プロフィール
Franklin D.R. Jones Jr. is Co-Chair of the Public Finance Practice, Co-Chair of the Infrastructure Group, and Co-Chair of the Sports Business Industry Group. He focuses his practice on public finance, sports and entertainment facilities development, project and infrastructure finance, urban development, and local and state governmental matters. Frank has public law and municipal finance experience in various areas, including municipal financing, stadium and multi-purpose arena development and financing, and structuring public/private joint ventures. His public finance practice consists of serving as bond and disclosure counsel for tax exempt financings for cities, counties and several local government corporations. In addition to bond and disclosure counsel engagements, Frank also represents national and regional investment banking firms as underwriter's counsel in bond transactions.
Frank has experience representing professional sports franchises and governmental authorities involved in the development, financing, leasing, and operation of stadiums, arenas, and other public assembly facilities and regularly provides counsel to clients involved in these complex public-private transactions. This work often includes attendant mixed-use developments related to the sports and entertainment facilities.
Concentrations
- Public finance
- Sports and entertainment facility development
- Project and infrastructure finance
- Governmental relations
- Urban development
- Global energy and infrastructure
取扱分野
実績紹介
- Served as bond and disclosure counsel to Harris County, Texas, the Harris County Toll Road Authority, the City of Houston, the Port of Houston Authority of Harris County and the Texas Department of Transportation.
- Served as lead counsel to governmental authorities and professional teams in the development, financing and construction of sports and entertainment facilities, including Erie County, New York, Nashville, Tennessee, the City of Austin, the Harris County – Houston Sports Authority, the Georgia World Congress Center Authority, the Anschutz Entertainment Group/Houston Dynamo, the Dallas Cowboys, the Houston Texans and the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
- Served as general counsel to local government corporations and not for profit corporations.
- Served as counsel to companies creating projects with urban redevelopment authorities and tax increment reinvestment zones.
- Advised regional and national underwriters relating to various public and project finance transactions.
- Replacement of Highmark Stadium – Home of the Buffalo Bills. Currently represent Erie County, New York on the development, financing and construction of a replacement facility for Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York.
- Replacement of Nissan Stadium – Home of the Tennessee Titans. Currently represent the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County on the development, financing, construction and tenancy of a replacement facility for Nissan Stadium and surrounding mixed-use development in Nashville, Tennessee.
- City of Charlotte-Charlotte Hornets and Spectrum Project. Currently represent the City of Charlotte in the renovation and lease extension of the Spectrum Center and a new Hornets practice facility.
- Bexar County Community Arenas Board. Currently represent the CAB in matters related to the future development of the Freeman Coliseum Campus.
- Houston Texans. Currently represent the Texans in matters related to the future tenancy and development of NRG Stadium and practice facility.
- Proposed Convention Center Hotel. Currently represent the Savannah - Georgia Convention Center Authority on the development and financing of a new 400 room convention center hotel to be built adjacent to the Savannah Convention Center in Savannah, Georgia.
- Mercedes Benz Stadium – Home of the Atlanta Falcons. Represented the Georgia World Congress Center Authority on the development, financing and construction of a new retractable roof NFL stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Signia Hilton Convention Center Hotel. Represented the Georgia World Congress Center Authority on the development and financing of a new 975 room convention center hotel built adjacent to Mercedes Benz Stadium and the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
- AT&T Stadium – Home of the Dallas Cowboys. Represented the Dallas Cowboys on the development, financing and construction of a new retractable roof NFL stadium in Arlington, Texas.°
- Minute Maid Park – Home of the Houston Astros. Represented Harris County – Houston Sports Authority on site acquisition, development, financing, tenancy and construction of a new retractable roof ballpark in Houston, Texas.°
- NRG Stadium – Home of the Houston Texans. Represented Harris County – Houston Sports Authority on site acquisition, development, financing, tenancy and construction of a new retractable roof stadium in Houston, Texas.°
- Q2 Stadium – Home of Austin FC. Represented the City of Austin, Texas on the development, financing, tenancy and construction of a major league soccer stadium for Austin FC in Austin, Texas.
