Jenny Roan Forgey
Practice Areas
Experience
- College & University Real Estate
- Digital Infrastructure & Data Centers
- Industrial Real Estate
- Real Estate Acquisition & Disposition
- Retail & Mixed Use Real Estate
Biography
Jenny Roan Forgey is an attorney in the Land Use and Real Estate sections of Jackson Walkerâs Austin Office. Jenny represents developers, owners, buyers, sellers, and investors in an array of commercial and residential real estate transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions, development, entitlement, and governance in all asset classes. As a member of the firmâs data center practice, Jenny brings her creative, practical approach to data center development. Understanding the unique challenges data center developers face â from timing to regulatory matters to lender concerns â makes Jenny a valuable member of a data center team. Her data center clients have come to lean on her as more than just an attorney but as the type of responsive problem-solver that helps bring their developments to market.
Data Centers Practice Experience
- Represents an international data center developer before the Board of a Water Control Improvement District to remove blanket easements from real property slated for data center development.
- Represents an international data center developer in negotiations with multiple water supply corporations to negotiate movement of existing lines and narrowing of existing easements to remove potential impediments to data center build sites.
- Work with data center developer to properly navigate builds near existing natural gas and oil pipelines in accordance with Texas law.
- Work with the firmâs electric regulatory team to structure data center sites from both a governance and land use perspective, using the condominium form of ownership for electricity regulation and division of property.
- Successfully removed a 100-year-old oil and gas pipeline easement from encumbering property slated for data center development, as required by lenders.
- Used the condominium form of ownership to structure a data center developerâs site plan so that it could sell off partial buildings.
Education
B.S., Georgetown University
J.D., Baylor University School of Law
- Dean’s List
- Baylor Law Moot Court Order of Barristers
- Published in Baylor Law Review
Bar Admissions
Texas
- Represents an international data center developer with acquisition and title curative matters pursuant to Texas law; represented that developer before local special district boards to clear or revise encumbrances on land slated for data center delivery and to help facilitate local relationships throughout Texas.
- Represents national, public homebuilder to draft and negotiate raw land contracts, lot contracts, land banking documents, license agreements, letter of intent, and other documents needed to facilitate fast-paced acquisition and development of residential master-planned communities.
- Represented a data center developer to form condominium units where selling partial buildings was ideal for the developerâs financial structure.
- Represented a data center developer to revise existing condominium in order to satisfy lender concerns.
- Represented leading national developer in acquisition of over $100 million in real property assets in Colorado, California, Tennessee, and Texas.
- Represented a state public university system in negotiation of planned community documents, development milestones, public and private easements in conjunction with a major city in Texas, and the final acquisition of real property within a large master-planned community for a satellite campus in Texas.
- Represented a landowner in negotiation of a joint venture land sale to developer partner for development of student housing to serve the student population of a large public university in Texas.
- Represented a landowner developer in negotiations with a public independent school district for sale of real property to develop a school.
- Developed the governance structure for and formed a commercial condominium for warehouse flexible space in Austin, Texas, and negotiated the sale of a condominium unit to a municipality.
- Diligenced over 25 master-planned communities in conjunction with a private homebuilderâs purchase of a small, regional homebuilder in Texas.
- Managed a $1 billion refinance on behalf of a quasi-public entity that owned the key asset in the then-largest P3 water infrastructure project in the nation.
- Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch (Woodward/White Inc.), Real Estate Law, 2025-2026
- Texas Rising Star, Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters, 2025-2026
- âAustin Top Attorneysâ List, Austin Monthly, 2021-2022, 2025
- Top Law360.com Article, 2022
- Presenter, “Data Center Infrastructure Development: Early Considerations for the Land & Legal Professional,” 57th Annual HAPL Technical Workshop (April 2026)
- Co-author, âOffice of the Attorney General Issues Long-Awaited Proposed Rules for Senate Bill 17,â Jackson Walker Insights (March 2026)
- Co-author, â5th Circuit Upholds Dismissal of Lawsuit Challenging S.B. 17 Prohibiting Certain Foreign Buyers from Owning Land in Texas,â Jackson Walker Insights (December 2025)
- Co-author, âAnalysis of Texas S.B. No. 17 Restricting Foreign Ownership of Real Property in Texas,â Jackson Walker Insights (June 2025)
- State Bar of Texas
- State Bar of Texas, Real Estate, Probate, and Trust Section
- Helping Hand Society of Austin
- Real Estate Council of Austin
- Opportunity Austin
- Regents School of Austin
Office of the Attorney General Issues Long-Awaited Proposed Rules for Senate Bill 17
By Jenny Roan Forgey and Brad LowryÂ
On March 27, 2026, the Office of the Attorney General of Texas issued proposed rules for Senate Bill 17 (“SB 17”), which became effective on September 1, 2025. SB 17 makes it illegal for certain foreign persons and entities to purchase or otherwise acquire an interest in real property in the State of Texas. Importantly, the Act bars any âownershipâ or âcontrolâ by prohibited persons, which include Chinese citizens that are not âlawful permanent residents of the United Statesâ, and prohibited entities, which include companies that are headquartered in China. The Act itself does not define âownershipâ or âcontrolâ.
Insights • March 27, 2026
5th Circuit Upholds Dismissal of Lawsuit Challenging S.B. 17 Prohibiting Certain Foreign Buyers from Owning Land in Texas
By Jenny Roan Forgey and Robert L. Soza
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled on a case filed in federal court challenging the constitutionality of Senate Bill 17, a bill passed during the 2025 legislative session that bans certain persons, entities, and governments from purchasing or otherwise acquiring real property in the State of Texas.
