Shams Merchant is a top-ranked real estate private equity attorney in Houston, Texas and is recognized nationally for syndications, fund formations, securities, and private placements for commercial real estate investment and development projects. Shams’ recent fund formations and syndications include a $50 million dollar syndication raise for the acquisition of 4 multi-family properties, $30 million fund formation for acquisition of industrial properties, Reg. D, Rule 506(b) fund formation for the development of build-to-rent homes, and fund formation for development of new hotel project downtown Houston.
Houston Securities and SEC Law Firm for Real Estate Syndications and Private Equity Funds
Shams exclusively focuses on securities law for the real estate private equity industry. His practice is based in Houston, Texas but is national in scope. He services many New York-based funds. Shams understands the nuances of forming and managing private equity funds for real estate projects of all sizes and complexities. He routinely forms new real estate syndications and funds for the acquisition and development of retail, multi-family, industrial, office, mixed-use, build-to-rent, and student housing projects across Texas, including many projects in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Austin, and nationwide.
Industry-Leading Houston Real Estate Private Equity Lawyer
Shams is known by his clients and the real estate community in Houston as the “go-to” real estate private equity lawyer for the formation of 506(b) and 506(c) funds and syndications, which he is an expert in. Shams represents new real estate private equity firms and some of the largest existing funds in Texas and has deep experience structuring and drafting all fund formation and syndication documents, including public and private offering documents (private placement memoranda, subscription agreements, and operating agreements) for commercial real estate syndications and private equity funds for the acquisition of apartment buildings, retail centers, office buildings, industrial and warehouses, portfolios, and distressed assets, and navigating and counseling on offering process and compliance with the federal and state filing requirements including blue-sky laws.
Start-to-Finish Representation for Fund Formations, Real Estate Law and Title, Escrow & Closing Services
Unlike other attorneys, Shams provides start-to-finish representation for real estate private equity firms and their sponsors on all of their real estate projects. He represents individual investors, private investment funds, sponsors, and general partners, from start to finish in their fundraising and commercial real estate investment and development projects. Moreover, as a commercial real estate attorney, Shams further represents those same clients in the acquisition, disposition, development, management, and leasing of their commercial real estate investments. Finally, through his affiliated title company, Shams also provides title insurance services to his clients, providing a one-stop-shop experience from fundraising to negotiating the purchase and sale, and ultimately closing on the acquisition of the property.
Texas Fund Formations and Syndications Legal Fees
Shams’ legal fees for real estate fund formations and syndications in Texas and particularly in Houston are based on a flat fee, which includes start-to-finish representation and ranges from $12,000 to $15,000+, depending on the size and complexity of the fund or syndication, the experience of the sponsor and various other factors.
About Shams Merchant
With experience working on more award-winning ULI real estate projects than any other real estate attorney under the age of 35 and over $3.2 billion in real estate transactions, Shams is a leader in Texas commercial real estate and private equity law, representing clients nationwide on the purchase, sale, development, leasing and financing of commercial real estate projects between $1 to $250 million, including retail, mixed-use, office, industrial, hospitality, and multi-family. Shams also represents clients in joint-ventures, business structuring, entity formation, and fund formations (including 506(c) and 506(b) offerings). Shams is also one of the few attorneys in Texas with in-depth experience in real estate disputes and litigation, including breach of real estate contracts, breach of leases, CAM calculations and other complex leasing disputes, brokerage commission disputes, property tax litigation, disputes between partners and shareholders, deed restriction disputes, real estate fraud and title and boundary disputes. Shams believes access to sophisticated and responsive counsel should not cost a premium. With that in mind, Shams provides a cost-effective and value-added service to his clients, whether they are new to the real estate or private equity business or a seasoned player. In furtherance of that principle, Shams proactively provides his clients with new ways to track and quantify value, from using technology to improve service delivery to offering bespoke alternative fee arrangements. By working with his clients to reduce their legal spend, Shams has helped his clients increase their ROI on real estate projects and the overall profitability of their businesses. As an authority in Texas commercial real estate law and real estate private equity, and a big proponent on helping clients reduce their legal fees, Shams was recently featured in the Houston Business Journal, Dallas Business Journal, and The Real Deal for his work. His projects and clients have also been featured on numerous regional and national industry publications.
For more information on Shams Merchant’s Houston real estate fund formation and syndication law practice, please contact Shams Merchant via email at shams@cre.law or by phone at (832) 451-2594.