Paul LeBlanc focuses his practice on advising clients in real estate development and finance matters, including purchase and sale transactions, real estate development ventures, commercial leasing, and lending transactions. He represents clients on both sides of these transactions, including:
- Buyers and sellers in purchase and sale transactions of both raw land and improved properties
- Landlords and tenants in commercial lease transactions, including space in office buildings, shopping centers, and industrial centers
- Lenders and borrowers in lending transactions, including transactions with real property collateral as well as non-real estate commercial loans
- Pension and retirement funds, life insurance companies, asset managers, and other entities involved in real estate development ventures, including shopping centers, multifamily complexes, and mixed-use developments
- Pipeline companies (as part of a legal team) in obtaining interstate and intrastate rights-of-way via easement negotiations and, if needed, through eminent domain lawsuits
Earlier in his career, Paul spent several years exclusively representing lenders in real estate and non-real estate lending transactions, making him uniquely positioned to advise institutional and non-institutional lenders and borrowers in loan transactions. He also draws on his time spent as a litigation associate to analyze legal and client issues, anticipating potential problems before they arise.
Representative Experience
Any result the lawyer or law firm may have achieved on behalf of clients in other matters does not necessarily indicate similar results can be obtained for other clients.
- Represent real estate developers throughout the U.S. in the purchase and sale of real property, both raw land and improved facilities, with purchase prices frequently ranging from $3 million to $100 million and at times exceeding $500 million
- Represent borrowers and lenders throughout the U.S. in loan transactions, both real estate and non-real estate secured, for loans ranging from $5 million to more than $100 million
- Represented a top-tier national restaurant chain with respect to its existing restaurant reinvestment projects and advised on restrictions and required approvals that could impact redevelopment efforts
- Represented a large West Coast university governance system as an investor in real property developments and assets, in both the development and loan contexts, in locations across the U.S., including most recently for the sale of three office buildings in downtown Houston
- Represented a well-known C-store operator in its purchase/sale, ground leasing, and space leasing needs at its properties located throughout the U.S.
- Represented a company in the purchase and continued development of real property in the Houston area, ultimately developed into a multifamily and mixed-use complex
- Represented a pro bono legal aid organization with the negotiation of an office lease in Houston
Honors & Awards
- Recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America (BL Rankings) in Banking & Finance Law (2023-Present) and Real Estate Law (2021-Present)
- Selected to Texas Super Lawyers: Rising Stars (Thomson Reuters), 2018, 2022-Present
Professional & Civic Engagement
- Houston Bar Association
- Greater Houston Partnership (Real Estate Committee, 2022-2023)
- Houston Young Lawyers Association (Board of Directors, 2013-2017; Leadership Academy Committee Co-Chair, 2015-2017; Leadership Academy, 2012-2013)
- Literacy Now (Board Chair, 2017-2023; Board of Directors, 2013-Present; Executive Committee, 2015-Present; Volunteer Elementary School Mentor, 2013-2014)
