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Nikelle Meade

Nikelle Meade

Partner
Austin
fax: 512.479.1101
mobile: 512.992.6001

“Nikelle is well aware of the market, the players and the municipal side of transactions.”

Chambers USA 2024

Overview

Nikelle represents clients in real estate development, handling both their government permitting and transactional needs.

Nikelle stands out among land development attorneys for her ability to help clients with real estate projects from start to finish: she’s represented buyers, sellers, investors, lenders, and borrowers in all aspects of commercial real estate transactions, including purchases and sales, leases, construction, procurement, general contracts, and public financing and economic development incentives. She has vast experience with a wide variety of development projects, including public-private partnerships (P3).

Alongside her traditional transactional work, Nikelle also represents clients before local governments across Texas in obtaining a diverse array of land use related permits, including zoning approvals, licensing agreements, restrictive covenants, and site development permits. She routinely helps clients navigate relationships with city councils, zoning boards of adjustment, planning commissions, other local governing bodies, and state and local agencies, and she is adept at negotiating with elected officials who may be facing public opposition to new development. Nikelle has an outstanding track record achieving the results clients need to proceed with development projects, often finding win-win solutions that provide additional opportunities for community investment.

After nearly thirty years in land use and real estate work, Nikelle has excellent relationships with decisionmakers across the state, and she knows exactly where to connect clients to get projects across the finish line. She and the Husch Blackwell team are unusual in their ability to serve as a one-stop shop for clients in this space, handling both the permitting process and the ultimate transactional, financing, and construction needs. While Nikelle is experienced with cities, counties, and municipalities throughout Texas, she also has a nationwide firm behind her, with colleagues in more than 20 offices and the firm’s virtual office ready to step in and take on client projects in across the country.

Nikelle is known as a solutions-driven professional who’s determined to turn client concepts into fully built, successful projects. Clients appreciate her dedication to understanding not only the project at hand but also how a new development fits into the clients’ overall business goals and plans—as well as her willingness to meet aggressive timelines and ensure that complex projects stay on track.

Nikelle is a member of the firm’s Executive Board.

“Nikelle is well aware of the market, the players and the municipal side of transactions.”

Chambers USA 2024

Industry

Services

Recognition

  • Austin Black Business Journal, Lawyer of the Year, 2019
  • Austin Black Business Journal, Achievements in Black Austin, 2019
  • Austin Business Journal, Power Players, 2023
  • Austin Business Journal, Top 20 People to Know, 2012
  • Austin Business Journal, Profiles in Power Award, 2009
  • Austin Monthly magazine, Top Austin Attorney, Land Use Environment, 2019, 2023 and 2024
  • Austin Under 40, 2007
  • Bisnow, Austin Women Leading Real Estate, 2022
  • The Business Journals' Influencers: Law, 2018
  • BL Rankings’ The Best Lawyers in America®
    • Land Use and Zoning Law, 2020-2025
    • Litigation - Land Use and Zoning, 2018-2025
    • Real Estate Law, 2018-2025
    • Best Lawyers® Land Use and Zoning Law "Lawyer of the Year," Austin, 2021
  • Chambers USA
    • Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use, 2022-2024
  • Kappa Alpha Psi Outstanding Community Leader Award, 2013
  • Lawyers of Color, Wonderful Women, 2023
  • The Legal 500 United States
    • Real estate: Land use/zoning, Recommended attorney, 2024
  • National Black Lawyers (NBL), Top 100, 2023
  • REDNews, Texas Icons, 2022
  • Texas Bar Foundation Fellow, 2013-present
  • Texas Monthly, Top Women Attorneys in Texas, 2020
  • Thomson Reuters' Texas Super Lawyers, Rising Star, 2004-2006, Land Use/Zoning, Legislative & Governmental Affairs, 2016-2019
  • Travis County Women Lawyers’ Association, Pathfinder Award, 2023

Education

  • J.D., University of Texas School of Law
    • Endowed Presidential Scholar, 1992-1995
  • B.A., University of Texas at Austin
    • English and Psychology
    • Texas Excellence Scholar, 1988-1992

Admissions

  • Texas

Professional Memberships and Certifications

  • American Bar Association, State and Local Government Section, Business Law Section, Real Property and Trust Section
  • American Planning Association, state chapter and national chapter
  • Austin Bar Association, Real Estate Section, Administrative Law Section
  • Austin Chamber of Commerce, Board Member
  • Cedar Park Chamber of Commerce, Member
  • Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, Vice Chair
  • Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW), Austin Chapter
  • International Bridge, Turnpike and Tunnel Association
  • National Council for Public Private Partnerships, Member
  • National Forum for Black Public Administrators, Central Texas Chapter
  • Opportunity Austin, Investor Representative
  • Real Estate Council of Austin, President’s Council
  • Round Rock Chamber of Commerce, Momentum Investor Group
  • State Bar of Texas, Real Estate, Probate and Trust Law Section, Business Section
  • Urban Land Institute – Austin, Advisory Board Member, Creative Culture Council

Languages

  • German, conversant
  • Spanish, conversant
  • Italian, conversant
Experience
  • Represented a Fortune 500 company in negotiation of economic development incentives from state and local governments for the construction of a major industrial facility.
  • Represented a commercial real estate developer for a high-rise condominium development in Austin’s central business district and surrounding areas.
  • Counseled a national real estate investment trust (REIT) in entitlement matters.
  • Represented a property owner association in the negotiation of entitlements with a national developer for a $100 million development project.
  • Represented a multifamily housing developer for the creation of a public-private partnership to develop a 250-unit apartment development.
  • Advised an international developer in 5,000-acre mixed-use development with public financing.
  • Represented a Fortune 500 company in negotiation of a services contract with a local governmental body.
  • Served as land development counsel and local real estate and financing counsel for real estate investment firm as it acquired three hotels and resorts in Texas (worth $93 million), each of which were active resorts situated in areas of the state with unique and complicated water, wastewater and environmental issues.
  • Assisted a multi-family developer and construction company in putting approximately 1,700 units in place throughout Texas in one year worth more than $300 million.
  • Represented a multi-family developer in securing entitlements and negotiating agreements in connection with a multi-family housing development being developed in connection with a retail center anchored by CVS valued at $70 million.
Case Studies
Jacobs Engineering Group

Our team assisted the client, one of world’s largest engineering companies, in relocating its corporate HQ to the Lone Star State.

Hunt Development Group

Our P3 team assisted the client in crafting a winning bid to develop a 430,000-square-foot civil and family courthouse facility to replace the Heman Marion Sweatt Courthouse.

Articles | May 28, 2021
The Future of Texas Infrastructure
Media Mentions | January 27, 2023
REDNews: 2022 Texas Icons
Community Leadership
  • AARO (Austin Area Research Organization)
  • Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Austin, Board of Directors   
  • Austin Chamber of Commerce, Board Member
  • Austin Business Journal, Mentor
  • Austin Habitat for Humanity, Board of Directors
  • Austin Parks Foundation, Board of Directors
  • Austin Steam Train Association, Board of Directors
  • Austin Trail Foundation, Project Advisory Committee
  • Ballet Austin, Board of Directors
  • Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, Vice Chair
  • Downtown Austin Alliance, Board Member, Secretary, Executive Committee, Governance Committee Vice Chair
  • H.A.A.M (Health Alliance for Austin Musicians), Chair Elect
  • Real Estate Council of Austin, President’s Council
  • Texas Health Action, Board Member, Governance Chair
  • Urban Land Institute – Austin, Advisory Board Member, Creative Culture Council