Carol Burke, a Houston lawyer, and E. R. “Bo” Sanford II, a real estate finance executive, were friends before Sanford hired Burke for legal work, which may be the key reason they’ve done deals together for 29 years.

“Personally, we like each other a lot,” Sanford said during an interview at his company’s office at CityCentre in Houston. Sanford is chief investment officer at Houston-based Midway, a real estate investment firm that owns and develops projects.