HOUSTON - Michael Cortez has joined BakerHostetler’s Houston office as a partner in the firm’s Business Practice Group and member of the Real Estate team, a press release states.
With more than two decades of experience, Cortez focuses on construction-related transactions, including complex energy procurement and oil and gas projects. His arrival is the latest in a string of nationwide hires for the firm’s Business Practice Group that includes the additions of Elise Barajas (Dallas), Margaret Butler (New York), Brian Mulcahy (Chicago) and Stephen Ruscus (Washington).
Cortez’s arrival is the most recent strategic addition to the Houston office, the press release states. Since 2020, the firm has added nearly 25 attorneys in the marketplace. Cortez’s experience representing a wide range of companies, including those in the oil and gas and renewable energy sectors, is an asset to the firm’s impressive Real Estate team, not only in Houston but across the U.S.
“Mike (Cortez) is a phenomenal addition to our rapidly growing Business Practice Group and Real Estate team. His arrival showcases BakerHostetler’s commitment to growth, both in Texas and in real estate,” said Business Practice Group Chair John Allotta. “Mike brings immense knowledge and experience in construction law, and his extensive construction transaction background will be a benefit to our Real Estate team and the clients we serve.”
Cortez joins BakerHostetler from a Chambers-ranked boutique construction law firm based in Texas. As the construction transactional law practice leader at that firm, Cortez worked on many energy procurement and construction projects, design and construction contracts, project risk management matters and lien and bond claims. His experience also includes representing clients in drafting and negotiating complex construction contracts under multiple project delivery systems, the press release states.
Before entering private practice, Cortez served as outsourced project counsel with the largest engineering and construction company in the U.S. and also served as in-house construction counsel for a multibillion-dollar domestic portfolio of multifamily and mixed-use projects for a prominent real estate development company in Houston.