Winstead PC
01 May 2007
Founded in 1973, Winstead PC has grown into one of the largest commercial firms in south-west United States, with six offices in Texas and another in Washington, DC. The firm earns 10 nominees across six practice areas, and its local profile has been bolstered by recent lateral hires.
Winstead PC in Who's Who Legal: Texas
The firm's real estate group stands out with three partners among the leaders in the state. The firm has worked on matters such as the representation of an NYSE shopping centre developer, which owns over 230 properties in all stages of the development of new shopping centres, as well as the representation of four life insurance companies in the $280 million portfolio financing of a mixed-use, high rise building complex in Houston. Melvin Dow is "a seasoned and extremely well-respected practitioner", while Greg Erwin is also based in the Houston office and well regarded by his peers. Edward Peterson was picked out for his condominium expertise, and is based in the Dallas office.
The firm has a "large and very successful" banking and credit transactions practice and three partners feature in the chapter. David Keyes joined the firm in early 2007 and was praised by sources as a "consummate gentleman". Michael Hilliard is "experienced, diligent" and known for his work on complex lending transactions, workouts, leveraged leasing and credit products, while Nelson Block is rated as a "great problem solver".
Fred Meier heads the the firm's aviation practice group and gives Winstead a presence in another chapter, while William Weiland in Houston appears in the oil & gas section, and was recognised by sources both in the US and abroad as a "first-class lawyer".
The March 2007 disintegration of Jenkens & Gilchrist brought well-known corporate immigration specialist Harry Joe to the firm. Joe was praised as a "wonderful attorney who knows the corporate end of the spectrum" and his broad practice incorporates matters such as non-immigrant visas, immigrant visas, alien employment certifications, and naturalisation.
Environmental specialist Albert Axe also joined the firm at this time and he "certainly knows his stuff", according to our sources. Axe is the firm's only inclusion in the book from its Austin office. His listing and those of the other outstanding Texan lawyers that our research has uncovered can be found on the pages that follow.
To see more profiled firms from Texas, vist the Firm Profiles page in the Texas Special Report