After 18 years as an in-house counsel and more than four years as the chief legal officer at real estate giant Hines, Richard Heaton is returning to practice law.
Greenberg Traurig announced that Heaton has joined the firm’s Houston office as a shareholder in its real estate practice.
In an interview with The Texas Lawbook, Heaton said he has had “a long relationship working with Greenberg” lawyers.
“I had a number of compelling opportunities,” he said. “Greenberg is the premier brand in real estate law. The firm’s thriving, entrepreneurial culture makes it an ideal place for me to launch this new chapter in my career.”
With more than 160 lawyers in Austin, Dallas and Houston, Greenberg generated $156.6 million in Texas revenue in 2024 — an 11 percent jump over the prior year. Firmwide, the firm has more than 2,600 lawyers and took in more than $2.6 billion in revenue last year.
“We felt we haven’t been as effective as we could have been in Texas and we wanted to make a major investment in Texas,” said Greenberg vice chair Michael Fishman. “We’ve worked on several transactions with Richard at Hines. This is a perfect combination.”
“Richard’s background at one of the world’s most prominent and prolific real estate development and investment management companies gives him a unique perspective into the business realities facing many industry clients,” Fishman said. “Having him onboard will help us further tailor our services to the individual needs of our clients in today’s rapidly evolving real estate landscape.”
Fishman said Heaton, who was one of two finalists for the 2025 Houston General Counsel of the Year Award by the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Houston Chapter and The Texas Lawbook, will represent investors, developers and property managers in complex real estate transactions.