About

who we are

Merlin Capital Partners is a multidisciplinary team of professionals with deep experience in all areas of real estate investment, development, and management. Collectively, Merlin’s principals bring a track record of over 35 years of success in construction, investment, and corporate finance.

Jose J. Perez

Managing Partner

Jose founded Merlin Capital Partners in 2022 and is responsible for defining the strategic direction of the firm and leading all investment activity.

Jose is a seasoned executive with extensive experience in the areas of international trade, real estate and finance.

In 2017, he founded Unitex Logistics, a Laredo-based US Customs Brokerage firm. In this endeavor, Jose gained a first-hand understanding of the warehousing requirements of the international trade community along with the current constraints encountered in the US/Mexico border markets. Combined with more than 20 years of exposure to the trade industry and real estate experience gained from the development of multi-family apartment buildings, Jose brings a unique perspective and invaluable subject matter expertise to all of Merlin’s initiatives.

Prior to founding Unitex Logistics, Jose held various roles in Nuance Communications’ (now Microsoft) Corporate Strategy & Development team. Most recently, Jose was the Director of Strategy for Nuance’s Mobile division, where he led the acquisition and integration of Nuance’s first investment in Latin America. As Manager, Corporate Development, Jose participated in all aspects of Nuance’s merger, acquisition, investment and divestiture activities around the world. Over the course of his career, Jose has participated in transactions totaling over $1 Billion in value.

Jose holds a B.S. in Economics from Southern Methodist University.

Gary J. Himes

Managing Director

Gary joined Merlin in 2022 and is involved in all aspects of our investment and development initiatives with a focus on capital formation and investor relations.

Gary brings 12 years of industrial and commercial real estate direct investing, asset management, leasing and investment sales experience, including work as Managing Partner of Atrium Capital Advisors, Director of Capital Markets and Asset Management of The Silver Brick Group, Associate with the Marcus & Millichap National Hospitality Group and Vice President, Finance for Resort Equities, where he helped complete industrial leasing and acquisition transactions for private equity-backed companies in San Francisco and Denver.

He earned an MBA from The Anderson School at UCLA, an Advanced Certificate in Real Estate and Hotel Investment from the Cornell School of Hotel Administration and a B.A. in Economics from the University of Colorado. Gary is a licensed real estate broker and holds Series 63 and 79 FINRA securities licenses.