Biography
Bryan Birkeland is a versatile transactional attorney recognized for his depth of experience in real estate, international, and energy matters. While a considerable amount of his practice focuses on counseling clients making U.S. inbound and outbound real estate investments in a variety of product types and locales, Bryan has substantial experience handling matters extending into the energy and transactions financing industries, including the development, redevelopment, purchase, and sale of various real estate and energy product types, as well as representing clients in the voluntary and involuntary restructuring and rearrangement of distressed assets.
Bryan’s clientele are regional, national, and international by origin, lending him valuable insight and experience into handling matters related to assets across the globe, namely the United States, Canada, Mexico, Latin America, Europe, and Asia.
Bryan’s longstanding and comprehensive experience enables him to creatively identify and craft practical, efficient approaches to solving challenges presented by assets or portfolios of assets. Bryan has tailored solutions for clients in a diverse range of real estate, energy, and transactional matters, including the designation and redevelopment of an urban center historical district; the assemblage, planning, and development of several 1,000+ acre suburban communities; workouts involving over 4,000 assets; and the acquisition and disposition of an 82 asset industrial portfolio.
Bryan is a former President of Globalaw Ltd., previously holding positions as Vice President, Chairman of the Membership Committee, and member of the Executive Committee. Bryan was instrumental in the creation of the global law network, which now boasts more than 99 member firms across 85 nations, and is considered among the top 10 legal networks worldwide.
Born just south of the Canadian border near a city frequently announced as a daily “coldest in the U.S.,” Bryan made his move to Texas when his father’s business relocated to San Antonio. Bryan then served as high school student body president, and continued his education at The University of Texas at Austin and The University of Texas School of Law before joining Jackson Walker in 1976. Prior to entering private practice, Bryan lectured on oil and gas law at the University of Texas. In 1984, Bryan joined the Firm’s management committee and has continued to help shape the future of Jackson Walker since then.
Education
B.A., magna cum laude, University of Texas at Austin
J.D., cum laude, University of Texas School of Law
- Phi Beta Kappa
- Phi Kappa Phi
- Delta Sigma Rho-Tau Kappa Alpha
Bar Admissions
Texas, 1976
Scope of Experience
- Land assemblage, infill development and redevelopment, suburban and urban
- Farm and ranch acquisitions and dispositions
- Mixed use development
- Vertical development, sales and acquisitions
- Retail – all product types from malls to grocery -anchored and neighborhood products
- Office – garden, mid-level and high rise
- Multifamily – town homes, garden, mid and high rise, urban and recreational, and condominium
- Industrial – e-commerce, logistics and distribution
Certain of the above have been incidental to multi-jurisdictional and tax advantaged structures, financing related to the above, governmental incentives and unique historical or site specific considerations.
Representative Transactions
- Acquisition of two of four anchors and inline shops in connection with redevelopment of a regional mall
- Acquisition of suburban corporate campus in connection with redevelopment of the site with $275,000,000 mixed use development
- Exchange with municipality to facilitate client’s retail development and adjacent professional sports training facility
- Up to 44 tract central city redevelopment assemblage
- Assemblage of three urban sites for current development of over $350,000,000 of multi-family and mixed use development
- Acquisition of two historic hotels and golf resort destination community
- The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White Inc.), Real Estate Law, 2007-2021
- Dallas Bar Association, International, Energy, and Real Estate sections
- Texas Bar Association, International, Energy, and Real Estate sections
- ImPACt Dallas
- Community Leadership Committee
- Past Director of The Real Estate Foundation
- Past Director of Dallas Zoological Society
- K-Life Dallas
- Lawyering in the International Market and International Asset Securitization, Center for International Legal Studies Conference, Chairman