At Greco Murphy Law LLP (“GML”) we are proud of our long heritage and deep roots in real estate. Our predecessor law firm was the prestigious real estate and litigation firm of Williams Birnberg & Andersen, LLP (“WBA”).
Established in 1973, WBA attorneys and partners provided high quality legal services in real estate document preparation and litigation to the real estate industry and consumers for 50 years. During that time, we prepared well over one hundred thousand (100,000) packages of various documents used to close real estate transactions, including: every type of deed available in Texas; complicated heirship affidavits; unusual use agreements; encroachment agreements, boundary line agreements, complicated escrow agreements (e.g. some involving lot take-down agreements for builders/developers), seller finance packages and third party finance packages.
Our attorneys have successfully defended title company and escrow agent clients in numerous lawsuits in Harris and the surrounding counties (note that escrow agents are almost always named as individual defendants in lawsuits against title companies). We have even successfully defended against multi-plaintiff lawsuits that were seeking catastrophic damages against our clients. One of these suits had over 50 plaintiffs, one had over 200 plaintiffs, and one had over 500 plaintiffs!
Our attorneys have also represented title company and escrow agent clients during investigations by the Texas Department of Insurance.
Furthermore, our attorneys represented title company and escrow agent clients in the seminal case in Texas that first established the Texas law defining the parameters of the fiduciary relationship between the title company escrow officer, and the lender, buyer and seller (the tripartite fiduciary relationship). Home Loan Corporation d/b/a Expanded Mortgage Credit, Appellant v. Texas American Title Company, Appellee, 191 SW3d 728 (Tex. App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 2006, pet. denied).
Our team of highly skilled and experienced attorneys and support staff provide exceptional legal services to the real estate industry (title companies, escrow officers, real estate brokers and real estate agents), as well as to buyers and sellers of real estate.
From over five decades of experience in real estate we have developed a proprietary data base of hundreds of highly complex and unusual, customized documents that are tried and true as effective to protect the interests of the parties and get complex real estate transactions closed the right way.
We do not provide our clients with documents simply taken out of basic real estate form manuals. We understand that each client is unique, and we tailor our legal services to meet their specific business needs.
Although we offer legal counsel, document preparation, and representation services to realtors, as well as to individual buyers and sellers of real estate; we do not compete with title companies for real estate closings. We do not conduct in-office closings, escrow and/or distribute funds, or offer title insurance. We recommend you use an established title company for escrow, title work and closings.
Herb Williams is “Of Counsel” to GML. Herb is one of the original founding partners of WBA, and he started Texas American Title Company with Ann Wall in 1977. Herb owned and grew Texas American Title Company; American Title Company of Houston (and its subsidiaries, American Title Company of Austin and South Land Title Company) into the largest agent operation in the state of Texas, growing from 3 branch offices to 29 offices in the Houston metropolitan area, and 9 offices in the Austin area. Herb was also Chairman of the Board and ultimate controlling person of Title Resources Guarantee Company, a highly rated regional title insurance underwriter that was licensed to perform underwriting in six states. Herb sold his title companies and the insurance underwriter in 2005 to Cendant Settlement Services Group (predecessor to Anywhere Real Estate).
John Greco, one of the founding partners of GML, was a WBA attorney and partner for 30 years. During that time, John was the WBA partner primarily in charge of all multi-party litigation involving our title company and escrow officer clients. Furthermore, John was the attorney in charge of the resale division for most of that time.
Patrick Murphy, one of the founding partners of GML, was a WBA attorney for 10 years. During that time, Patrick was the attorney primarily responsible for WBA document production.
Terry Credille was an exceptional WBA legal secretary in the real estate and litigation division for over 40 years. We are so happy that Terry is the GML Lead Real Estate Support Specialist.
Continuing the mission that WBA started, at GML we are committed to providing quality, affordable legal assistance to clients in a professional, ethical, timely, and empathetic manner.
Partner
Partner
Of Counsel
Legal Secretary
Legal Secretary