A member in Dickinson Wright’s Austin office, Nikki Gibson is dedicated to helping clients achieve their goals in commercial transactions and real estate projects. Whether you’re involved in multifamily and affordable housing, industrial, or hospitality projects, Nikki works closely with you to create deal structures that balance business and legal needs, ensuring your projects reach their full potential.
Nikki provides hands-on support in structuring, drafting, and negotiating all aspects of commercial lending transactions. She assists both financial institutions and borrowers with:
- Senior and subordinated debt financings
- Syndicated loans
- Accounts receivable, inventory, and equipment-secured loan transactions
- Securities as collateral
- Real estate transactions
With a collaborative approach, Nikki helps clients develop creative and effective commercial finance deals. She represents developers, private equity funds, and property owners across the Southwest and Southeast, including Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, and Georgia. Recent successes include affordable housing projects, senior and behavioral health facilities, and phased-development industrial projects at Dallas Fort Worth Airport.
Recognized by Chamber’s attorney directory for “Banking and Finance” in Texas, Nikki leverages her experience in handling deals exceeding $100 million in value to manage high-stakes transactions with confidence and precision. Her experience as in-house legal counsel for a prominent U.S. bank gives her unique insights into the operations and concerns of financial lending institutions, ensuring you receive knowledgeable and practical guidance.
Education & Credentials
Education
Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law
J.D., 1985Duke University
A.B., 1980Bar Admission
Acknowledgements
- Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business
- Banking and Finance, 2022-2024
- Best Lawyers in America®
- “Peers for Inclusion,” 2017-2024
- “Lawyer of the Year,” Commercial Finance Law, 2022
- Paul Quinn College’s “President Award”
- D Magazine, Best Lawyers in Dallas, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2023-2024
Prominent Assignments
- Facilitated a $43 million cross-border financing transaction for a leading financial institution, covering operations in both the United States and Mexico.
- Managed Bank of Texas’ involvement in an $80 million syndicated loan for a comprehensive four-phase industrial development project encompassing nearly two million square feet across the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
- Oversaw the successful $63 million sale of two multifamily projects, totaling 485 units across 36 buildings in The Woodlands, on behalf of the seller.
- Provided strategic counsel to a prominent private equity fund in structuring a joint venture worth over $135 million for the acquisition of three multifamily residential developments.
- Acted as lead counsel for a financial institution, serving as administrative agent and lender in a $77.5 million syndicated loan to finance the construction of a senior living facility in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Offered strategic guidance to a financial institution in a construction loan, integrating historical tax credits to support the rehabilitation of a warehouse.
- Facilitated the seamless sale of a multifamily apartment complex in Florida, concluding the investment firms’ three-year engagement with the property, representing both the real estate developer and bondholders.
- Represented a financial institution in structuring a term facility for the acquisition of esteemed golf resorts in North and South Carolina.
- Advised a prominent real estate developer in the acquisition and financing of a $35 million multifamily residential development.
- Successfully managed the $46 million sale of a multifamily residential development in Houston, Texas, on behalf of a reputable real estate developer.
- Provided strategic guidance to a financial institution in financing a $21 million facility for the construction of senior housing.
- Represented a financial institution in a $13 million acquisition and construction loan for student housing in Oklahoma.
- Assisted a real estate developer in acquiring and financing a $25 million shopping center in Houston, Texas.
- Advised a financial institution as administrative agent in a $25 million syndicated loan transaction for an oil and gas services company.
- Guided a financial institution in the initial financing and subsequent refinancing of a $24 million purchase of a restaurant chain, negotiating an inter-creditor agreement with the mezzanine lender.
Professional Involvement
- State Bar of Texas, Member
- Dallas Bar Association, Member
- Duke University
- Alumni Association, Board Member, 2012–2018
- Alumni Association Executive Committee, 2014–2018
- Alumni Admission Committee Chair, 2006–Present
- North Texas Regional Board, 2012–Present; Chair, 2012–2016
- Annual Fund Executive Committee, Board Member, 2005–2011
- Dallas Women’s Foundation
- Board Member
- Alumni Board Advisory Council, Member
- Temple-Emanu-El
- Board of Directors, 2020-Present
- Annual Fund, Chair, 2022-2023
Community Involvement
- Paul Quinn College, Mentor
Publications/Presentations
- Who’s Lending, What Terms and What is the Outlook for 2020?” moderator at Annual InterFace DFW Industrial Conference, Dallas, September 2019.
- “LLC and Partnership Interests as Collateral,” presented at University of Texas School of Law LLC’s, LP’s and Partnerships Conference, Austin, July 2016.
- “Perfecting Security Interests in LLC and Partnership Interests- How Hard Can That Be?” State Bar of Texas Webinar, August 2012.
- “LLC and Partnership Interests as Collateral: Current Practices, Issues, and Pitfalls,” presented at University of Texas School of Law LLC’s, LP’s and Partnerships Conference, Austin, July 2012.
- “LLC and Partnership Interests as Collateral: Potential Risks for Lenders,” presented to various banking clients, February–May 2012.