Leasing

Our lawyers have negotiated leases for thousands of properties, including multimillion-square-foot office buildings and prime retail properties, as well as luxury residential, multifamily and multi-use developments. Advising both landlords and tenants, we understand the motivations on both sides of the table, enhancing our ability to act as master strategists in negotiations.

What We Do

Our practice provides true end-to-end service to clients regarding all forms of leasing arrangements, from gross and triple-net leases to more complicated build-to-suit leases, ground leases, sale-leaseback arrangements and special-use leases. We advise on land use and zoning issues, construction and development and landlord-tenant disputes and litigation. We are experienced in the many complexities that arise when negotiating lease terms and conditions, especially for flagship retail and fashion stores, popular restaurants, corporate headquarters and luxury residential properties, and we routinely strategize beyond the terms of the lease.

Additionally, our attorneys advise on and negotiate related agreements, such as brokerage, management, development, subordination, collateral leasing, nondisturbance and attornment agreements, and contracts with developers and design professionals. We also advise on leasing issues in the context of mergers, acquisitions and other dispositions and are skilled at structuring complex “sale-condo back” transactions in which the owner contributes land to a developer in exchange for a finished commercial condominium unit.

Landlord Representations

• Aurora Capital, a boutique real estate investment and development company, in connection with several New York flagship leases including Hyundai (d/b/a Genesis), Restoration Hardware, Hugo Boss, Starbucks Roastery, Nike, Pastis and Hermès.
• Gindi Capital, a full-service real estate company, in connection with the leasing of over 400,000 square feet of retail and entertainment uses in a ground up development on Las Vegas Blvd. in Las Vegas, NV.
• HUBBNYC Properties, a real estate investment company, in connection with various retail leases in New York City.
• Austin International Realty in retail and office leases to Touro College, Barclay's, Time Warner Cable, Salesforce and Eataly.
• Crown Acquisitions, a major owner and developer of retail and office properties, in connection with retail leases in New York City including Skims, Fula, Kusmi Tea, Cipriani, Nars, Desigual, Mosafer, NBA, Target, HStern, Furla, Armani A/X, Swatch and its affiliates, Chipotle, Starbucks, Bottega Veneta, Moncler, JPMorgan Chase, Vitamin Shoppe, Abercrombie & Fitch, Uniqlo, PLS Check Cashers and The Science, Language and Arts International School (SLA), among others.
• Morgan Stanley in connection with all of its of retail leases by its affiliate in connection with the Rosedale Center Mall in Rosedale, Minnesota
• United American Land, LLC, a family-owned real estate development, investment and management company, in connection with retail leases in Brooklyn including JD Sports, Raising Cane’s and T-Mobile.
• Rose Associates, a full service residential real estate development and management company, in connection with retail leases in New York City including Urban Market, Fairway, HSBC, Melt Shop, TD Bank, Citibank, Bombay Sandwich Company and Carolina Herrera.
• Thor Equities, a real estate development, leasing and management company, in connection with retail leases in New York, Miami and Houston, including Vine Vera, RA Sushi (an affiliate of Benihana), Roland Mouret, Firehouse Grill, Bluemercury, Organic Market, Phillip Plein, Morganthal Luxury Optical, Bond 9 and Tasaki, among many others.
• Sierra Realty, a property management company, in connection with various office and retail leases in NYC.
• Muss Development, one of the most active and largest real estate development firms, in a 15-year lease with Target for the 20,795 square foot space at 7000 Austin St. in Forest Hills, New York, and other similarly significant transactions.

