We represented Whitestone REIT (NYSE: WSR), a community-centered real estate investment trust (REIT) that acquires, owns, operates, and develops open-air, retail centers, in its definitive agreement to be acquired by Ares Management Corporation (NYSE: ARES), a leading global alternative investment manager, for $19.00 per share or unit in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $1.7 billion. Upon completion of the transaction, Whitestone will become a private company and shares of Whitestone’s common stock will be deregistered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and no longer trade on the NYSE.
Whitestone’s portfolio as of March 31, 2026 comprises 56 high-quality, convenience-focused retail properties totaling approximately 4.9 million square feet in some of the country’s fastest-growing markets, including Phoenix, Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio.
The team was led by Bass, Berry & Sims attorneys Scott Bell and Richard Mattern and included corporate attorneys Tyler Huseman, Whitney Burnley, Toyin Edogun, Crystal Golden, and Katy Presson; tax attorneys Todd Ervin and Philip Lewis; real estate and debt finance attorneys Stefanie Chamberlain, Leslie Ford, Marisa Rouse, Gil Uhlhorn, Paden Hemphill, and Nicole Milani; intellectual property attorneys Shelley Thomas and Paula Alvarez; and employee benefits attorney Curtis Fisher.
“Bass, Berry & Sims is grateful for the opportunity to represent Whitestone REIT in this transformative transaction, which builds on the firm’s long-standing experience advising public companies in complex sell-side transactions,” said Richard Mattern.
The transaction was highlighted in several media outlets, including:
- Ares Management to Buy Whitestone REIT in $1.7 Billion Deal,” Wall Street Journal (April 9, 2026)
- “Whitestone REIT to Be Acquired by Ares for $1.7 Billion,” ARES (April 9, 2026)
- “Whitestone REIT to Be Acquired by Ares for $1.7 Billion,” GlobalNewswire (April 9, 2026)