Real Estate
leasing and property management
Our real estate attorneys represent the owners of office, retail and industrial properties in the preparation and negotiation of commercial lease agreements. We are equally adept at “putting on the other hat” and representing the tenant’s interest in these transactions. We recognize that unlike a purchase and sale transaction that concludes with a successful closing, a commercial lease is the framework for a longstanding landlord-tenant relationship. We understand the issues presented by different types of properties and their uses, know the questions that need to be asked to make sure that business constraint and flexibility issues are considered, and engage in negotiations with a cooperative approach aimed at finalizing a comprehensive agreement in the most efficient manner.
Ground lease transactions combine not only typical commercial landlord-tenant issues, but also financing and construction considerations, hybrid insurance and condemnation issues and, at times, franchising matters. Our real estate transaction attorneys negotiate ground lease transactions for both landlords and tenants and are familiar with the particular complexities they present.
Our attorneys also regularly represent owners, managers and tenants in property management and operational issues -- from the drafting and negotiation of property management agreements for commercial and multi family properties, to advising parties with respect to day-to-day issues such as tenant improvements, relocation, default, unlawful detainer and eviction. Our advice is practical and business oriented, based on our clients’ needs and interests.
Services Include
- Drafting and negotiating commercial leases for office, retail and industrial projects.
- Drafting and negotiating ground leases.
- Providing documents incidental to lease transactions, including subleases, memoranda for options and exclusive uses, SNDAs, estoppel certificates and lien waivers.
- Providing ongoing advice to property owners and managers regarding landlord-tenant law and the legal aspects of property management and operations issues.
- Negotiating and drafting property management agreements and providing ongoing advice to property managers regarding the operation of all types of managed assets.
Representative Transactions/Clients
- Represent the institutional owner of industrial parks in Seattle and Kent, totaling over 5 million square feet of space, in its commercial leasing transactions.
- Represent a management company as agent for various real estate investment trusts in its leasing transactions for office and industrial properties owned.
- Work with real estate brokers, as the agents for an institutional owner, in connection with the leasing of various office and retail properties.
- Represent the owners of numerous downtown Seattle office and retail properties in their leasing transactions.
- Represent the franchisee of national restaurant concepts in the preparation and negotiation of ground leases for multiple restaurant locations.
- Represent an investor/owner and management company in connection with its ongoing property management of apartment projects comprising more than 3,500 apartment units.
- Represent a technology company in its leasing matters, including the recent drafting and negotiation of its lease for a to-be-constructed building of 137,000 rentable square feet.
