Clark Hill's Commercial Real Estate Symposium – Dallas, Texas
Join Clark Hill’s Commercial Real Estate attorneys and industry professionals for a timely and dynamic program in Dallas, focusing on the latest challenges and top trends in the industry. There will be plenty of time to catch up with old friends and make new connections before the presentations and at the networking happy hour immediately following the session.
Topics include:
- From Zoning to Megawatts: A Practical Framework for Data Center Site Viability, presented by Amy Akers and Adam Ventura (Clark Hill), and Curt Holcomb (JLL)
This panel will provide a practical, front-end framework for developers evaluating sites for data center development, with a focus on avoiding the entitlement, infrastructure, energy, and political pitfalls that commonly derail projects. Join us as our presenters will walk through key considerations when screening sites, including options where existing zoning codes do not contemplate data center uses, assess the real-world feasibility (not just theoretical availability) of the land use entitlement process, and address frequently encountered bases of opposition to data center developments and strategies for overcoming them. Furthermore, the panel will address the critical intersection of site selection and energy strategy. Topics will include how to evaluate proximity/capacity of existing energy infrastructure, coordinating with utilities on power delivery timelines and constraints, and structuring approaches (i.e. high-load usage, co-generation, and potential sale of excess power back to the grid). We will touch on the evolving regulatory and political landscape impacting energy solutions—particularly the viability of integrating emerging technologies such as small modular nuclear reactors—and how local and state-level policy considerations can directly influence site viability. The discussion will emphasize how early diligence can materially reduce entitlement risk, carrying costs, and timeline uncertainty.
- How AI is Changing Negotiations: A Guide for Brokers and Owners, presented by Tommy Ball and Filippo Leone (Clark Hill), and Tyler Clutts and Christopher Schafer, Esq (Cresa)
Explore how artificial intelligence is increasingly influencing commercial real estate negotiations, from drafting letters of intent to reviewing lease provisions and allocating risk. As AI tools become widely accessible, this session explains how they work, the insights they can surface, and the risks they can introduce, including over‑complicated deal terms, conflicting language, and provisions that appear reasonable but shift risk. Using practical real estate examples, we will show how AI can help identify gaps, flag market‑standard terms, assess which party is favored, and accelerate early drafts, while reinforcing why AI should support sound judgment, deal strategy, and legal review rather than replace them. Attendees will leave with a clear framework for using AI effectively in CRE negotiations and for recognizing how it may be shaping the other side of the deal.
- Kickoff to Legacy: Texas Health Mansfield Stadium, Mansfield Sports District, and the FIFA Moment, moderated by Christy Pennington (Clark Hill), with panelists R. Shawn Ellis (House of Tangram and Mansfield Sports District), and others to be announced
In this engaging panel discussion, we will explore how the Texas Health Mansfield Soccer Stadium is transforming the city and positioning Mansfield for extraordinary growth. Our panelists will examine the stadium’s role as a community anchor, the exciting hotel and convention center development taking shape around it, and the unprecedented opportunities created by FIFA’s arrival in North Texas. From economic development and sports tourism to community identity and long-term vision, this discussion will offer an inside look at how Mansfield is building momentum both during and beyond the kickoff.
- Distress in the Capital Stack: Workouts, Receiverships, and Bankruptcy Trends in 2025–2026, presented by Audrey Hornisher and Jim Ugalde (Clark Hill)
After years of low interest rates and high valuations, the real estate market is now seeing a surge in loan maturities, covenant defaults, and underperforming assets — particularly in the office, retail, and hospitality sectors. This session explores the evolving landscape of distressed real estate, including pre-foreclosure workouts, deed-in-lieu negotiations, receivership appointments, and the strategic use of bankruptcy tools for lenders, borrowers, REITs, and landlords. Attendees will gain a practical understanding of how to mitigate exposure, preserve value, and position assets for recovery or acquisition in the next phase of the cycle.
- Y’all Street: The History and Future of Texas Finance, presenters to be announced
Texas is rapidly emerging as a major hub for financial services, with firms, capital, and talent increasingly flowing from traditional centers to Dallas and other key markets across the state. In this session, we will explore the forces driving this shift and what it means for commercial real estate. Our speakers will examine the evolution of Texas capital markets, the growing presence of institutional players, and the broader economic and regulatory dynamics positioning Texas as a national financial center. Panelists will also address how this momentum is influencing investment patterns, office demand, development strategies, and long-term growth across the region. Attendees will gain practical insight into how the rise of “Y’all Street” is reshaping opportunities and risks for owners, investors, and advisors in today’s CRE landscape.
Capacity is limited.
Registration closes on Monday, June 1.
Clark Hill Dallas Office
901 Main Street
Suite 6000
Dallas, TX 75202
Presenters