Vytas A. Petrulis
Practice Areas
Experience
- Construction & Development
- Investment, Leasing, & Management
- Multifamily & Residential Real Estate
- Office Real Estate
- Real Estate Financing
“Vytas Petrulisâs practice covers a broad range of commercial real estate, with a particular focus on multistate real estate portfolio transactions and mixed-use developments. One client noted, 'He is always prepared, available, knows the subject matter, and provides great counsel.' Other sources also stated that Vytas is 'particularly strong on more complex transactions' and that he is 'very responsive and works really well with in-house counsel.'”
— Chambers USA Guide, 2023
Biography
Vytas serves clients in real estate development, investment, leasing and finance. He is board certified in commercial real estate by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and is a Fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL).
Vytas has extensive experience in all aspects of commercial real estate law. He has represented clients in numerous real estate acquisitions and dispositions including large, multi-state portfolio transactions; institutional landlords and corporate tenants in office, industrial and retail leasing; developers in real estate development projects including complex, mixed-use projects; and lenders and borrowers in commercial loan transactions. Vytas’ experience in two selected areas is described in greater detail below.
Education
B.A., Rice University
J.D., University of Virginia School of Law
Bar Admissions
Texas
Professional Certifications
Board Certified in Commercial Real Estate Law
- Represented the developer of a mixed use, high rise Class A luxury multifamily residential and hotel project in the Texas Medical Center submarket of Houston, Texas, including 375 apartment units in a 35-story building. Work included structuring, negotiating and documenting a joint venture with the landowner, creating a condominium regime and development agreement covering the apartment, hotel and parking components of the project, and negotiating a $130,000,000 construction loan.
- Represented the developer of a mixed use, office, retail and multifamily residential project in Charleston, South Carolina. Work included structuring, negotiating and documenting a joint venture with the landowner and an institutional equity provider, negotiating the construction loan and representing the developer in its headquarters office lease as the lead tenant of the project.
- Represented the developer of a mixed use, hotel and multifamily residential project in Midtown Atlanta, Georgia. Work included structuring, negotiating and documenting a joint venture with an institutional equity provider, and negotiating the construction loan.
- Represented a national apartment developer in multiple conventional multifamily, student housing and senior housing development projects in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia, including site acquisition, land development agreements, joint ventures with institutional equity providers and loans from construction lenders.
- Represented an international financial services company as the lead tenant under a 150,000 square foot lease for its new United States headquarters in a to-be-built Class A office building in the Galleria area of Houston, Texas.
- Represented the landlord under a 190,000 square foot lease to an international law firm in a Class A office building in the Central Business District of Houston, Texas.
- Represented the landlord under a 167,000 square foot lease to an energy company in a Class A office building in the Central Business District of Houston, Texas.
- Represented the purchaser in the buyout of a ground lessee’s interest in a 193,000-square-foot Class A shopping center and three adjoining parcels of land in the Rice Village area of Houston, Texas.
- Chambers USA: Americaâs Leading Lawyers for Business, Ranked for Real Estate â Texas, 2023-2024
- Board Certified in Commercial Real Estate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 2009-Present
- The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White Inc.), Real Estate Law, 2014-2025
- Texas Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters, 2022-2024
- Texas Rising Star, Super Lawyers – Rising Stars by Thomson Reuters, 2006
- Top Lawyers, H Texas Magazine
- Houston Professionals on the Fast Track, H Texas Magazine
- State Bar of Texas â Real Estate, Probate & Trust Law Section
- American Bar Association â Real Property, Trust & Estate Law Section
- Houston Bar Association â Real Estate Law Section
- American College of Real Estate Lawyers. Fellow. Member Selection Committee.
- Houston Real Estate Lawyers Council
- NAIOP Houston Chapter. Board Member. Counsel
September 17, 2024
Attorney News
Jackson Walker Congratulates Its âTexas Super Lawyersâ of 2024
Jackson Walker proudly announces the selection of 71 attorneys to Thomson Reutersâ 2024 âTexas Super Lawyersâ list.
Each year, less than 5% of attorneys in Texas are named to the list. Selection is based off of peer nominations that are then reviewed by a research team. Each nominee is evaluated on his or her professional accomplishments, peer recognition, and community involvement.
August 15, 2024
Attorney News
‘The Best Lawyers in America’ Features 306 Jackson Walker Attorneys in 2025 Edition, Including 9 “Lawyers of the Year” and 75 “Ones to Watch”
The Best Lawyers in America has recognized 306 Jackson Walker attorneys across 81 specialty practice areas in its 2025 edition, including 9 Lawyers of the Year and 75 Ones to Watch. In this yearâs guide, Jackson Walker saw the largest number of attorneys in the areas of Commercial Litigation (75 attorneys) and Real Estate Law (55 attorneys) and the addition of 27 attorneys as Best Lawyers.
