Christopher (Kit) S. Houston

Kit is the practice lead for Taft’s Cincinnati Real Estate group. As part of his real estate practice, Kit advises clients on legal issues involving acquisitions, development, land use and zoning, financing, commercial leasing (office, energy, retail, and industrial), and title, finding unique and cost-effective ways to achieve client goals. Kit acts as outside counsel for numerous major multistate hospital networks, negotiating medical office leases, ground leases, construction and consulting agreements, and purchase and sale agreements. Kit formerly served as vice president of a reputable title insurance agency. He has also advised oil and gas exploration companies on issues related to the development of the Utica Shale and acted as lead counsel on acquisitions of existing large-scale energy assets and the construction of new ones.

• Counsel for Kentucky-based hospital network with a multi-billion Dollar construction portfolio (with multiple single projects between $80mm – $500mm), advising on construction contract drafting and related issues.
• Counsel for Ohio-based multi-state hospital network advising on real estate issues related to network’s 900+ properties under lease or ownership.
• Counsel to various NFL and NHL teams for the negotiation of leases and land development agreements, and diligence related to stadium facilities.
• Local counsel, acting in first chair capacity, for real estate deliverables per credit agreement, for purchase of $2bb in oil and gas assets that included a natural gas peaker plant, two natural gas generating facilities, and a coal power plant.
• Administer negotiations of AIA documents (multi-prime model) utilized to construct an approximate $1bb battery manufacturing facility.
• Counsel for hospital network in the sale and leaseback of numerous campuses, some in excess of 60 acres.
• Counsel for higher education organization constructing $200mm facility.
• Counsel for automative part manufacturer constructing $80mm Ohio facility utilizing design-build model.
• Counsel for real estate diligence aspect of 9,000+ acre windfarm purchase.
• Counsel for solar development company installing projects in Ohio and Kentucky.
• Member of team for large manufacturer implementing IPD projects, with four projects valued in excess of $800mm.
• Counsel for commercial developer with purchase, due diligence and development of more than 100 parcels in an eight state region.
• Successfully defended a Fortune 500 billboard company at the trial court and appellate court levels in a lawsuit brought by an environmental organization in regard to the constitutionality of a regulatory structure for the permitting of electronically changeable LED billboards.
• Counsel for business client on a range of legal matters affecting its seven entities selling and transporting goods from warehouses in a seven-state region.

Speaker, “Collaborative Construction Contracts for Complex and International Projects,” Strafford Webinars, March 7, 2023.

Co-author, “A Drafter’s Checklist: Prefabrication Contracts,” Taft Law Bulletin, Feb. 18, 2022.

Review of Oil & Gas Law XXVII, Dallas Bar Association, 2012 (co-authored written materials and served as lecture panel member for Ohio law).