Willkie announced Monday the addition of a six-lawyer real estate team from Akin led by John Bain and Wes Smith.
Bain, who practiced at Akin for 15 years, has previously worked across Willkie’s Dallas office managing partner Holt Foster.
“We couldn’t be joining a more generous team in Holt Foster, Chase Proctor, Brandon McCoy, Tony Johnston, and Jess Sheridan, who have truly rolled out the (seasonally appropriate) red carpet and made us feel right at home,” Bain said in a LinkedIn post.
Foster, in the firm’s announcement, said of Bain: “I know him to be an exceptional real estate attorney and trusted advisor to his clients. John and Wes have deep ties to the Dallas market that support the growth of a premier, Texas-based real estate and hospitality practice and expand our transactional capabilities in the region and across the firm.”
Joining Bain and Smith are associates Chase Hudson, Brielle Rowe, Payne Roberts, and Logan Wright.
Bain has significant experience advising clients across the hotel, resort, and leisure property sectors, handling purchases, sales, financings, refinancings, and debt restructurings. He also advises clients on the management and leasing of office buildings, multifamily projects, restaurants, industrial properties, manufacturing facilities, and raw land.
Last year, Bain was on the Akin deal team that advised 7-Eleven on its nearly $1 billion deal for 204 stores from Sunoco LP. In another recent deal, Bain represented Edge Natural Resources in its sale of Burnham RNG to Ares.
In 2023, Bain, Smith, Roberts, and Rowe led a $1.2 billion commercial mortgage-backed securities financing for Preylock Holdings.
Willkie opened its Dallas office last May and now has 17 lawyers who service the office.