- Toyota Center – Home of the Houston Rockets. Represented Harris County – Houston Sports Authority on site acquisition, development, financing, tenancy and construction of a new multipurpose arena in Houston, Texas.°
- Oakland Raiders. Representation of a sports group in its bid to acquire a minority stake in the Oakland Raiders, including development of a new multi-use stadium complex in Oakland, establishment of the acquisition financing arrangements, negotiation with the City and County and negotiation of terms for the transaction. (The Raiders ultimately determined to move to Las Vegas.)
- Rio Grande Valley Toros (RGV Toros). Served as lead counsel in the acquisition of a United Soccer League (formerly USL Pro) expansion team.
- RGV Toros. Served as lead counsel in the negotiation of an affiliation agreement with the Houston Dynamo, a Major League Soccer (MLS) team, to operate the RGV Toros as a minor league affiliate of the Houston Dynamo.
- HEB Park – Home of the RGV Toros (Houston Dynamo USL Pro Affiliate). Represented the RGV Toros in the development, financing and construction of a new soccer stadium and practice facility in Edinburg, Texas.
- Bert Ogden Arena - Home of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Houston Rockets G-League Affiliate). Represented the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on site acquisition, development, financing, tenancy and construction of a new multi-purpose arena in Edinburg, Texas.
- Hard Rock Stadium – Home of the Miami Dolphins – Represented the Dolphins on the financing of Hard Rock Stadium renovations, including NFL G-4 financing. Total outstanding debt approximates $350 million.
- $290,400,000 City of Houston Higher Education Finance Corporation Higher Education Revenue Bonds (Rice University Project) Series 2024 – Underwriter’s Counsel.
- $245,890,000 Judson Independent School District Unlimited Tax School Building Bonds, Series 2024 – Underwriter’s Counsel.
- City of Houston, Texas Airport System Inferior Lien Revenue Bonds, Series 2024 (AMT) - Disclosure Counsel.
- $756,050,000 City of Houston, Texas Airport System Subordinate Lien Revenue and Refunding Bonds, Series 2023A/B – Disclosure Counsel.
- $298,400,000 Texas Public Finance Authority General Obligation and Refunding Bonds Taxable, Series 2023A – Underwriter’s Counsel.
- $51,460,000 City of Galveston, Texas Wharves and Terminal First Lien Revenue Bonds, Series 2023 (AMT) – Underwriter’s Counsel.
- $24,475,000 City of Port Arthur, Texas Combination Tax and Revenue Certificates of Obligation, Series 2023 – Underwriter’s Counsel.
- $364,600,000 Texas Public Finance Authority General Obligation and Refunding Bonds Taxable, Series 2023 – Underwriter’s Counsel.
- $80,680,000 Texas Public Finance Authority Texas Southern University Revenue Financing System Bonds, Series 2023 – Underwriter’s Counsel.
- $35,750,000 State of Texas General Obligation Water Financial Assistance Refunding Bonds, Series 2023B – Underwriter’s Counsel.
- $24,875,000 State of Texas General Obligation Water Financial Assistance Bonds (Economically Distressed Areas Program) Taxable, Series 2023D – Underwriter’s Counsel.
- $68,820,000 State of Texas General Obligation Water Financial Assistance Bonds (Economically Distressed Areas Program) Taxable, Series 2023C – Underwriter’s Counsel.
- $87,470,000 Judson Independent School District Unlimited Tax School Building Bonds, Series 2023 (NON-PSF) – Underwriter’s Counsel.
°The above representations were handled by Mr. Jones prior to his joining Greenberg Traurig, LLP.
受賞歴・所属団体
- Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Public Finance Law, 2025
- Listed, Chambers USA Guide, Public Finance, 2024
- Listed, Who's Who Legal, Sports & Entertainment, 2018
- Team Member, a U.S. News - Best Lawyers® "Government Relations Law Firm of the Year," 2014
- Ranked, Tier 1 – Government Relations, Austin Metropolitan Area
- Chairman, Theatre Under the Stars Board of Directors
- Chairman, Gulf Coast Authority Board of Directors
- Director, Memorial-Hermann Foundation Board of Directors
- Director, Astrodome Conservancy Board of Directors
- Member, National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) Federal Affairs Committee
- Member, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wine Committee
- Member, Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy (HISD) Advisory Council
- Member, American Bar Association
- Member, Houston Bar Association
- Member, National Association of Bond Lawyers
- Member, State Bar of Texas
学歴・資格・言語
学歴
- 法務博士, University of Houston Law Center
- 学士号, Rice University
弁護士資格
- Texas