James Grice is a partner in Willkie’s Real Estate Department Chair of the Firm’s Data Centers & Digital Infrastructure practice. He is based in the Firm’s Dallas office.

Jim’s practice focuses on general commercial real estate, and he primarily represents investors, developers, operators, and users in the data center and digital infrastructure space. He regularly advises on standalone data center asset purchases and divestitures, including campus acquisitions, acquisition of redevelopment sites, and sale-leasebacks, as well as mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, spin-offs, split-offs, carve-outs, and other methods of combining or restructuring business operations.

Jim brings significant experience advising companies on the legal complexities of data center operations, leasing, subleasing, co-location, and related services, including service level maintenance agreements, data privacy policies, and user agreements. He guides clients through all phases of data center development, from land acquisition, planning, and environmental matters to power purchase arrangements and design-build contracting, and he is a trusted resource for data center tax issues, development incentives, and legislative matters affecting data center construction and operation. 

Jim’s practice also includes telecommunications and energy solutions, including matters involving local exchange carriers, competitive local exchange carriers, wireless providers, and broadband and cable companies. He is active in renewable and alternative energy project development, financing, and operations, routinely advising clients on project feasibility, ownership structuring, financing, and development.

In recent years, Jim has handled a wide range of high-value data center transactions, including hyperscale lease negotiations, joint ventures, and build-to-suit arrangements; large-scale development projects and enterprise divestitures across multiple U.S. and European locations; substantial tax incentive packages; and enhanced power procurement arrangements. His experience covers the full spectrum of data center investment, development, and operational matters.