Adnan Merchant

As an ex-BigLaw attorney at the largest law firm in Texas and one of the largest in the world, I believe access to sophisticated and responsive counsel should not cost a premium. Whether my client is a new or a seasoned player, I provide a cost-effective and value-added service, unparalleled in the industry.

Ensuring my rates are cost-effective, I service both large & institutional clients and new investment funds and local real estate entrepreneurs. Often lawyers get a bad rap of running the clock, but I work with my clients to reduce their legal spend. This has helped my clients increase their ROI on real estate projects and the overall profitability of their businesses. I proactively provide clients with new ways to track and quantify the value they receive on their legal spend, from using technology to improve service delivery to offering unique and bespoke alternative fee arrangements.

I am recognized as an industry-leading commercial real estate and private equity attorney, and I advise clients on a wide range of commercial real estate and business transactions ranging in value from $1 million to over $350 million, encompassing the purchase, sale, financing (interim, construction, permanent, mezzanine, CMBS, and life insurance), leasing, and construction & development of both commercial and residential properties including retail, shopping center & mixed-use projects, multi-family, office, industrial and warehouse, hotel, data center, sports & recreation facilities, telecommunications, hospitality, food and beverage, build-to-suite, self-storage, student housing, condominiums, and adaptive reuse & conversion projects. I also assist clients in their corporate structuring and establishing business entities (including LLCs, LPs, and corporations), joint-ventures, and private investment funds (including Rule 506(b) and 506(c) offerings) tailored to the needs of commercial real estate investment, development and ownership. My practice is Texas-based but national in scope. I have represented the largest real estate companies in the world, including well-known private equity firms, national, international and Texas-based investors and developers, deal sponsors, capital partners, private and public investment funds, regional and multi-national corporations, landlords, tenants and other real estate players. As a corporate attorney in my prior role, I also represent clients in the acquisition, disposition, and financing of businesses and companies, and negotiates asset purchase and stock purchase agreements, with particularly deep experience in the hospitality, restaurant and bar arena, working with some of the most well-known hospitality, bar and restaurant concepts in Texas and across the country.

Uniquely, I have a passion for experiential retail, mixed-use and adaptive reuse projects and have represented clients in the acquisition, disposition, development and leasing of numerous award-winning experiential retail, mixed-use and adaptive reuse projects in Texas—six (6) of which received the Development of Distinction Award by the Urban Land Institute and two (2) of which received the Landmark Award for Houston’s Top Real Estate Projects by the Houston Business Journal. I am frequently featured in national and regional publications including Law360, Houston Business Journal, Dallas Business Journal, Austin Business Journal, BisNow, The Real Deal, Traded: Texas, and other regional and national real estate publications for my work and market insights. I have been involved in more award-winning ULI projects than any other attorney under the age of 35 in Texas.

Clients appreciate my personal dedication to their matters, friendly personality and accessibility—no matter the day or time. My clients have included a 3-star Michelin chef, multiple real estate investment companies with billions of dollars of assets, one of the largest real estate developers in the world with over $16 billion in revenue, a leading private real estate investment firm in Houston with over 130 commercial properties, many emerging real estate players, solo and new real estate investors & entrepreneurs, national restaurant groups and QSR brands, celebrities and a billionaire. In addition to my industry-leading real estate transactional practice, I have extensive experience representing landlords and tenants in complex commercial lease disputes, buy-outs and terminations. I also handle complex disputes involving business and real estate matters, including disputes between partners and shareholders, claims for breach of real estate contracts, real estate fraud, disputes regarding restrictive covenants, and title and boundary disputes.