local counsel to a global supplier of integrated circuits for personal and networked computing and communications in connection with three successive mortgage loan financings of portions of its manufacturing facilities in Texas.
• Lead outside counsel to a global supplier of integrated circuits for personal and networked computing and communications in real estate matters concerning establishment of a volume manufacturing campus in Austin, Texas for approximately 1,000,000 square feet of manufacturing facilities, including negotiation and documentation of several land acquisitions, negotiation and documentation of easements and development agreements, negotiation and documentation of tax abatement agreements with local taxing jurisdictions, negotiation of withdrawal of campus from operation of property owners association.
• Lead outside counsel to a global supplier of integrated circuits for personal and networked computing and communications in the negotiation and documentation of the acquisition and disposition (buy-out and sublease) of in excess of 1,000,000 square feet of leased facilities in Texas.
• Lead counsel to German based information security company in establishment of related U.S. based operating company, including counsel and advice on organizational structure and documentation, lease of space for operations, and coordinating with German counsel.
• Lead counsel to land development company from early post-acquisition to total sell out of more than 800 single family and condominium tracts, including, restrictive covenant systems, creation and operation matters of property owners associations, easement and special use limitation matters, financing, lot and tract sales contracts and closing documentation, condominium establishment, operation and management documentation, and joint venture matters.
• Lead counsel to land development company in real estate development matters involving approximately 1,500 acres of seaside, resort property, including, ownership and tax structure issues, property sale contracts, financing of subdivision improvements, advice and counsel and documentation of proposed joint development structure, and advice and counsel regarding title issues.
• Representation of a leading provider of web-based content management software in an effort to create its headquarters campus facility in an urban core, including property acquisition agreements, significant title curative issues, land use regulations, and undeveloped land infrastructure issues.
• Representation of an electric utility in Texas real estate issues involved in the disposition of a lignite-fired generation facility and retention of transmission assets, including rendering advice on title curative matters, drafting complex joint facility easement agreements and preparing real estate transfer documentation.
• Representation of a public body in a workout of a failed public facility project, including termination of developer, re-negotiation of construction agreements, and modifying loan terms and documentation.
• Representation of a foreign investor in purchasing and disposing of more than $50 million in U.S. real properties, including acquisition and disposition agreements, entity organizations and management structures, and international tax issues.
• Representation of an REIT in connection with title matters involved in the purchase of a portfolio of urban core properties, including office and retail buildings and unimproved lands.
• Representation of a national retail store chain in connection with acquiring locations in regional malls, including acquisition agreements, reciprocal easement agreements (REAs) and special covenant agreements with mall owners.
• Representation of a heavy industry manufacturing company in connection with negotiation of an industrial development agreement in lieu of annexation by an adjacent city.
• Representation of a major service company in connection with negotiation and documentation of a major office facility lease.
• Representation of a nationally known medical building owner and operator in connection with a transaction involving syndication of a medical office building and acquisition of the real estate product on which to develop the facility.
• Representation of a national resort developer in connection with the purchase of land for development, development of covenants, conditions and restrictions of development, development of amenities such as a clubhouse, golf course, tennis facilities, and cottages.
• Representation of a hotel owner and operator in the acquisition of hotel properties, including acquisition agreements, land use regulation issues and alcoholic beverage licensure issues.
• Representation of a community shopping center developer in connection with land acquisition, construction agreements, tenant leasing and project financing.
• Representation of land developers in connection with acquisition and development of land into residential and commercial lots, land use regulatory matters, private restrictive covenant scheme, development contracts, infrastructure agreements, and lot sales contracts.
• Representation of a developer of a high-rise residential condominium building, including acquisition of property, construction contracts, condominium documentation, and service agreements with property owners' association.

With his more than thirty-five years of experience representing clients in the real estate industry, Jerry provides seasoned counseling and the ability to develop solutions to complex and difficult issues. His particular experience representing industrial and other corporate users in their real estate and facilities matters gives him the ability to bring added value to the representation.

• American Bar Association
  • Real Property Division
  • Land Use Regulation Committee, Former Chair
  • Public/Private Partnership and Privatization Committee, Former Vice-Chair
  • Leasing Committee
• American College of Real Estate Lawyers
• International Association of Attorneys and Executives in Corporate Real Estate (AECRE)
• State Bar of Texas
• Travis County Bar Association
• Houston Bar Association
• College of the State Bar of Texas
• Texas Bar Foundation, Fellow
• Real Estate Advisory Commission to the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Former Chair
• CoreNet Global

• Legal 500 U.S. Guide, Real Estate: Texas – Transactions and Finance (2008)
• Best Lawyers in America, real estate
• Lawdragon  500 Leading Dealmakers' in America

1970 - J.D., University of Texas School of Law
1968 - B.B.A., Finance, University of Texas

Jerry was admitted to practice in Texas in 1971.

Cheering on his two (now grown) daughters and his granddaughter at English equestrian competitions around the country, an all-too-occasional round of golf and enjoying the outdoors.

• Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce
  • Economic Development Committee Member (2000 - present)
  • Co-Chair Headquarter and Regional Office Recruitment Committee (2006-Present)
  • Board Member (2003 -  2004)
• Trust for Public Land - Central Texas Advisory Board
• Leadership Austin, Former Board Member
• Texas Hunters and Jumpers Association
  • Rule Book Committee, Chair
  • Former President; Board Member (1990 - 2003)
• American Red Cross of Central Texas, Board Member; Former Chapter Chair (1988 - 1994)
  • Audit Committee