DALLAS—Holland & Knight has added a five-lawyer real estate and finance team to its Dallas office.

Led by Jonetta Brooks and Eugene Segrest, the team includes senior counsels Jennifer Duplissey and Michelle Allen and associate Mark Vandermeulen. The team previously practiced with K&L Gates LLP.

“We were drawn to Holland & Knight because of the depth of their national real estate practice and the opportunities it presents to offer clients a wide spectrum of services,” Segrest told GlobeSt.com. “There are multiple business opportunities in Dallas and throughout Texas that are catching the eyes of clients located throughout the nation. It's an exciting time to be working in real estate in Texas.”

Holland & Knight opened its Dallas office in July 2013 with 24 lawyers and has since opened a second Texas office in Austin with three lawyers. With the arrival of the new group, the Dallas office will have 36 lawyers practicing predominately in the areas of corporate and commercial finance, mergers and acquisitions, real estate, energy, restructuring and bankruptcy.

“Jonetta and Gene have a sophisticated practice that encompasses not only traditional real estate, but also financial institutions and opportunistic funds,” said Joe Guay, Holland & Knight's real estate section leader, in a release. “We are extremely pleased to add these capabilities to our growing Dallas office and look forward to introducing the new team to our national retail and finance clients with local real estate needs.”

In her role, Brooks counsels special servicers, pension-fund advisors, real estate investment trusts and other institutional property owners in all aspects of real estate transactions, including loan modifications, asset management matters, property acquisition and disposition, foreclosure and leasing. She has more than 25 years of experience representing a diverse mix of national and regional landlords and tenants in leases across the country.

Segrest focuses his practice on real estate and finance law. He has experience in a wide range of transactions, including loan transactions, loan workouts and modifications, acquisition and disposition of land and improved property, leasing and foreclosures.