About Jim

Jim Lanter

I have counseled, advised, and advocated for small to mid-size businesses and their owners for over 35 years. Early in my career I practiced exclusively in the litigation arena trying lawsuits both in state and federal courts. Approximately ten years ago, I began transforming my practice to include transactional work and consultation at the request of several clients as well as continue my litigation work. Today my practice is devoted to working with entrepreneurs in the start-up and continued success of their businesses.

Over the last ten years, my transactional practice has led me to the negotiation and preparation of substantial contract documents in the construction industry, the acquisition of real estate for industrial and other commercial uses, commercial lease agreements, executive employment and severance agreements, and much more. Recent successful transactions include the sale of a large veterinary practice, the acquisition of a metal fabrication business, the sale of a 1,000 acre commercial property in the DFW Metroplex, the sale of a software as a service (SoS) company, the sale of an oilfield transloading facility in west Texas, the acquisition of commercial acreage in Harris County for a rubber recycling facility, completion of a construction agreement for a large water feature at the Marathon Oil headquarters project in Houston, and multi-million dollar contracts for electrical work.

While no longer active in litigation, my experience has provided me with the insight necessary to address issues before they turn into lawsuits. Among my recent cases, I represented The Kansas City Southern Railway Company in a federal lawsuit concerning the lease of a large rail yard in Louisiana, and a dispute over the tenant’s rent obligation. After a trial and appeal, the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling that resulted in a financial benefit of over $35 million over the term of the lease for the railroad. I also represented the KCS in a federal lawsuit arising from the construction of approximately 100 miles of rail track in southeastern Texas. Our trial team successfully defended the contractor’s delay damages claim and recovered a $4 million award on the railroad’s counterclaim, with that award affirmed on appeal by the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. I successfully defended the lessee of a fleet of commercial trucks in federal court against a large publicly traded leasing company seeking over $5 million in liquidated damages due to breach of the lease. The trial resulted in a ruling that the liquidated damages provision was an unenforceable penalty. The case was ultimately settled on very favorable terms while an appeal was pending in the U.S. Court of Appeals.

After finishing college in Illinois, I moved to Texas to attend the Southern Methodist University School of Law in Dallas. I am admitted to practice in all state and federal courts located in Texas as well as the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. I have been consistently AV rated by Martindale, the highest peer review based rating available with respect to quality of service and integrity.

I am easily reached by email at jim.lanter@lanter-law.com or by calling 817.453.4800.