Vytas A. Petrulis serves clients in real estate development, investment, leasing and finance.

Mr. Petrulis has extensive experience in all aspects of commercial real estate law. He has represented real estate investment trusts (REITs), pension funds and opportunity funds in real estate acquisitions and dispositions including large, multi-state portfolio transactions; institutional landlords and corporate tenants in office, industrial and retail leasing; developers in real estate development projects including complex, mixed-use projects; and lenders and borrowers in commercial loan transactions. Mr. Petrulis' experience in two selected areas is described in greater detail below.

Multifamily Experience

A significant portion of Mr. Petrulis' real estate practice is devoted to the multifamily sector. He regularly represents national and local apartment developers and investors in numerous acquisitions and dispositions of multifamily communities. These transactions include properties in Houston and throughout Texas, as well as out-of-state properties in states such as Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington.

In addition to existing properties, Mr. Petrulis' experience also extends to new developments and redevelopments of multifamily communities. He has been actively involved in every step of the development process, from initial deal structuring, land acquisition and entitlement review, to creating restrictive covenants and reciprocal easements, drafting architects' and construction contracts, and negotiating construction and permanent financing.

Mr. Petrulis has also developed expertise in addressing emerging areas of risk in apartment transactions such as mold contamination and remediation, Americans with Disabilities Act and Fair Housing Act accessibility standards, construction defects and condominium conversion liability, and residential utility allocation and submetering.

From straightforward acquisitions to complex mixed-use development projects, Mr. Petrulis has the depth and breadth of knowledge and experience to achieve the goals of his multifamily clients.

Office Leasing Experience

Mr. Petrulis has considerable experience in office leasing transactions. He is responsible for the office leasing activities of two separate office landlord clients. One client's holdings consists of a nationwide portfolio of over 40 office properties, and the other client's holdings consists of a local portfolio of over 15 office properties. Mr. Petrulis oversees a team of attorneys and paralegals that provides day-to-day assistance in drafting and negotiating office leases and giving guidance to asset management, property management and leasing professionals on leasing and operational issues. Mr. Petrulis also helps his office landlord clients in creating strategies to control risks and to identify opportunities in leasing and managing office properties on both a portfolio-wide and property-by-property basis.

Mr. Petrulis has also developed expertise in the area of Green Leasing and the furthering of landlords' and tenants' sustainability goals. He was appointed to the Green Lease Task Force formed by the Leasing Group of the American Bar Association's Real Property, Trust & Estate Law Section. In addition, he has spoken to property managers, brokers and building owners on Green Leases and the issues presented to landlords and tenants in the leasing of space in LEED-certified office buildings.

Attorney Profile: Vytas Petrulis — Adding Value, Managing Risk

 

2012

  Represented a national real estate developer in the development of a Class A urban infill multifamily project in Minneapolis, Minnesota, including the acquisition of the development site, the formation of a joint venture with a pension fund partner and the $26,000,000 construction loan financing

  Represented the investor in the development of a 282 unit multifamily project in San Antonio, Texas

  Represented the seller in the disposition of a 263 unit multifamily project in Houston, Texas

  Represented the seller in the disposition and seller-financing of a 222 unit multifamily project in Houston, Texas

  Represented the seller in the disposition of a 219 unit multifamily project in Houston, Texas

  Represented the landlord under a 50,000 square foot lease to an energy company in a Class A office building in The Woodlands, Texas

  Represented the landlord under a 43,000 square foot lease to an energy company in a Class A office building in The Woodlands, Texas

  Represented the landlord under a 37,000 square foot lease to an energy company in a Class A office building in The Woodlands, Texas

  Represented the landlord under a 32,000 square foot lease to a law firm in a Class A office building in the Central Business District of Houston, Texas

  Represented the landlord under a 25,000 square foot pad site ground lease to a regional restaurant operator in a shopping mall in Houston, Texas

  Represented the landlord under a 22,000 square foot lease to a national apparel retailer in a shopping mall in Houston, Texas

