Landlord/Tenant Leasing

Overview

Robinson+Cole maintains one of the largest commercial real estate leasing practices in the Northeast. A special feature of the practice is our construction law experience.

Our Services and Our Team

We represent landlords and tenants in complex leasing transactions of commercial space nationwide. Our experience includes the unique office and retail markets in New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, and Washington, DC. In addition, our lawyers represent regional, national, and international retail and office property owners in leasing, acquisition, and disposition matters. Robinson+Cole is regularly engaged as leasing counsel by Fortune 500 corporations.
Our experience includes a wide range of properties, including the following:

office buildings
restaurants
shopping centers and other retail facilities
health care facilities
sports arenas
industrial and warehouse facilities

Our lawyers collaborate with our clients on the following types of arrangements:

leases
ground leases
subleases
umbrella leases
equity and cash flow participation leases

We also handle structuring and implementing commercial leasing programs for office building and shopping center owners and are well versed in "green" building leasing issues and provisions.

- Experience
- Representation of Pepsi Beverages Company, the bottling division of PepsiCo, Inc., for lease of its 540,000 square feet of space in Somers, NY. This is the largest lease transaction executed in the history of this region.
  Represented a well-known Internet travel business in the lease of its 140,000 square-foot headquarters and 50,000 square-foot data center.
  Represented Diaego in the relocation of its headquarters and office leases in all regions of the United States.
  Represent national wireless infrastructure companies in connection with tower development, real estate and environmental matters, and litigation support.
  Represented publicly-traded European conglomerate in connection with office leasing in 26 countries and many states.
  Represents extremely high-end clothing retailer in all leasing work, in acquisitions of comparable retail entities and locations from Boston to New York, and in development of major owned retail store in Greenwich, Connecticut.
  In the area of real estate litigation, our group regularly represents both landlords and tenants in lease disputes and related litigation matters. The firm is currently representing a landlord in an action in Connecticut involving a dispute of lease rights concerning over 300,000 square feet of space in what is the largest such facility in the state. We also regularly represent clients in large commercial foreclosure actions.
  Representation of Westchester County Industrial Development Agency concerning a tax incentives project to locate a large pharmaceutical research corporation in three newly constructed buildings in a biomedical complex in Greenburgh, New York, resulting in 600 jobs retained or created in Westchester County.
  Representation of an investment advisory firm in negotiation to lease 7,000 square feet of office space on Madison Avenue in New York City.
  Representation of Priceline.com, an international Internet travel service, to structure and negotiate a 10-year lease extension and amendment agreement regarding 70,000 square feet of office space for its headquarters in Fairfield County, Connecticut.
  Representation of a client involved in managing the global supply chain of agricultural, industrial, and energy products for a headquarters lease in Stamford, Connecticut, with additional lease transactions for client in Houston, Texas; Englewood, Colorado; and Calgary, Alberta, in Canada.
  Redevelopment agreement and long-term space lease by the City of Hartford for the redevelopment of the retail, office, and parking components of the Hartford Civic Center, requiring negotiating and implementing a tax-fixing agreement, resolving title issues, and revising the lease for operation of coliseum and exhibition hall.
  Representation of Mianus Marine, Inc., landlord/seller, in ground lease with preset purchase price after 10 years for valuable waterfront marina and boatyard in Greenwich, Connecticut. The lease included ground rent resets and step ups in price for earlier purchase after five years. This format was necessary to adjust corporate status of client (ground landlord) for tax treatment on capital gain. The value was in excess of $10 million. The scope is primarily local water-dependent land use approvals with State of Connecticut coastal management by the Department of Environmental Protection and federal channel management and tidal regulations by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
  Representation of Miss Matched, Inc., a children's clothing retailer, on a national basis for its retail tenant leases and license agreements under the trade name LittleMissMatched. Handled high profile locations including Union Station in Washington, D.C., Water Tower Place in Chicago, Grand Central Station, Disney World, and Disney Land and mall roll out. Also, negotiation of five Simon mall leases.
  Representation as national lease counsel for Vineyard Vines retail stores, including stand-alone stores, malls and construction contracts.
  Representation of Vincent Camuto, a women's designer and shoe retailer, in its retail roll out on a national basis.
  Representation of a market and butcher shop in opening of its fourth store in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Store is 36,000 square feet in an approximately 150,000-square-foot shopping center. Representation involved lease negotiation, corporate formation of new entity, and construction financing through DanversBank and a Small Business Administration loan for tenant improvements and new equipment.
  Representation of a real estate services company in its lease for office space at 242 Trumbull Street in Hartford, Connecticut.
  Representation of a private wealth management group in its lease for office space at Blue Back Square in West Hartford, Connecticut.
  Representation of a law firm in its lease for office space at CityPlace II in downtown Hartford, Connecticut.
  Representation of an upscale restaurant group for leasing of five of its steakhouse and fish house restaurants in Connecticut.
  Representation of landlord in connection with a lease of 6,000 square feet of space to a restaurant operator.
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- News
- April 3, 2015
  Stamford Lawyers Represent Award-Winning Client
  
