Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP is pleased to announce that Douglas A. Yeager and Jeffrey M. Smith have joined the firm as partners in the Real Estate, Energy, Land Use & Environmental practice group in Houston. They were previously partners at Winston & Strawn LLP.
Yeager and Smith follow several recent real estate hires across the firm, including Southern California partners Rockard “Rocky” Delgadillo, Lorie Soares Lazarus and Peter Ballance and Dallas partners Michelle Brown, Andrew Bengtson, Ian Lange and Shane Trawick.
Yeager has more than 30 years of experience representing owners, investors, private equity funds, landlords, tenants and developers in the acquisition, development, financing, leasing and disposition of commercial real estate. His practice includes handling leases (office, industrial, retail, build-to-suit, ground and sale-leaseback), acquisitions and dispositions (including multi-family and mixed-use), and financing (interim, construction and permanent) for properties in Texas and around the country. He has also worked extensively in the loan workout, distressed asset and debt areas, including restructuring and bankruptcy transactions and foreclosures. Yeager has been recognized as a leader in his field by Chambers and Legal 500, among others. He is a Fellow in the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, a Member of the Houston Real Estate Lawyers Council and a Former Member of the Governing Council of the Real Estate, Probate & Trust Law Section, State Bar of Texas. He received his B.B.A., summa cum laude, from Southern Methodist University and his J.D., cum laude, Order of the Coif, from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, where he was Notes and Comments Editor of the SMU Law Review.
Smith has more than 20 years of experience with a national practice representing developers, private equity funds, net lease providers, family offices, investors, large corporations, landlords and tenants in complex commercial real estate transactions related to the acquisition, development and disposition of industrial, multi-family, office, retail and hospitality properties. He has significant experience in sale-leaseback transactions across a multitude of industries and property types. He regularly handles joint ventures for acquisitions, dispositions and financings across multiple asset classes, including single-family build-to-rent communities. He has also worked extensively on the acquisition and disposition of distressed loan portfolios as well as loan workouts, foreclosures and receiverships. Smith earned his B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Notre Dame and his J.D., summa cum laude, Order of the Coif, from the University of Illinois College of Law, where he served as Symposium Editor for the University of Illinois Law Review.
“We are excited to continue our growth in Houston with Doug and Jeff," said Luca Salvi, chair of Sheppard Mullin. “They have a dynamic national real estate practice, as well as deep ties in Houston that will allow us to serve our clients’ needs in a key growth market.”
Sheppard Mullin Real Estate, Energy, Land Use & Environmental practice group co-leader Michael Leake added, “As the economic market in Texas continues to expand, so does our need for deeply experienced attorneys like Doug and Jeff who can navigate clients through the complexities of their real estate-related transactions. We are thrilled to welcome them to our team.”
“Jeff and I are thrilled to join Sheppard Mullin and its top-notch real estate practice and full-service capabilities,” Yeager said. “It’s important for us to work with a team of excellent lawyers whose depth of experience and client-first approach will allow our clients to accomplish their goals, not only in Texas but also throughout the country.”
About Sheppard Mullin’s Real Estate, Energy, Land Use & Environmental Practice Group
With more than 120 attorneys, Sheppard Mullin has one of the largest, most diverse and experienced real estate, energy, land use and environmental practices of any AmLaw 100 firm. We represent builders, developers, investors, lenders, owners, retailers, major landowners, nonprofits and local agencies in key markets in the United States and internationally. We leverage the breadth of our experience, industry connections and market knowledge to deliver full-service counsel and holistic solutions to meet our clients’ needs. Our attorneys work as a seamless team with a single goal – to help clients create value in an ever-changing environment.