Elder Bray & Bankler PC

Elder Bray & Bankler was formed in 2012 as a boutique transactional firm representing businesses, owners, investors and entrepreneurs as their trusted advisors in a variety of commercial and business transactions.In addition to our corporate transaction expertise,our expertise includes Oil, Gas & Energy, Real Estate & Finance and Estate Planning.Our clients include startup, growth, middle-market and Fortune 500 companies, as well as wealthy individuals with diverse business interest.

We are a firm of experienced transaction lawyers.Our shareholders average over twenty years of experience. Our firm provides a compelling and cost-effective alternative to large full service law firms for important business matters and transactions.Rather than leveraging less experienced attorneys, our experienced attorneys remain active in all of our engagements.We are able to provide the resources of a full-service large firm through our network of specialists who work with us on matters that require a particular legal specialty not covered by our firm.In this way, we deliver the resources of a full-service firm, but in a more selective and cost-effective manner.

At Elder Bray & Bankler, our discerning approach helps avoid potential conflicts, reduce costs, and ensure our clients are provided the experienced counsel and exceptional service they deserve.

Lawyers:

• Matthew Augustyn
• Scott Bankler
• John Bray
• Matt Crowell
• Allison Elder
• Dan Elder
• Steve Elder
• Kristen Elizondo
• Jake McCloy
• Mike Morell
• Tyler Peace
• Jake Pylman
• David Roth
• Bruce Scrafford
• Sarah Sweet
• Allyson Winslow

Main Areas of Practice

CORPORATE/BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS 

Our corporate attorneys bring a wide range of versatile skills and expertise to respond to today’s business challenges and opportunities and take a practical approach to help clients meet their goals. The partners in our corporate group bring an average of over twenty years of practice experience representing clients in every phase of their business’s growth.

We advise clients throughout the entire life-cycle of a business, from pre-formation to exit event and beyond, and regularly counsel clients on major transactions including mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt financings, joint ventures and strategic partnerships, reorganizations and business owner separations. We also provide ongoing counsel to companies in the areas of entity selection and maintenance, commercial contracts, executive employment agreements, equity incentive plans and other outside general counsel matters.

In addition to our work with businesses, we’ve also represented sponsors in real estate syndications, venture capital fund formation and related portfolio acquisitions and investments.

Our corporate attorneys work with experienced and qualified outside professionals in the areas of tax, accounting, intellectual property and employee benefits, among others, to ensure our clients’ needs are served effectively.

OIL, GAS &ENERGY 

Elder Bray has a collective thirty-five years of experience and all energy partners are board certified in Oil, Gas and Mineral Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Our energy attorneys provide counsel and a deal focused perspective on a broad range of transactions related to the ownership, use, exploration, development, and operation of oil and gas assets, the production and sale of hydrocarbons from these assets, and the financing of these types of transactions.

We possess significant experience representing both operators and landowners in domestic exploration and development projects from lease acquisition through midstream pipeline and processing and bring unique perspectives to these transactions by identifying, evaluating and addressing the risks and opportunities that actually impact operational oil and gas project development.

Our firm’s energy attorneys also work collaboratively with our Business Transaction group on acquisitions, dispositions and investments involving upstream and midstream oil and gas assets by understanding and crafting solutions to resolve the title, leasing, marketing and regulatory matters which are often unique to energy transactions.

ESTATE PLANNING 

Attorneys in our Estate Planning Practice provide sophisticated legal and tax advice to affluent individuals and families, owners of closely held businesses, institutional fiduciaries, charitable organizations, and other professionals and family offices that serve such individuals and families.

Although a substantial portion of the practice involves the creation of planning arrangements that minimize or eliminate estate, gift, generation-skipping transfer, and/or income taxes, the Estate Planning Practice is sharply focused on clients’ needs and strategies that address family and financial matters as well as tax concerns.

Elder Bray’s attorneys have a wealth of experience and employ a practical approach to help clients plan for the future through the preparation of wills, trusts, and other estate planning documents. Additionally, the firm has extensive experience in estate planning for owners of closely-held businesses. In this context, our estate planners collaborate with our business attorneys in overseeing corporate planning and administration, general business succession planning, designing stock purchase arrangements, and structuring intra-family transfers for estate planning purposes.

We also assist clients in probate, including filing wills for probate and counseling individuals and corporate fiduciaries who administer estates to comply with fiduciary duties and responsibilities.

REAL ESTATE AND FINANCE 

Our attorneys take a practical approach to finding the right path in navigating clients through complex terrain in their real estate ventures. Our lawyers have over 30 years of experience facilitating a broad range of deal types.

