Biography
Kati Orso assists clients in all aspects of commercial real estate transactions and has extensive experience representing landlords and tenants in office, retail, restaurant and medical office building leasing transactions. In addition, Kati regularly represents clients in the acquisition and disposition of retail and office projects, mixed use developments, multi-family residential projects, and unimproved land. As part of her practice, Kati represents private equity firms and portfolio companies in a wide range of portfolio transactions, including acquisitions and dispositions of thousands of real estate assets across the United States.
From 2014–2016, Kati served as in‐house counsel for one of the leading retail developers in Texas. In this role she prepared and negotiated retail leases, purchase and sale agreements, and development documents in connection with a real estate portfolio consisting of over 12,000,000 square feet of retail space in Texas and Louisiana. Her experience in-house provided Kati with a unique understanding of the inner workings of a real estate development company and she has developed a keen insight into the challenges her clients face and how to best serve their needs.
Education
B.A, cum laude, Trinity University
J.D., University of Houston Law Center
- Journal of Consumer and Commercial Law, Chief Articles Editor
- Ewer-Oren J.D. Health law Writing Award Recipient
- Dean’s Award Recipient
Bar Admissions
Texas
Leasing
- Represents national drive-thru coffee chain on portfolio of ground leases and build to suit leases.
- Represented the owner/developer of The Ion in the lease negotiations for Stuff’d Wings located in the Houston Innovation District.
- Handles a commercial leasing portfolio for a national pet healthcare company leasing both in-line and free-standing space in retail centers across the United States.
- Responsible for leasing portfolio of a national healthcare company, including medical office building spaces and service-oriented retail spaces.
- Represents retail developer with a shopping center portfolio consisting of over 12,000,000 square feet of retail space on restaurant ground leases, junior anchor, and anchor leases, including negotiation of major anchor lease with a national discount home furnishings retailer, within a major “Town Center” shopping district in the greater Houston, Texas metropolitan area.
- Represented landlord in 65,000 square foot office lease to a nationally recognized conference and festival company for its Austin, Texas, headquarters.
- Represented international technology company in lease of new Americas headquarters in Austin, Texas.
- Represented social media company in lease for a 115,000 square foot headquarters in Austin, Texas.
- Represented international real estate company in lease of downtown office space in Austin, Texas.
- Represented New York based real estate company on portfolio of office leases in Texas.
Acquisitions and Sales
- Represented global private equity firm in an $18.7 billion acquisition of approximately 179 million square feet of urban, infill logistics assets, with specific emphasis on title, survey, and zoning matters.
- Represented global private equity firm on title, survey, and zoning diligence matters for a $1 billion acquisition of a 68 property logistics portfolio located in 10 high-growth markets across the United States.
- Represented global investment firm on title, survey, and zoning matters for a $1.8 billion acquisition of a 48 property senior living portfolio.
- Represented private equity firm in a $29.5 million acquisition of a multi-family residential portfolio.
- Texas Rising Star, Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters, 2021-2023
- “San Antonio’s Outstanding Women in Law,” San Antonio Scene, 2021
- “Best S.A. Lawyers” List, Real Estate Transactions, San Antonio Scene, 2021-2022
- Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation, 2020
- Co-Presenter, “Rent Relief in the Time of Pandemic,” UT Law CLE Bernard O. Dow Leasing Institute (November 2020)
- Co-Author, “Using Letters of Credit for Tenant Credit Enhancement,” ABA Probate & Property, Vol. 27, No. 3 (May/June 2013)
- Speaker and Co-Author of Discussion Materials, “Achieving a Sensible Definition of ‘Gross Sales,’” Roundtable Discussion at the 2013 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center’s Law Conference in San Diego, California
- State Bar of Texas, Real Estate, Probate and Tax Section, Member
- Austin Bar Association, Member
- Real Estate Council of Austin, Member
- International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), Member
- Junior League of Austin, Member
- Texas Bar Foundation, Fellow
March 23, 2023
Attorney NewsJackson Walker Congratulates Its 2023 Texas Rising Stars
Jackson Walker is pleased to announce the selection of 63 attorneys to Thomson Reuters’ 2023 “Super Lawyers – Rising Stars” list, which recognizes only 5% of Texas attorneys who either are 40 years of age or younger or have been in practice for 10 years or less.
November 17, 2022
NewslettersJW Diversity & Inclusion Newsletter – November 2022
View Jackson Walker’s November 2022 Diversity & Inclusion Newsletter, Perspectives.
September 6, 2022
Attorney News‘Scene in S.A.’ Recognizes Jackson Walker Attorneys in 2022 “Best S.A. Lawyers” List
Jackson Walker congratulates the 42 practicing attorneys in the San Antonio office who were included in Scene in S.A.’s 2022 “Best S.A. Lawyers” list.
August 1, 2022
NewslettersJW Diversity & Inclusion Newsletter – August 2022
View Jackson Walker’s August 2022 Diversity & Inclusion Newsletter, Perspectives.
April 21, 2022
NewslettersJW Diversity & Inclusion Newsletter – April 2022
View Jackson Walker’s April 2022 Diversity & Inclusion Newsletter, Perspectives.
April 14, 2022
Attorney News‘Scene in S.A.’ Recognizes 13 Jackson Walker Attorneys Among “San Antonio’s Outstanding Women in Law”
Jackson Walker proudly congratulates the 13 women attorneys who have been named to Scene in S.A.’s survey of the “Outstanding Women in Law” for 2022.
March 22, 2022
Attorney NewsJackson Walker Congratulates Its 2022 Texas Rising Stars
Jackson Walker is pleased to announce the selection of 51 attorneys to Thomson Reuters’ 2022 “Super Lawyers – Rising Stars” list, which recognizes only 2.5% of Texas attorneys who either are 40 years of age or younger or have been in practice for 10 years or less.
October 5, 2021
NewslettersJW Diversity & Inclusion Newsletter – October 2021
View Jackson Walker’s October 2021 Diversity & Inclusion Newsletter, Perspectives.
July 14, 2021
Attorney News‘Scene in S.A.’ Recognizes 38 Jackson Walker Attorneys in 2021 “Best S.A. Lawyers” List
In its 17th year, the “Best S.A. Lawyers” list presents attorneys across 80 distinct practice areas who were nominated by fellow licensed, practicing attorneys of Bexar County. The survey takes the voters for each attorney into account, including where the voter works, their practice area, and how many years they have practiced.
April 19, 2021
Attorney News‘Scene in S.A.’ Recognizes 14 Jackson Walker Attorneys Among Inaugural List of “San Antonio’s Outstanding Women in Law”
Jackson Walker proudly congratulates the 14 women attorneys who have been named to Scene in S.A.’s inaugural survey of “San Antonio’s Outstanding Women in Law.”