  Represented the landlord under multiple leases in a Class A office building in the Central Business District of Houston, Texas

  Represented the tenant under a 15,000 square foot lease in a Class A office building in the Galleria area of Houston, Texas

  Represented the tenant under a 12,000 square foot lease in an office building in the Energy Corridor area of Houston, Texas

  Represented a Houston real estate investment fund as the lender in multiple commercial real estate bridge loans

  Represented a Houston real estate investment fund as the borrower under a revolving line of credit loan

  Represented the developer in the restructuring of a partnership developing a 210,000 square foot mixed-use retail and office project in the Galleria area of Houston, Texas

 

2011

  Represented a major financial services company in its 150,000 square foot headquarters lease in a to be built Class A office building the Galleria area of Houston, Texas

  Represented a Houston real estate developer in the development of a Class A multifamily project in The Woodlands, Texas, including the formation of a joint venture with the landowner and the $17,000,000 construction loan financing

  Represented the purchaser in the acquisition of a multifamily development site in Kirkland, Washington

  Represented the seller in the disposition of a 512 unit multifamily project in Atlanta, Georgia

  Represented the seller in the disposition of a 40,000 square foot office building in Houston, Texas

  Represented the master developer in the sale of multiple commercial development sites in a master-planned community outside Houston, Texas

  Represented the landlord under a 91,000 square foot lease to an energy company in a Class A office building in The Woodlands, Texas

  Represented the landlord under a 64,000 square foot lease to an energy company in a Class A office building in The Woodlands, Texas

  Represented the landlord under a 28,000 square foot lease to an energy company in a Class A office building in The Woodlands, Texas

  Represented a financial services company as the tenant under a 37,000 square foot lease in an office building in Houston, Texas

  Represented a Houston real estate investment firm in the formation of an investment fund with a major REIT to make commercial real estate bridge loans

 

2010

  Represented the purchaser in the acquisition of a 540,000 square foot Class A office building in the Central Business District of Houston, Texas

  Represented the seller in the disposition of a 165,000 square foot trophy office building in Houston, Texas

  Represented the purchaser in the acquisition of a 111 unit Class A multifamily project in Atlanta, Georgia

  Represented the seller in the disposition of an 87 unit multifamily project in Portland, Oregon

  Represented the purchaser in the acquisition of a multifamily development site in Houston, Texas

  Represented the master developer in the sale of multiple commercial development sites in a master-planned community outside Houston, Texas

  Represented the seller in the disposition of a retail banking facility in Shenandoah, Texas

  Represented a financial services company as the tenant under an 80,000 square foot lease in a trophy office building in Houston, Texas

  Represented the landlord under a 36,000 square foot lease to an architecture firm in a Class A office building in Houston, Texas

  Represented the landlord under a 34,000 square foot lease to an energy company in a Class A office building in Houston, Texas

  Represented the landlord under multiple leases in a Class A office building in The Woodlands, Texas

Mr. Petrulis is a member of the State Bar of Texas (Real Estate, Probate & Trust Law Section), American Bar Association (Real Property, Trust & Estate Law Section) and the Houston Bar Association (Real Estate Law Section). He currently serves as a director on the Houston Bar Association Real Estate Law Section Council.

Mr. Petrulis was named a 2006 "Rising Star" by Thomson Reuters. He has also been named one of H Texas magazine's "Top Lawyers" and "Houston Professionals on the Fast Track."

 Vytas Petrulis Speaks on Investor and Developer Issues in Real Estate Joint Ventures

 Jackson Walker Releases Texas Forms - Real Estate 2013

 Vytas Petrulis Speaks on Green Leasing

 Jackson Walker Congratulates Its Twenty-Three 2010 "Houston Top Lawyers"

 Michael Kuhn and Vytas Petrulis Speak on "Green Leases"

 Vytas Petrulis Earns Commercial Real Estate Law Certification from the Texas Board of Legal Specialization

 Michael Kuhn and Vytas Petrulis Appointed to Green Lease Task Force

 JW Partners Speak on Green Leases and the Legal Aspects of Being Green

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