Blake D. Royal

Shareholder, Real Estate Group Chair

Blake Royal

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Blake Royal is a shareholder and chair of the firm’s Real Estate Group and is also a member of the Executive Committee. Over the course of his career, which has been entirely at BoyarMiller, Blake has represented clients in the development, financing and leasing of all asset classes of commercial real estate.

Areas of Focus

  • Commercial real estate
  • Mergers & acquisitions
  • Capital formation, strategy & structure
  • Corporate & real estate financing

Quick Facts

  • Texas Bar Foundation
  • Graduate of Baylor University and the University of Texas Law School
  • Urban Land Institute

Awards & Recognitions

Blake Royal is a shareholder and chair of the firm’s Real Estate Group and is also a member of the Executive Committee. Over the course of his career, which has been entirely at BoyarMiller, Blake has represented clients in the development, financing and leasing of all asset classes of commercial real estate.

Blake's interest in property issues began in college while working for the House of Representatives, where he researched public-private partnership investment for the renovation of underutilized federal buildings. During law school he researched and worked on the development of commercial and residential projects in tax-increment finance zones.

With a background in both real estate law and corporate transactional law, Blake Royal provides well-rounded, strategic advice beyond traditional property issues.  Blake’s practice includes all facets of real estate development and he has represented land owners, developers, investors, and municipalities in their joint ventures, development and property management agreements, acquisitions and dispositions, leasing, and financing.  He has worked on a variety of projects in all asset classes not only in the Houston region, but in markets through Texas and nationwide. Blake's interest in property issues began in college while working for the House of Representatives, where he researched public-private partnership investment for the renovation of underutilized federal buildings.

Blake currently serves as the co-chair of the ULI NEXT program for Urban Land Institute-Houston and on the Executive Advisory Board of the Stanford Alexander Center for Excellence in Real Estate at the University of Houston’s Bauer College of Business.  Outside of the office, Blake and his wife are the tired but proud parents of four young sons.

Education

  • JD, University of Texas (with honors)
  • BA, Baylor University (magna cum laude)

Affiliations

Blake is a fourth-generation Texan and looks forward to being involved in the Houston community for years to come.

Represented an affiliate of client in connection with the acquisition of approximately 10 acres of land in Baytown, Texas.

Represented client in connection with the acquisition of approximately 1.1537 acres of improved property, including a building consisting of approximately 16,000 square feet.

Represented an affiliate entity of client in connection with the sale of approximately 2.36 acres of raw land in Montgomery County, Texas, to be developed into a car wash.

Represented Kirby Grove Lofts Venture, LLC, an affiliate of Midway, in the refinancing of the Avenue Grove multifamily development. The Lender was Wells Fargo.

Represented Elite Street Capital Waterstone Equity DE, LLC, in a debt refinance of apartments in Baltimore County, Maryland. The Lender was The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) and the Loan Servicer was Greystone Servicing Company, LLC.

Represented Midway in the refinancing of their construction loan into permanent financing for the 100 Park multifamily development at Century Square in College Station, Texas.

Represented the buyer of a privately-owned golf course in Austin County, Texas.

Represented the borrower in a $65 million refinancing of the retail component of a mixed-used development.

Represented the developer in the acquisition and development of a multi-building industrial business park, including a multi-building lease with an international chemical manufacturing company.

Represented an international plastics and chemicals manufacturer and distributor in the acquisition, lease and rail service of a build-to-suit, rail-served industrial distribution center.

Represented a national retailer in connection with a $280 million credit facility secured by borrower-owned locations.

Represented the owner and operator of bulk storage facilities in the acquisition of a 430,000 barrel storage facility and terminal and the acquisition of approximately 220 acres of undeveloped real property for future development.

Representation of a Texas-based 24-hour emergency medical care company in connection with a private equity investment by Austin Ventures and the development of joint ventures with non-profit hospital systems in San Antonio, Dallas Ft. Worth and Austin, Texas and Denver, Colorado for the development of 20+ micro-hospitals

Represented non-profit developer in development agreement and long term ground lease with City of Houston for development of Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston (“MATCH”), a 1-block theater and flex space facility for visual and performing arts, and related office and rehearsal space for rent to emerging non-profit arts groups, including a multi-year grant agreement with Houston First Corporation, tax rebate agreement with City of Houston and adjacent for-profit developer, long-term parking easement in adjacent developer’s parking garage, and representation on construction contract issues.

Represented the purchaser of waterfront property adjacent to the Port of Texas City from a subsidiary of Dow Corning.

Representation of a developer and operator of multi-unit Alzheimer’s residential facilities

Representation of the developer of a multi-phase, mixed-use, urban infill development in the negotiation of the underlying development services agreement and the negotiation of a long-term lease agreement with a regional grocer as the key tenant for the first phase.

