Farrow-Gillespie Heath Wilmoth LLP

Paula helps her real estate, lending, and leasing clients achieve their goals. Her extensive experience in the commercial real estate industry allows her to negotiate and craft solutions specific to each client’s individual needs. Having practiced both as a solo attorney and with a major international law firm gives her insight to matters important to large corporate clients as well as the small business owner. 

 

Paula is also an adjunct professor at SMU Cox School of Business in Dallas, where she teaches Real Estate Law. She was the 2018 President of the Dallas Chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women (“CREW”).  In 2023, Paula was the recipient of the CREW Dallas Outstanding Achievement Award, the highest award given to one CREW Dallas Member each year. She has been named to the lists of  “Best Lawyers in Dallas”, “Best Women Lawyers in Dallas” and “Best Lawyers in Dallas Under 40” by D Magazine, and "The Best Lawyers in America" by Best Lawyers®. She is AV Preeminent® Peer Rated by Martindale-Hubbell®, the highest rating available for an elite group of attorneys who have been rated by their peers. She is a Fellow of the Dallas Bar Foundation and an active member of Park Cities Baptist Church.

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Practice Areas

• Real Estate Acquisitions and Sales

• Commercial Leasing

• Secured Finance Transactions

• Affordable and Subsidized Housing Law

• Lease Enforcement and Foreclosure

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Representative Experience

• Effectively manages commercial acquisitions and dispositions from negotiation of the purchase and sale agreement through closing and funding

• Represents financial institutions in loan documentation, workouts, and foreclosure

• Negotiates commercial lease agreements for retail, office, and warehouse properties

• Represents landlords of single and multi-family properties

 

Education and Professional Background

• J.D., Southern Methodist University School of Law, 1991

• B.A., summa cum laude, Louisiana Tech University, 1988

• Licensed in Texas

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Publications and Presentations

• Panelist: SMU Women in Law, “Spring Forward, Give Back,” April 2023

• Author and Speaker: “Trouble Tenants, File Documentation, and When to Call Your Lawyer,” Southwestern Affordable Housing Management Association (SW-AHMA) Affordable Housing Conference, October 2014

• Moderator and Panelist, “ESQ’ing Minds: CREW Lawyers Tell (Almost) All,” CREW Dallas luncheon, November 2013

• Author and Speaker, “When Good Tenants Go Bad – Eviction Procedures,” Volunteers of America National Conference, October 2009

• Author and Speaker, “Dead Bodies and Abandoned Property,” Southwestern Affordable Housing Management Association, August 2005

• Co-author and Speaker, “Proper Lease Termination and Grounds Therefore,” Southwestern Affordable Housing Management Association, August 2005

• Co-author and Speaker, “Landlord-Tenant Law,” May 2005

• Co-author and Speaker, “Commercial and Residential Evictions in Texas,” June 2002

• Speaker at Annual Presentations for Southwestern Affordable Housing Management Association Conferences, 1993-2005, 2006, 2009, 2014, 2017, 2018

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Professional and Community Affiliations

• Adjunct Professor, SMU Cox School of Business, Dallas, Texas, 2008-Present

• Commercial Real Estate Women (“CREW”) – 2018 President, Dallas Chapter

  • 2023 recipient of the CREW Dallas Outstanding Achievement Award​

• Visible Music College, Chair of the Board of Trustees, 2021-2024

• Park Cities Baptist Church, Member, Small Group Leader, Master Plan Committee