June 6, 2024
Spotlight
Chambers and Partners Releases 2024 USA Guide Featuring 67 Jackson Walker Attorneys and 23 Ranked Departments
Jackson Walker is pleased to announce that Chambers and Partners has selected 67 attorneys and 23 departments for inclusion in the 2024 edition of the Global and USA guides. Attorneys were ranked across 27 departments, with 3 attorneys listed among multiple areas, 8 ranked nationwide in their respective areas, and 15 recognized for the first time.
September 19, 2023
Attorney News
Jackson Walker Congratulates Its “Texas Super Lawyers” of 2023
Each year, less than 5% of attorneys in Texas are named to the list. Selection is based off of peer nominations that are then reviewed by a research team. Each nominee is evaluated on his or her professional accomplishments, peer recognition, and community involvement.
August 17, 2023
Attorney News
‘The Best Lawyers in America’ Honors 287 Jackson Walker Attorneys in 2024 Edition, Including 12 “Lawyers of the Year” and 80 “Ones to Watch”
The Best Lawyers in America has recognized 287 Jackson Walker attorneys across 5 offices and 82 specialty practice areas in its 2024 edition, including 12 Lawyers of the Year and 80 Ones to Watch. In this yearâs guide, Jackson Walker saw the largest number of attorneys in the areas of Commercial Litigation (66 attorneys) and Real Estate Law (60 attorneys) and the addition of 35 attorneys as Best Lawyers.
June 1, 2023
Spotlight
Chambers and Partners Recognizes Jackson Walker Attorneys and Practices in 2023 USA and Global Guides
Jackson Walker is pleased to announce that Chambers and Partners has selected 51 attorneys and 17 departments for inclusion in the 2023 edition of the Global and USA guides. Attorneys recognized in the guides were ranked in 19 practice areas, with 4 attorneys listed among multiple areas and 6 named among the top attorneys nationwide in their respective areas.
September 21, 2022
Attorney News
Jackson Walker Congratulates Its 64 “Texas Super Lawyers” of 2022
Each year, less than 5% of attorneys in Texas are named to the list. Selection is based off of peer nominations that are then reviewed by a research team. Each nominee is evaluated on his or her professional accomplishments, peer recognition, and community involvement.
August 18, 2022
Attorney News
‘The Best Lawyers in America’ Honors 214 Jackson Walker Attorneys in 2023 Edition, Including 11 “Lawyers of the Year” and 41 “Ones to Watch”
The Best Lawyers in America has recognized 214 Jackson Walker attorneys across 6 offices and 79 specialty practice areas in its 2023 edition, including 11 Lawyers of the Year and 41 Ones to Watch. Best Lawyers listings are based on an exhaustive peer review survey of thousands of attorneys who vote on the legal abilities of others in their practice areas.
August 19, 2021
Attorney News
‘The Best Lawyers in America’ Honors 178 Jackson Walker Attorneys in 2022 Edition, Including 8 “Lawyers of the Year” and 31 “Ones to Watch”
The Best Lawyers in America has recognized 178 Jackson Walker attorneys across 6 offices and 67 specialty practice areas in its 2022 edition, including 8 Lawyers of the Year and 31 Ones to Watch. Best Lawyers listings are based on an exhaustive peer review survey of thousands of attorneys who vote on the legal abilities of others in their practice areas.
August 20, 2020
Attorney News
âThe Best Lawyers in Americaâ Honors 164 Jackson Walker Attorneys in 2021 Edition, Including 9 âLawyers of the Yearâ and 25 “Ones to Watch”
Jackson Walker congratulates the 164 attorneys who were selected by their peers as Best Lawyers, including 9 Lawyers of the Year and 25 Ones to Watch, across 6 offices and 66 specialty practice areas.
Multifamily Experience
- Represents national and local apartment developers and investors in acquisitions and dispositions of multifamily communities. These transactions include properties in Houston and throughout Texas, out-of-state properties in states such as Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Virginia and Washington.
- Represents new developments and redevelopments of multifamily communities being actively involved in every step of the development process, from initial deal structuring, land acquisition and entitlement review, to creating restrictive covenants, reciprocal easements and condominium regimes, drafting architect’s and construction contracts, and negotiating joint ventures and construction and permanent financing.
- Experience in addressing emerging areas of risk in apartment transactions such as mold contamination and remediation, Americans with Disabilities Act and Fair Housing Act accessibility standards, construction defects and condominium conversion liability, and residential utility allocation and submetering.
- Straightforward acquisitions to complex mixed-use development projects, Vytas has the depth and breadth of knowledge and experience to achieve the goals of his multifamily clients.
Office Leasing Experience
- Provides day-to-day assistance to his office landlord clients in drafting and negotiating office leases and giving guidance to asset management, property management and leasing professionals on leasing and operational issues.
- Assists his office landlord clients in creating strategies to control risks and to identify opportunities in leasing and managing office properties on both a portfolio-wide and property-by-property basis.