Represented the City of Austin in the acquisition of a golf course for municipal use.

Represented Midway in a collaborative partnership with Texas A&M University, among others, in connection with the financing, development and pre-leasing of phase one of an approximately 60 acre multi-phase mixed-use project in College Station, Texas known as Century Square, which, once complete, will include two full-service hotels, office, retail, restaurants, entertainment, loft apartments and more.

Represented various landlords and real estate developers in the negotiation of office and retail leases with national chains and local tenants.

Represented a Houston-based restauranteur in the strategic acquisition of a café and bakery concept.

Represented the portfolio company of a national private equity fund in the strategic acquisition of several manufacturers of drilling tools and perforation equipment.

Represented the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO) in the acquisitions of right-of-ways along light rail routes and in the sale of right-of-ways along the Westpark Tollway corridor to the Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority

Represented a Midland, Texas-based company in the sale of their minority interest in an international pipeline composite liner manufacturer.

Represented the developer of a luxury hotel in downtown Houston in the acquisition and development of the property, including capital formation and construction financing.

Represented a Houston-based software developer in capital formation and general contract negotiations.

Represented a Houston-based general contractor in capital formation and senior debt facilities.

Represented a private company in its acquisition of an oil and gas services company.

Preparation of condominium declaration and related governance documents for mixed-use condominium project in the City of Houston, Texas.

Represented a nonprofit hospital system in the sale of two multi-building hospital facilities and related medical office buildings in the Rio Grande Valley.

Represented The Nature Conservancy and City of Austin in connection with the acquisition of over 2000 acres of land and conservation easements for open space preservation and water quality protection in ecologically sensitive Barton Creek watershed area.

Represented a Houston-based real estate industrial acquisition and development company in connection with various build-to-suit industrial developments nationwide, including acquisition, disposition and capital formation.

Represented a traffic systems company in connection with a $55 million syndicated credit facility.

Represented a major regional health care system in the disposition of a 138-unit retirement and health care center.

Represented a national fiberglass products manufacturer in a variety of transactions, including the strategic acquisition of a Montana-based fiberglass products manufacturer and related acquisition financing and the later corporate reorganization and capital infusion by a private equity group.

Represented the shareholders of a Houston-based international supply company to the oil and gas industry in connection with the sale of their shares to a New York-based private equity group for approximately $28 million, including equity interests in the acquiring company.

Represented a Houston-based hydraulic generator manufacturer in the sale of its equity interests to a private equity group for approximately $10 million, including equity interests in the acquiring company.

Represented a Texas-based mezzanine financing fund in the corporate restructuring of its portfolio company which included amended senior and subordinated debt facilities and the purchase and financing of mobile servicing oil rigs.

Represented the purchaser of an approximately 55,000 square foot, single-tenant facility located within the Tuscany Technology Center, a 600,000 square-foot multi-building office and industrial park development in northeast Austin, Texas.

Represented the developer of master-planned communities in the sale of retail parcels to a national retail developer.

Represented a commercial retail developer in formation and capitalization of multiple joint ventures.

Represented the seller of a pair of Class A office buildings with approximately 200,000 total square feet to a national real estate investment fund.

Represented a developer in connection with the acquisition of raw land and development of stand-alone acute and emergency care medical facilities throughout Texas.

Represented the purchaser of a multi-tenant retail center located in the Energy Corridor, Houston, Texas.

Represented an enhanced oil recovery technology company in connection with private equity investments and capital formation.

Represented a Houston-based company in connection with private equity investments for the production of a nationally televised PBS television series.

Represented a water desalination development company in the reorganization of its corporate structure, including a $250 million capital infusion by international equity investors.

Represented a large residential developer in the sale of approximately 45 acres for retail development at the intersection of Grand Parkway and Westpark Tollway.

Represented Midway in the financing and development of office, retail and multifamly projects related to the revitalization of Levy Park in the Upper Kirby area of Houston.

Represented Blackhawk Specialty Tools, LLC, an oilfield services company headquartered in Houma, Louisiana, in connection with a private equity investment made by Rock Hill Capital Group.

Represented Managed Pressure Operations, a developer of next generation technology for offshore managed pressure drilling systems for the oil and gas industry with subsidiaries in Houston, Singapore, Jakarta and Dubai, in the reorganization of its capital structure, including a $15 million capital infusion by a private equity group and its later acquisition by an affiliate of Aker Solutions.

Represented TGS Cedar Port Partners, L.P. in connection with the acquisition of the largest industrial park in the greater Houston market, comprising of approximately 10,600 acres of unimproved land, a 300,000 square-foot rail-served warehouse on approximately 18 acres of land, and approximately 56 miles of rail and associated storage yards, switches and appurtenances.

Contact Blake

Blake Royal was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2021 for Real Estate Law