Stephen Baker has practiced law both in private practice as owner of his own firm and with several law firms. His wide-ranging general practice includes business litigation; real estate; business law; commercial and banking law; wills, trusts, and estates; and family law.

He also served as General Counsel for CICcorp, a multi-million dollar corporation headquartered in College Station, Texas, providing maintenance management solutions to many companies and universities nationwide. His duties included:

• Drafting the base contractual agreement for hospital equipment maintenance organization; negotiated with customer’s counsel and drafted modifications and revisions of base contract for specific transactions
• Advising the corporation concerning legal rights and obligations
• Serving as Secretary to Board of Directors
• Preparing Master Agreements and oversight of all contract negotiations and various real estate transactions

Mr. Baker is licensed to practice law by the Texas Supreme Court and is a member of the State Bar of Texas (SBOT #01595190) and the Bar Association of the Southern District of Texas.

He also was honored to have served as the Municipal Judge for the City of Bryan, Texas.

Mr. Baker began his professional career in the banking and savings and loan industries.

• Served as the first president of a newly chartered national bank during its organization and startup phases; negotiated and structured real estate joint venture for Bank’s building; managed over-all operational and lending functions; and served of Board of Directors
• Lending Officer in real estate, commercial, and consumer loans
• Real estate and construction lending officer
• S&L Loan Servicing Officer for loans sold to FHLMC and  Construction Loan Servicing Officer

Mr. Baker has many present and past personal and professional affiliations:

• Century Club, Texas A&M University
• Association of Former Cadets, Texas A&M University
• Donor, Presidential Endowed Scholarship Program, Texas A&M University
• Sons of the Republic of Texas

He has also served as a Director or Member of:

• Governmental Relations Committee, Texas Banker’s Association
• Independent Bankers Association of Texas (IBATT)
• Commerce National Bank
• Westway Municipal Utility District, Harris County, Texas
• St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church Endowment Fund,
  Bryan, Texas
• Bryan Better Business Bureau
• Brazos County United Way
• Arts Council of the Brazos Valley 
• Arlington Boy’s Club, Arlington Boys Club Endowment Fund, Arlington, Texas
• Brazos County Chapter, American Diabetes Association
• Leadership Brazos Alumni Association
  
• O.P.A.S (Performing Arts, Texas A&M University)
  

Representative Cases and Transactions:

• Representation of a homeowners in asserting an adverse possession claim against an adjoining land owner
• Litigation against seller, surveyor, title company, and adjacent landowner on transaction involving incorrect conveyance
• Represented developer/builder in mediation of alleged damage to adjoining property during construction
• Represented CenterPoint Energy  in pursuing negligence claims for damages to their property
• Pursued collect of damages in Federal Court for unauthorized use and distribution of pirated professional boxing
• Defended client who was sued for violation of deed restrictions based on purported amendment; validity of purported amendment hinged on whether a single owner of multiple lots received one vote per owner or one vote per lot
• As Plaintiff, moved for summary judgment in a suit over a complex real estate transaction involving ownership of various mineral interests in Burleson County TX; defendant raised twenty affirmative defenses; participated in oral argument before judge
• Used bank’s ownership of land as capital contribution for limited partnership interest in  “condominiumized” office building; worked with architects to design bank’s build-out space, including future expansion; bank obtained outright ownership in one-half of first floor and undivided interest in remainder of building
• Negotiated structure and sale of family co-ownership interest in 200 acres to out-of-state developer for cash and securities
• Partnership purchased tract of land at foreclosure sale; researched mineral interest after purchase; discovered oil and gas lessor failed to obtain subordination from mortgage holder; forclosure terminated oil and gas lease as a matter of law
• Analyzed ownership data on major utility easement and provided with list of owners of property subject to utility easement with legal description of property; identified each parcel of real estate within the easement and owner of tract from metes-and-bounds descriptions; approximately 40 different owners involved; prepared map of affected tracts
• Substantial involvement in structuring and documenting various real estate,  U.C.C./secured transactions, and business transactions
• Contributor, Manual of Credit and Commercial Law, 93rd Ed. (2001), National Association of Credit Management, Personal  Property and Landlords’ Liens in Texas
  

Education

South Texas College of Law
completed law degree requirements in only 27 months