Our lawyers have counseled and guided clients on projects involving development and construction, acquisition and sale of operating properties, leasing, and farm and ranch property purchases, sales and partitions. Our real estate clients have included developers, investors, end-users, financial institutions, municipalities, real estate investment trusts, and tenants-in-common (TIC) sponsors.

Through decades of working with real estate developers, builders, title industry professionals, oil and gas operators, local governments, commercial mortgage lenders, investors, architects, engineers, contractors, brokers and regulatory agencies, our real estate practitioners have developed a deep understanding of all aspects of the real estate industry, as well as strong working relationships within that industry.

CORPORATE/BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS 

Our corporate attorneys bring a wide range of versatile skills and expertise to respond to today’s business challenges and opportunities and take a practical approach to help clients meet their goals. The partners in our corporate group bring an average of over twenty years of practice experience representing clients in every phase of their business’s growth.

We advise clients throughout the entire life-cycle of a business, from pre-formation to exit event and beyond, and regularly counsel clients on major transactions including mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt financings, joint ventures and strategic partnerships, reorganizations and business owner separations. We also provide ongoing counsel to companies in the areas of entity selection and maintenance, commercial contracts, executive employment agreements, equity incentive plans and other outside general counsel matters.

In addition to our work with businesses, we’ve also represented sponsors in real estate syndications, venture capital fund formation and related portfolio acquisitions and investments.

Our corporate attorneys work with experienced and qualified outside professionals in the areas of tax, accounting, intellectual property and employee benefits, among others, to ensure our clients’ needs are served effectively.

OIL, GAS &ENERGY 

Elder Bray has a collective thirty-five years of experience and all energy partners are board certified in Oil, Gas and Mineral Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Our energy attorneys provide counsel and a deal focused perspective on a broad range of transactions related to the ownership, use, exploration, development, and operation of oil and gas assets, the production and sale of hydrocarbons from these assets, and the financing of these types of transactions.

We possess significant experience representing both operators and landowners in domestic exploration and development projects from lease acquisition through midstream pipeline and processing and bring unique perspectives to these transactions by identifying, evaluating and addressing the risks and opportunities that actually impact operational oil and gas project development.

Our firm’s energy attorneys also work collaboratively with our Business Transaction group on acquisitions, dispositions and investments involving upstream and midstream oil and gas assets by understanding and crafting solutions to resolve the title, leasing, marketing and regulatory matters which are often unique to energy transactions.

ESTATE PLANNING 

Attorneys in our Estate Planning Practice provide sophisticated legal and tax advice to affluent individuals and families, owners of closely held businesses, institutional fiduciaries, charitable organizations, and other professionals and family offices that serve such individuals and families.

Although a substantial portion of the practice involves the creation of planning arrangements that minimize or eliminate estate, gift, generation-skipping transfer, and/or income taxes, the Estate Planning Practice is sharply focused on clients’ needs and strategies that address family and financial matters as well as tax concerns.

Elder Bray’s attorneys have a wealth of experience and employ a practical approach to help clients plan for the future through the preparation of wills, trusts, and other estate planning documents. Additionally, the firm has extensive experience in estate planning for owners of closely-held businesses. In this context, our estate planners collaborate with our business attorneys in overseeing corporate planning and administration, general business succession planning, designing stock purchase arrangements, and structuring intra-family transfers for estate planning purposes.

We also assist clients in probate, including filing wills for probate and counseling individuals and corporate fiduciaries who administer estates to comply with fiduciary duties and responsibilities.

REAL ESTATE AND FINANCE 

Our attorneys take a practical approach to finding the right path in navigating clients through complex terrain in their real estate ventures. Our lawyers have over 30 years of experience facilitating a broad range of deal types.

Our lawyers have counseled and guided clients on projects involving development and construction, acquisition and sale of operating properties, leasing, and farm and ranch property purchases, sales and partitions. Our real estate clients have included developers, investors, end-users, financial institutions, municipalities, real estate investment trusts, and tenants-in-common (TIC) sponsors.

Through decades of working with real estate developers, builders, title industry professionals, oil and gas operators, local governments, commercial mortgage lenders, investors, architects, engineers, contractors, brokers and regulatory agencies, our real estate practitioners have developed a deep understanding of all aspects of the real estate industry, as well as strong working relationships within that industry. Also, when strong real estate expertise is needed for projects centered in other areas of our firm, such as business mergers and acquisitions, or real estate attorneys' extensive experience assures clients that important real estate aspects will be well-managed.