Husch Blackwell is pleased to announce the addition of Kati Orso as a partner in its Real Estate, Development, & Construction (RDC) industry group. Based in Austin, Orso arrives from Jackson Walker.
With nearly two decades of experience, Orso assists clients with all aspects of commercial real estate transactions and has extensive experience representing landlords and tenants in office, retail, restaurant, and medical office building leasing transactions. She regularly represents clients in the acquisition and disposition of retail and office projects, mixed-use developments, multi-family residential projects, and unimproved land. Additionally, Orso represents private equity firms and portfolio companies in a wide range of real estate portfolio transactions.
“Kati brings an exceptional amount of experience, especially in the retail sector, that aligns perfectly with the needs of our national real estate clients,” said partner Jon Giokas, leader of Husch Blackwell’s more than 100 attorney RDC team. “Her deep background in leasing, portfolio transactions, and complex developments, will be a tremendous asset to our clients in Texas and across the country.”
From 2014 to 2016, Orso served as in-house counsel for one of the leading retail developers in Texas. In this role, she prepared and negotiated retail leases, purchase and sale agreements, and development documents in connection with a real estate portfolio consisting of more than 12 million square feet of retail space in Texas and Louisiana.
“The strong reputation and national platform of Husch Blackwell’s real estate practice is one of the things that most excited me about joining the firm,” Orso said. “Many of my clients are expanding aggressively across multiple markets and rely on efficient processes and counsel that can scale with them. Husch Blackwell’s industry-focused structure and national footprint create the ideal environment to grow those relationships by delivering fast, consistent results nationwide.”
Orso is the fourth partner to join Husch Blackwell’s RDC team—spanning 16 markets coast to coast—in 2025, following Erin Hughes in May and Todd Gee and Steven Katkov in June. The team has also added senior counsel Elliot Doomes, Samuel Jack, Jason Powell, and Sherri Zack.