Leasing

Barnes & Thornburg counsels clients through all types of commercial leasing endeavors. Among our clients are local, regional, and international property owners with properties ranging from single tenant commercial properties to multi-tenant office building portfolios to industrial and business parks in urban and suburban business districts across the country.

We counsel Fortune 1,000 companies, privately held companies, real estate and hedge funds, and individuals on a national and international basis on their tenant-related office, industrial, and retail leasing needs.

We represent some of the largest tenants and property users in business today, ranging from major local, national, and global brands and franchises to small, traditional retailers and mom-and-pop establishments. Our team also assists with the leasing aspects of complex corporate transactions and financings, as well as day-to-day transactions including broker listing agreements, management agreements, estoppels, and SNDAs.

Notably, our attorneys counsel and represent all parties to a lease, including owners, tenants, and lenders involved in signing off on transactions due to today’s difficulties associated with access to financing. We devote the time it takes to be fluent in each client’s business objectives, which may include discussions centered on space utilization and efficiency, and explanations as to why what may seem like a reasonable request or concession might present unforeseeable business risk.

We are well-versed in the evolving topography inherent in accessing new markets and opportunities for growth. For landlords, we know how difficult it is to find and retain quality tenants, ensure timely rent payments, and balance the costs of property maintenance with the need to generate profits. For tenants, we know how tough it is to find suitable properties in desirable locations, negotiate favorable lease terms, and manage risks and costs now and in the future. 

Our team negotiates, drafts, and closes transactions that require unique experience that range from special-purpose high-rise ground leases to long-term leases for corporate headquarters and technology campuses, to free-standing retail and commercial properties. We are skilled in the many moving parts of multi-property, mixed-use, and built-to-suit leases, as well as co-location, subletting, and tenant improvement agreements. 

Barnes & Thornburg attorneys work with clients to address the challenges associated with the scarcity of industrial and warehouse facilities, the problems landlords and tenants now face in maintaining predictability over control, management, costs, and financing, and the disruptive supply chain issues inherent in construction and tenant improvements.

Although we provide proactive and preventive legal counsel designed to mitigate the potential for disputes, Barnes & Thornburg is regularly called on to advise on and resolve lease disputes, workouts, buyouts, and defaults, representing both landlords and tenants. We are smart negotiators, advocates and litigators – on attack or defense, in mediation, arbitration, and state and federal court litigation. 

Our firm has proven, over decades of practice, and billions of dollars of successful leasing transactions, that we are dedicated to being standout advisers and strategists who understand leasing and bring the adaptability needed to serve clients in all types of market and economic conditions.