biography

Laura McClellan concentrates her practice on real estate and real estate finance. She has extensive experience representing buyers and sellers in acquisition, sale, and development of real estate, including retail, office, senior assisted living and multi-family projects throughout the country. She also has significant experience representing landlords and tenants in commercial leasing transactions. In addition, Laura also has extensive experience representing lenders and borrowers in connection with real estate-secured construction and permanent financing; including office, hotel, retail, multi-family, and senior independent and assisted living projects, complex multi-property, and multi-state transactions.

  • Representative Transactions
    • Representation of mezzanine lender in multiple financing and acquisition transactions
    • Representation of developer in leasing of commercial/industrial space for multiple properties in the DFW metroplex area
    • Representation of banks and life insurance company in construction and permanent loans from mid seven figures to projects and portfolios well in excess of $100 million each, including office, retail, and senior housing properties
    • Representation of retail company in acquisition and sale of properties throughout Texas, including drafting and negotiation of purchase and ground lease documents, construction management agreements with the shopping center developers, and operation and reciprocal covenant agreements among the client, developer, and other major retail users at the centers
    • Representation of tenant-client in renegotiating lease for headquarters, covering over 50,000 square feet
    • Representation of senior housing provider in acquisition of multi-state, multi-property portfolio of senior residential facilities
    • Representation of a NYC-based REIT in the resolution of issues related to their loan collateral located in Texas, including coordinating litigation and negotiating and documenting an assumption and complete restructuring of a roughly $40 million loan facility as part of a settlement of litigation regarding a property in Houston
    • Representation of a Maryland-based fund with its sale of a senior housing facility in Washington state and its expedited acquisition of an industrial property in Massachusetts with multiple environmental and use restriction issues but a favorable price and a high upside potential due to the tenant opportunities in the space
    • Representation of an Oregon-based company in its acquisition of properties in Texas and construction of senior housing facilities
    • Representation of an out-of-state client in its acquisition of a small retail property in the Austin area
    • Representation of the buyer in the purchase of a large commercial horse property, well known for its arena and commercial breeding and training operations, in Oklahoma
    • Representation of the construction lender for a south Texas resort project, including working with the borrower and the hotel brand team to document the agreements regarding operation of the hotel
    • Representation of a Hawaii-based private trust in its real estate investments on the mainland, including acquisition of small retail centers and handling landlord/tenant issues
    • Representation of a NYC-based REIT in its $5,000,000 sale of a small Texas hotel that the client had taken back via a deed-in-lieu
    • Representation of a major U.S. lender in sales of several of its REO properties, both raw land and developed properties
    • Representation of the lead lender in a complex workout with respect to a mixed-use (retail and multifamily) development in Alabama, including managing litigation in two states and coordinating communications and decision-making with the lender group
  • Presentations and Teaching Experience
    • “Intercreditor Agreements,” Panel Presentation at American College of Mortgage Attorneys Annual Meeting, Kohler, Wisconsin, October 2012
    • “Deeds of Trust in Texas,” Presentation at Texas Real Estate Liens Conference, sponsored by Half Moon, LLC, Arlington, Texas, February 2009
    • “Documenting Real Estate Secured Loans: Lender Perspectives on Select Issues,” Presenter, NBI CLE Conference, Seattle, Washington, November 2006
    • “Ground Leases: Competing Perspectives on Selected Provisions,” Presentation at Negotiating Leases Conference, sponsored by CLE International, Austin, Texas, January 2003
    • “Technology and File Management: Best Practices for Managing and Storing Your Paper,” Presentation at University of Texas Law School Mortgage Lending Institute, September and October 2014
    • “Technology & File Management: A Practical Look at Cloud Computing and the Paperless Office,” Presentation for the Dallas Bar Association, Dallas, Texas, March 2015
    • In-house and external CLE presentations, including several presentations regarding time management and organization and presentations concerning enforcement of remedies under the Uniform Commercial Code in mezzanine loans, acquisition of troubled assets, completion guaranties, and ethics obligations in connection with loan workouts
  • Professional/Civic Activities
    • Member, State Bar of Texas, 1998-present
    • Member, State Bar of Washington, 2004-present
    • Fellow, American College of Mortgage Attorney, 2004-present; Editor, American College of Mortgage Attorneys’ National Mortgage Law Summary, 2001, 2003, 2009-present
    • Co-Chair, Dallas Bar Association CLE Committee, 2017
    • Vice Chair, Dallas Bar Association Peer Assistance Committee, 2017
    • Member, Washington State Bar Association; Editorial Board, Real Property, Probate, and Trust Section, 2004-2007
    • Member, The College of the State Bar of Texas; 2000-present
    • Chair, American Bar Association Programs Subcommittee Real Estate & Probate Litigation Committee, 2004-2005
    • Previously Member, International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
    • Adjunct Professor, Seattle University School of Law, 2004-2007

 

 

DallasAustin

Laura McClellan

Partner

[email protected]

+1.214.971.8441

Credentials

Admissions

Texas
Washington
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas

Education

Cornell Law School, J.D., cum laude, 1998
University of Nebraska at Omaha, B.A., Political Science, summa cum laude, 1995

Practice Areas