She might be advising a small bakery on a lease one moment and helping secure a gigawatt-sized data center the next. That range is not an outlier for Katie Van Dyk. It is the point.
Van Dyk is a partner in Norton Rose Fulbright’s Austin office and serves as head of commercial real estate for the firm in the United States. Her practice spans every major asset class, from multifamily and hospitality to industrial, data centers and entertainment real estate, positioning her at the intersection of business strategy, legal precision and creative problem-solving.
“Katie Van Dyk is a driven professional with an innate ability to navigate uncertainty and see the big picture,” the industry peer who nominated Van Dyk said.
Van Dyk’s path into commercial real estate law began early. While still an undergraduate finance student at the University of Texas at Austin, she took a job at a boutique real estate law firm and was introduced to transactional practice. After earning her law degree from Tulane University Law School, she returned to Austin and began her career focused on land use and entitlements, a niche that would shape her approach to complex development work for years to come.
That foundation allowed Van Dyk to grow a broad transactional practice grounded in fluency across disciplines. Today, she advises clients on acquisitions and dispositions, joint ventures, debt and equity financing, leasing and distressed real estate matters. She is also an integral member of the firm’s data center team, guiding clients through the acquisition, development, leasing and operation of mission-critical facilities.
“What I love about practicing commercial real estate law is having the opportunity to be involved in projects across the US that I can actually physically experience, and that make a difference in people’s lives,” Van Dyk said. “real estate affects everyone and everything. I truly enjoy having a transactional practice where collaboration, creativity, and determination are the main ingredients for successfully closing a deal.”
Alongside her commercial work, Van Dyk has become one of the most sought-after real estate lawyers in Texas for arts and entertainment clients. She has represented studios, performance and music venues, galleries and film schools across the state, bridging the gap between creative industries and the business realities that support them. For more than a decade, she has served on the board of Texas Accountants and Lawyers for the Arts, including the past five years as president, helping build a statewide network of volunteer lawyers providing pro bono services to artists and arts nonprofits.
“I believe I have thrived because I am not tied to one specific asset class or type of work, but have remained a generalist within commercial real estate,” Van Dyk said. “This has made me able to say ‘yes’ to a variety of work and be agile as markets change.”
That adaptability has earned her widespread recognition, including listings in The Best Lawyers in America for Real Estate Law and Lawdragon’s Leading Dealmakers in America and Leading Global Real Estate Lawyers guides. She has also been named one of Austin’s top 50 attorneys and recognized as a Woman Leading Real Estate by Bisnow.
Beyond the office, Van Dyk balances a demanding practice with family life, creative pursuits and entrepreneurship. She and her husband, Ben, operate an independent film production company, The January July Company, which brings together her legal expertise, business instincts and love of the arts. She is candid about the challenge of balance and unapologetic about defining success on her own terms.
“For me, success is having the freedom, flexibility, and support to do what I want and then getting it done,” Van Dyk said. “I largely credit my successes so far to having the ‘get it done gene.’”
In an industry that rewards specialization, Van Dyk’s influence has been built on range. By moving fluidly between business, creativity and complexity, she has carved out a practice that reflects the full scope of what commercial real estate can be and where it is headed next.
