Cassie B. Stinson

Biography

Cassie focuses her practice on commercial real estate, public law, business transactions and finance, including corporate, industrial and manufacturing, health care, governmental infrastructure and mixed-use projects and facilities, in connection with which she handles acquisitions and dispositions, project development, construction contracts, real estate lending and workouts, corporate and industrial facilities management, and commercial leasing. Cassie works extensively on joint public/private development projects, representing private entities, governmental agencies and financial institutions. Cassie has substantial experience with transit facilities and transit oriented development, residential and mixed-use condominium projects, inner-city redevelopment, affordable housing, special-purpose districts, land use matters, condemnation, transactional environmental matters, layered public/private financing, tax increment financing, tax abatements and tax credit transactions, and federal acquisition and relocation regulations.  

Education & Honors

• University of Texas, B.A., with honors, 1974
• University of Texas School of Law, J.D., with honors, 1978
  

Admission & Affiliations

• State Bar of Texas, 1978
• California State Bar, 1983
• American Bar Association 
• ABA Real Property and Probate Section
• ABA Affordable Housing Forum
• ABA Construction Law Forum
• State Bar of Texas Real Property Section
• Houston Bar Association
• Director, HBA Transportation Law Section
• Chair, HBA Real Property Law Section, 1996-1997
• Full Member, Urban Land Institute
• Member, ULI Public Private Partnership Council
• Charter Member, CREW-Houston
• Member, International Right of Way Association
• Director, Harris County Improvement District # 11
• Director, Hermann Park Conservancy
• President, Museum Area Municipal Association
• Director, Houston Botanic Garden, 2005-2007
• Director, Houston Area Women’s Center, 1998-2002

Significant Matters

• Project oversight and coordination for acquisition of three light rail corridors for Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas, including appraisal and environmental issues, regulatory compliance, title and survey matters, and condemnation support for over 500 parcels of land in Houston, Texas
• Represented Metropolitan Transit Authority in connection with ground lease and joint development agreement for Cypress Village Station, a mixed-use commuter bus based transit oriented development project, Houston, Texas
• Acquisition of conservation easements for water quality protection in Barton Springs watershed for City of Austin
• Assemblage, acquisition and structuring of Discovery Green, a 12-acre park in Houston’s Central Business District
• Privatization of Houston Zoo with long term ground lease and corresponding long term operating and management agreement
• Represented City of Houston in restructuring non-performing second lien financing on two downtown hotel projects
• Represented host plants in electrical cogeneration projects in various states
• Appraisal gap financing through HUD Section 108 economic development loan for the renovation of the historic Rice Hotel, Houston, Texas
• Establishment and implementation of HUD Section 108 loan program for City of Houston Department of Housing and Community Development
• Tax increment financing loans for redevelopment of Gulfgate Mall, Houston, Texas