Insights • December 12, 2025
Jackson Walker Congratulates 2025 Texas Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
Jackson Walker is pleased to announce the recognition of 75 attorneys by Thomson Reutersâ Super Lawyers in the 2025 “Texas Super Lawyers” list, as well as 66 attorneys as “Texas Rising Stars” for 2025. Each year, less than 5% of attorneys are selected to Super Lawyers and 2.5% to Rising Stars. Selection is based off of peer nominations that are then reviewed by a research team. Each nominee is evaluated on his or her professional accomplishments, peer recognition, and community involvement.
Attorney News • September 18, 2025
Robert Soza and Jenny Roan Forgey Discuss Texas Senate Bill 17 on Spectrum News 1 Dallas
Jackson Walker partner Robert L. Soza and senior counsel Jenny Roan Forgey interviewed with Spectrum News 1 Dallas discussing both the scope of the term âreal propertyâ and the practical implications of Texas Senate Bill 17 for foreign investors already operating in the state.
Mentions • September 9, 2025
âThe Best Lawyers in Americaâ Features 350 Jackson Walker Attorneys in 2026 Edition, Including 10 âLawyers of the Yearâ and 106 âOnes to Watchâ
The Best Lawyers in America, a widely regarded guide to legal excellence, has recognized 350 Jackson Walker attorneys across 87 specialty practice areas in its 2026 edition, including 10 Lawyers of the Year and 106 Ones to Watch.
Attorney News • August 21, 2025
Robert Soza and Jenny Roan Forgey Discuss the Impact of Texas Senate Bill 17 on Real Estate and Foreign Investment
Jackson Walker partner Robert L. Soza and senior counsel Jenny Roan Forgey were featured in the Houston Business Journal to discuss the implications of Texas Senate Bill 17, a new law signed by Governor Greg Abbott.
Mentions • August 6, 2025
Analysis of Texas S.B. No. 17 Restricting Foreign Ownership of Real Property in Texas
By Robert L. Soza, Jr. and Jenny Roan Forgey
Texas has enacted significant new legislation, effective September 1, 2025, that imposes sweeping restrictions on the purchase or acquisition of real property by certain foreign individuals, entities, and governments.
Insights • June 24, 2025
‘The Best Lawyers in America’ Features 306 Jackson Walker Attorneys in 2025 Edition, Including 9 “Lawyers of the Year” and 75 “Ones to Watch”
The Best Lawyers in America has recognized 306 Jackson Walker attorneys across 81 specialty practice areas in its 2025 edition, including 9 Lawyers of the Year and 75 Ones to Watch. In this yearâs guide, Jackson Walker saw the largest number of attorneys in the areas of Commercial Litigation (75 attorneys) and Real Estate Law (55 attorneys) and the addition of 27 attorneys as Best Lawyers.
Attorney News • August 15, 2024
Practice Experience
- Represents an international data center developer with acquisition and title curative matters pursuant to Texas law; represented that developer before local special district boards to clear or revise encumbrances on land slated for data center delivery and to help facilitate local relationships throughout Texas.
- Represents national, public homebuilder to draft and negotiate raw land contracts, lot contracts, land banking documents, license agreements, letter of intent, and other documents needed to facilitate fast-paced acquisition and development of residential master-planned communities.
- Represented a data center developer to form condominium units where selling partial buildings was ideal for the developerâs financial structure.
- Represented a data center developer to revise existing condominium in order to satisfy lender concerns.
- Represented leading national developer in acquisition of over $100 million in real property assets in Colorado, California, Tennessee, and Texas.
- Represented a state public university system in negotiation of planned community documents, development milestones, public and private easements in conjunction with a major city in Texas, and the final acquisition of real property within a large master-planned community for a satellite campus in Texas.
- Represented a landowner in negotiation of a joint venture land sale to developer partner for development of student housing to serve the student population of a large public university in Texas.
- Represented a landowner developer in negotiations with a public independent school district for sale of real property to develop a school.
- Developed the governance structure for and formed a commercial condominium for warehouse flexible space in Austin, Texas, and negotiated the sale of a condominium unit to a municipality.
- Diligenced over 25 master-planned communities in conjunction with a private homebuilderâs purchase of a small, regional homebuilder in Texas.
- Managed a $1 billion refinance on behalf of a quasi-public entity that owned the key asset in the then-largest P3 water infrastructure project in the nation.
Recognition & Accolades
- Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch (Woodward/White Inc.), Real Estate Law, 2025-2026
- Texas Rising Star, Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters, 2025-2026
- âAustin Top Attorneysâ List, Austin Monthly, 2021-2022, 2025
- Top Law360.com Article, 2022
Publications & Speeches
- Presenter, “Data Center Infrastructure Development: Early Considerations for the Land & Legal Professional,” 57th Annual HAPL Technical Workshop (April 2026)
- Co-author, âOffice of the Attorney General Issues Long-Awaited Proposed Rules for Senate Bill 17,â Jackson Walker Insights (March 2026)
- Co-author, â5th Circuit Upholds Dismissal of Lawsuit Challenging S.B. 17 Prohibiting Certain Foreign Buyers from Owning Land in Texas,â Jackson Walker Insights (December 2025)
- Co-author, âAnalysis of Texas S.B. No. 17 Restricting Foreign Ownership of Real Property in Texas,â Jackson Walker Insights (June 2025)
Community Involvement
- State Bar of Texas
- State Bar of Texas, Real Estate, Probate, and Trust Section
- Helping Hand Society of Austin
- Real Estate Council of Austin
- Opportunity Austin
- Regents School of Austin