Real Estate Transactions and Disputes

This fact is true with respect to PDH clients. We assist our clients in the purchase, development, construction and sale of all types of property; negotiating leases for both landlords and tenants of commercial, retail and industrial properties; 1031 exchanges; and other real estate transactions. In addition to our transactional expertise, our experience handling real estate related disputes—both in and out of the courtroom—has been the underpinning of PDH’s successful real estate practice.

PDH REAL ESTATE CLIENTS

Projects where we have represented PDH clients with acquisition, development, construction, financing, management, leasing and/or operation of real estate include:

• Apartments and condominiums
• Commercial buildings
• Retail shopping centers
• Industrial and manufacturing facilities
• Unimproved land
• Medical service facilities
• Office buildings
• Homeowners associations

In addition to assisting our clients, several of our attorneys have been personally involved in the purchase, development, leasing, and sale of investment real estate; one of our attorneys has been a Texas licensed real estate broker for over 25 years. Our real world experience, combined with our extensive knowledge of real estate law, gives us an advantage over many attorneys who simply refer to real estate forms when handling real estate matters.

REAL ESTATE LITIGATION
By advocating for PDH clients in mediation, arbitration and in trials before both judges and juries, we have gained the experience, insight and skills necessary to assist our clients in resolving real estate disputes.

PDH CONDEMNATION LAW SERVICES
For our client property owners who are facing a proposed condemnation, we first determine whether the offer is fair. If it is not fair, we either negotiate a higher offer or pursue a claim through the administrative process, and through a trial and appeal if necessary. On behalf of our property owner clients, we have been involved in the condemnation of properties of all sizes, shapes, and uses, whether improved or unimproved, and including residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural properties.

One of the valuable services we bring to the table is bringing in or involving the efforts of various professionals necessary to help us properly assess the loss of value. This strategy/approach allows us to overcome lower values commonly asserted by the condemning authority. Our network of professionals includes real estate appraisers, land planners, engineers and real estate brokers. They support us in assessing the highest valuation and best use of a property, its market value, and the effects on both the property and its value as a result of the condemnation.

In addition, the PDH shareholder in charge of our Condemnation Law Practice Section has been appointed by the courts as a Special Commissioner in several condemnation proceedings involving a variety of property types. This experience from the commissioner’s point of view has proven insightful in handling condemnation cases for our own property owner clients.

We offer three types of fee arrangements for condemnation matters: (1) hourly rates plus expenses incurred by our third party professionals; (2) a blended hourly rate and contingency fee, with the client paying a reduced hourly fee, plus the expenses for third-party professionals, with our firm then receiving an agreed upon percentage of any excess recovery, being the amounts recovered for our client over and above the original offer by the condemning authority; and (3) a straight contingency fee arrangement, with our firm being responsible for all legal fees and expenses, then receiving an agreed upon percentage of any excess recovery, being the amounts recovered for our client over and above the original offer made by the condemning authority.