Tenant Representations

• Richemont Brands, a Swiss luxury goods group, in connection with retail leases throughout the U.S. including Cartier, Piaget, Van Cleef & Arpels, Alfred Dunhill, Chloé, IWC Schaffhausen, Peter Millar, Vacheron Constantin, Roger Dubuis, Baume & Mercier, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Alaïa, Montblanc and Officine Panerai.
• Richard Mille USA, an eponymous brand of luxury Swiss watches, in signing a lease for its first location in New York comprising over 4,900 square feet on the ground floor and mezzanine of the building known as 432 Park Avenue, as well as in other retail stores throughout the country.
• Kering Group, an international luxury group based in France, and its various brands (including Gucci, Gabriela Hearst, Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Alexander McQueen and others), in connection with leases across the U.S., including numerous headquarters and flagship stores for these brands in Manhattan and in other locations, as well as representing Gucci in selling its 17-story Manhattan location.
• Major Food Group (owners of Carbone, Dirty French, Santina, Sadelle’s, ZZ’s Clam Bar and Parm in New York City), in numerous matters, including new restaurants in the space that were previously home to The Four Seasons.
• Los Tacos no. 1, a popular taqueria, in connection with ten of its locations in New York City, including at Chelsea Market and Times Square.
• Urban Revivo, a Chinese fast fashion company, in connection with a lease in SoHo for its first flagship location in New York City.
• Supreme, a skateboarding shop and clothing company, in retail, office, showroom and distribution leases throughout the U.S.
• Versace, an Italian luxury fashion company, in retail and outlet leases throughout the U.S.
• Jimmy Choo, a British luxury fashion company, in retail and outlet leases throughout the U.S.
• Lenny’s Group (Lenwich by Lenny’s), a gourmet delicatessen and sandwich brand, in negotiating real estate leases for more than 20 locations throughout Manhattan.
• Pop Mart, a Chinese pop culture, toy, and entertainment company, in connection with leases for its first New York City locations, including a SoHo storefront and a U.S. flagship store in Times Square.
• Hill Country BBQ, a traditional barbeque style restaurant, in connection with their retail leasings in New York and Washington, DC.
• Baldor Boston, LLC, a high-end produce and specialty foods logistics and distribution company, serving as outside counsel in connection with a joint venture with National Development, of a build-to-suit lease totaling 100,000 square feet of warehouse space at 130 Eastern Avenue in Chelsea, Massachusetts.
• Eataly, an Italian food marketplace with locations around the world, in connection with its 40,000+ square foot Fifth Avenue Italian food emporium and five other restaurants in New York City.
• Fast Retailing USA, Inc., a public Japanese retail holding company, in connection with leasing its flagship brand (Uniqlo, Theory, JBrand) locations across the U.S., including in Manhattan.
• Ascena Retail Group, Inc., a leading national specialty retailer offering apparel, shoes, and accessories, with retail leases in the U.S. including Lane Bryant and Dressbarn, among others.
• Neil Lane, jewelry designer, collector, and curator, in the launch of Neil Lane Bridal with Kay Jewelers, a specialty retail jewelry store chain with over 1,300 stores located in all 50 states.

Ground Leasing

• Atlas Hospitality in the negotiation of:
  • a 99-year ground lease for the development and operation of a hotel in Times Square and in the acquisition of development rights from adjoining owners for contribution to the hotel project.
  • a ground lease for mixed use hotel, signage and retail condominium in Times Square, including provisions for delivery of retail unit to fee owner upon completion of project and sharing of signage income.
• Prince Lumber, a quality lumber, hardware, building materials, and construction tools and supplies company, in connection with a ground lease of their property located at 61 Ninth Avenue to an affiliate of Vornado, a real estate investment trust based in Maryland.
• 19-23 St. Mark’s Associates, LLC, in connection with a $34 million loan to finance the acquisition of a ground lease in Manhattan with a future option to purchase the land and building.
• A multifamily residential building in connection with the ground leasing and sale by an affiliate of Atlantic Development.
• Halpern Development, a privately held commercial real estate firm specializing in retail leasing, management, acquisition and development, in connection with the ground lease from an affiliate of Western Beef, regarding a commercial property in Astoria, New York, and the financing and construction of a multi-family rental project on the property.
• The owner of a High Line development site in all aspects of its redevelopment, including a ground lease to a developer, the acquisition of excess development rights from an adjoining site, and the reconfiguration of the larger zoning lot to maximize the retail use opportunities.