- Experience in the area of Green Leasing and the furthering of landlordsâ and tenantsâ sustainability goals
- Appointed to the Green Lease Task Force formed by the Leasing Group of the American Bar Associationâs Real Property, Trust & Estate Law Section.
- Member of the Green and Sustainable Transactions Committee of the Commercial Real Estate Transactions Group of the American Bar Associationâs Real Property, Trust & Estate Law Section.
- Spoken to property managers, brokers, building owners and real estate groups on Green Leases and the issues presented to landlords and tenants in the leasing of space in LEED-certified office buildings.
Practice Experience
- Represented the developer of a mixed use, high rise Class A luxury multifamily residential and hotel project in the Texas Medical Center submarket of Houston, Texas, including 375 apartment units in a 35-story building. Work included structuring, negotiating and documenting a joint venture with the landowner, creating a condominium regime and development agreement covering the apartment, hotel and parking components of the project, and negotiating a $130,000,000 construction loan.
- Represented the developer of a mixed use, office, retail and multifamily residential project in Charleston, South Carolina. Work included structuring, negotiating and documenting a joint venture with the landowner and an institutional equity provider, negotiating the construction loan and representing the developer in its headquarters office lease as the lead tenant of the project.
- Represented the developer of a mixed use, hotel and multifamily residential project in Midtown Atlanta, Georgia. Work included structuring, negotiating and documenting a joint venture with an institutional equity provider, and negotiating the construction loan.
- Represented a national apartment developer in multiple conventional multifamily, student housing and senior housing development projects in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia, including site acquisition, land development agreements, joint ventures with institutional equity providers and loans from construction lenders.
- Represented an international financial services company as the lead tenant under a 150,000 square foot lease for its new United States headquarters in a to-be-built Class A office building in the Galleria area of Houston, Texas.
- Represented the landlord under a 190,000 square foot lease to an international law firm in a Class A office building in the Central Business District of Houston, Texas.
- Represented the landlord under a 167,000 square foot lease to an energy company in a Class A office building in the Central Business District of Houston, Texas.
- Represented the purchaser in the buyout of a ground lessee’s interest in a 193,000-square-foot Class A shopping center and three adjoining parcels of land in the Rice Village area of Houston, Texas.
Recognition & Accolades
- Chambers USA: Americaâs Leading Lawyers for Business, Ranked for Real Estate â Texas, 2023-2024
- Board Certified in Commercial Real Estate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 2009-Present
- The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White Inc.), Real Estate Law, 2014-2025
- Texas Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters, 2022-2024
- Texas Rising Star, Super Lawyers – Rising Stars by Thomson Reuters, 2006
- Top Lawyers, H Texas Magazine
- Houston Professionals on the Fast Track, H Texas Magazine
Community Involvement
- State Bar of Texas â Real Estate, Probate & Trust Law Section
- American Bar Association â Real Property, Trust & Estate Law Section
- Houston Bar Association â Real Estate Law Section
- American College of Real Estate Lawyers. Fellow. Member Selection Committee.
- Houston Real Estate Lawyers Council
- NAIOP Houston Chapter. Board Member. Counsel
Areas of Focus
Multifamily Experience
- Represents national and local apartment developers and investors in acquisitions and dispositions of multifamily communities. These transactions include properties in Houston and throughout Texas, out-of-state properties in states such as Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Virginia and Washington.
- Represents new developments and redevelopments of multifamily communities being actively involved in every step of the development process, from initial deal structuring, land acquisition and entitlement review, to creating restrictive covenants, reciprocal easements and condominium regimes, drafting architect’s and construction contracts, and negotiating joint ventures and construction and permanent financing.
- Experience in addressing emerging areas of risk in apartment transactions such as mold contamination and remediation, Americans with Disabilities Act and Fair Housing Act accessibility standards, construction defects and condominium conversion liability, and residential utility allocation and submetering.
- Straightforward acquisitions to complex mixed-use development projects, Vytas has the depth and breadth of knowledge and experience to achieve the goals of his multifamily clients.
Office Leasing Experience
- Provides day-to-day assistance to his office landlord clients in drafting and negotiating office leases and giving guidance to asset management, property management and leasing professionals on leasing and operational issues.
- Assists his office landlord clients in creating strategies to control risks and to identify opportunities in leasing and managing office properties on both a portfolio-wide and property-by-property basis.
- Experience in the area of Green Leasing and the furthering of landlordsâ and tenantsâ sustainability goals
- Appointed to the Green Lease Task Force formed by the Leasing Group of the American Bar Associationâs Real Property, Trust & Estate Law Section.
- Member of the Green and Sustainable Transactions Committee of the Commercial Real Estate Transactions Group of the American Bar Associationâs Real Property, Trust & Estate Law Section.
- Spoken to property managers, brokers, building owners and real estate groups on Green Leases and the issues presented to landlords and tenants in the leasing of space in LEED-certified office buildings.