About – Terry Bruner Law

Terry Bruner, Founder & Principal

My values were forged by the story of a people who through faith, hard work, and excellence afforded me the experiences to use the law to benefit dreamers and doers. My family taught me the most important lesson of my professional life: people matter and how you treat them matters even more. I have dedicated my practice to embracing the needs of all of you who build things – housing, businesses, organizations, and lives. To every client, I try to honor the lessons of my youth by bringing simple values to my work:
Live and act purposefully.
Honor those who came before me.
Lead like a servant.
Follow my passions.
Slow down and listen.
As a firm, Terry Bruner Law Office, PLLC makes these commitments to you:
Bring our level best to every representation
Give advice and counsel that meets your needs
Practice law both innovatively and ethically

DO JUSTLY. LOVE MERCY. WALK HUMBLY.
Micah 6:8

Our internal mantra is “we are building community.” Terry Bruner Law Office helps people build community in a formal way that the law supports. We do this one piece at a time – one building at a time – one organization at a time. As we work with you, this is not only our journey, but it is the destination we will continue to follow.

Managing Attorney

Terry has practiced law at private law firms and the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD). He counsels real estate developers on closing complex government-insured multifamily housing transactions and complex commercial real estate deals. He also advises and counsels nonprofit organizations on range of strategic initiatives as well as to organize and position themselves for growth.

Education & Military Background

Terry received his law degree with honors from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law and earned an M.Phil. degree from Cambridge University (England), where he wrote his graduate thesis on the impact of globalization on the developing world. He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Howard University in Washington, DC and is also a graduate of the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans at Texas A&M University. He was honorably discharged from the United States Army after serving in Operation Enduring Freedom and earned both the Army Achievement Medal and the Humanitarian Service Medal. Terry is a member of the State Bar of Texas and the American Bar Association.

Nonprofit & Government Experience

Outside of his legal career, Terry was formerly an executive director within a national nonprofit. He has also worked in Washington, DC in the U.S. Department of State with a top-secret security clearance. He currently serves as an adjunct faculty member at the business school at University of Houston Downtown. His leadership roles include serving as a current director of The Texas Lyceum and The Powell Foundation, as well as the former board chair of The Woods Project and former Board member of UhamboUSA and the Harris County Precinct One Street Olympics.

Awards & Honors

The Houston Jr. Chamber of Commerce named Terry as one of Five Outstanding Young Houstonians (FOYH). EBONY Magazine profiled him as a leader under 40 to watch. The German Marshall Fund of the United States selected him as a Marshall Memorial Fellow.

In his free time, he enjoys taking long walks and nature hikes with his family, as well as running, traveling, urban exploring, and conversing with interesting people over copiously large meals. He also daydreams about living the pura vida life in his happy place.