CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Aaron primarily practices in the areas of commercial finance, transactional and real estate law, with a focus on real estate investors and developers and small to mid-sized businesses. He routinely represents businesses, lenders, buyers, sellers and other parties in the acquisition, ownership, leasing, financing, use, transfer and disposition of commercial real estate (including retail shopping centers, office buildings, multi-family projects, hotels, medical facilities, warehouses and raw land for residential or commercial development) and other assets. He also has significant experience with complex commercial credit facility structuring and modification, defaulted loan collections, foreclosures and workouts, business formation and governance (LLC’s, Series LLC’s, corporations and partnerships), corporate transactions, contract reviews and negotiations, and other business-related matters.
For a few years, prior to attending law school and joining HWA, Aaron was an Investment Analyst at a multi-national investment research and management firm. In that role, Aaron was responsible for implementing and maintaining investment strategies in the firm’s Separately Managed Accounts division, which frequently involved execution of large equity and fixed-income trade orders based on the firm’s proprietary research.
CLIENT EXPERIENCE
As part of his practice, Aaron routinely represents lenders, buyers and sellers in connection with the structuring, due diligence, negotiation and closings of commercial real estate transactions and commercial loans, including purchase money, refinance, development, construction, C&I loans, and advancing and revolving lines of credit (including asset-based).
Some recent examples of Aaron’s experience include the following:
- Representation of seller in the disposition of a 125-unit apartment complex located in Houston, Texas.
- Representation of commercial tenant and restaurateur in connection with review and negotiation of Shopping Center Lease concerning property in Pearland, Texas for the opening of a new restaurant.
- Representation of buyer restaurateur in the acquisition of property in Katy, Texas for the opening of two new restaurants.
- Representation of buyer charter school system in the acquisition of a 329,000+ square foot industrial property in Houston, Texas from a national retailer in Chapter 11 bankruptcy to build a new high school.
- Representation of buyer in the acquisition of real property and leasing of a Montessori-method school in Austin, Texas.
- Representation of lender in establishment of several multi-million-dollar credit facilities for development of master-planned communities in Brazoria, Williamson and Denton County, Texas.
- Representation of international commercial real estate investor in acquisitions of retail shopping centers located in Texas, Ohio and Illinois, and private placements of equity securities in connection therewith.
- Representation of real estate investor in acquisition of five-story office building located in Houston, Texas.
- Representation of lender in multi-million-dollar refinance of hotel property in Houston, Texas.
- Representation of lender in refinance of 22-property residential real estate portfolio.
- Representation of Chapter 11 bankruptcy trustee in acquisition and disposition of real property and maritime assets in shipbuilding case.
- Representation of lender in establishment of multiple multi-million-dollar credit facilities secured by commercial real estate and equipment of commercial borrower.
- Representation of lender in establishment of multi-million-dollar asset-based revolving line of credit in favor of international chemical supply company secured by corporate assets and trade credit insurance policy.
- Representation of lender in establishment of multi-million-dollar asset-based revolving line of credit in favor of oilfield supply company secured by accounts receivable.
- Representation of commercial real estate investor in the acquisition of an eight-unit apartment complex in Houston, Texas.
- Representation of small business owner in the buyout of business partner’s equity interests in website business.
- Representation of small business owner in buyout of business partner’s equity interests in restaurant and food truck businesses, and subsequent formation of, and transfer of business interests into, Texas series LLC.
- Representation of small business owner in the sale of a hair salon business in Houston, Texas.
- Representation of various mortgage servicers, credit unions and other lien holders in collections and foreclosures of consumer and commercial debts.
EDUCATION
- Juris Doctorate, cum laude, Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Texas Southern University, 2013.
- Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance, The University of Texas at San Antonio, 2009.
LICENSURE
State Bar of Texas 2013 – Present
PUBLICATIONS
- Article (co-author): Commercial Construction Lending: Risks Faced by Commercial Construction Lenders and Strategies to Avoid or Cure them; Texas Association of Bank Counsel, 40th Annual Convention, September 22-23, 2016, Austin, Texas.
- Article (co-author): Hot Topics in Finance; Texas Bankers Association, 41st Annual Legal Conference, May 7-8, 2015, Lost Pines, Texas.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
- State Bar of Texas
- Houston Bar Association
- Houston Young Lawyers Association
HOBBIES & INTERESTS
Aaron enjoys playing (trying to play) golf, avidly supporting his favorite sports teams, listening to live music and traveling with his wife, Sam. He also enjoys keeping up-to-date with the securities and real estate markets.
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