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  Stamford Lawyers Represent Award-Winning Client
  
  Robinson+Cole represented Vineyard Vines, a Stamford-based clothing and accessory retailer, in all aspects of its lease to relocate its national headquarters. Real estate lawyer April F. Condon took the lead on the deal to ensure that the move was realized. Also involved in the project were real estate lawyers Steven L. Elbaum and Charles F. Martin III.
  
  Each year, the board of NAIOP Connecticut & Suburban New York, a chapter of the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, recognizes outstanding real estate stars for their positive impact on the community. Honored at NAIOP's annual Night of the Stars Awards Gala on March 10, 2015, Vineyard Vines was the winner in the Connecticut Lease category. The company's 91,000-square-foot new space at Shippan Landing on the Stamford Harbor Waterfront will enable it to hire up to 200 more employees over the next five years, positively influencing the economy in southwestern Connecticut and beyond.
  
  May 30, 2012
  Hartford Teen Girls Introduced to Commercial Real Estate Industry
  
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  Hartford Teen Girls Introduced to Commercial Real Estate Industry
  Twelve girls from Capital Prep Magnet School and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Hartford participated in the interactive career development program Welcome to The Real (Estate) World on May 19, 2012. Presented by CREW CT-The Real Estate Exchange (Commercial Real Estate Women) and hosted by Robinson & Cole LLP, the program included presentations from CREW women about jobs and careers in commercial real estate, a professional field that has been traditionally considered an "old boys' network." Over 30 professionals representing a broad spectrum of disciplines volunteered for this event, including Robinson & Cole real estate attorney Candace M. Cunningham.
  
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  March 12, 2012
  Fairfield County Business Journal Touts Robinson & Cole Real Estate Leasing Deal
  
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  Fairfield County Business Journal Touts Robinson & Cole Real Estate Leasing Deal
  The Fairfield County Business Journal included in their list of top real estate deals for 2011 the 540,000 square foot lease for Pepsi Bottling Group’s headquarters in Somers, New York. The deal was the largest lease ever done in the region and real estate partner Garry C. Berman, together with Jeffrey Randolph and Carl Chaleski of PepsiCo, and Robert Caruso and Paul Jacobs of CBRE, received the 2011 Westchester County Lease of the Year award for it.
  
  January 4, 2012
  Real Estate Partner Honored with Westchester County Lease of the Year Award
  
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  Real Estate Partner Honored with Westchester County Lease of the Year Award
  Garry C. Berman, a partner in Robinson & Cole LLP's Real Estate Practice Group and chair of the firm's Commercial Real Estate Leasing Practice Group, together with Jeffrey Randolph and Carl Chaleski of PepsiCo, and Robert Caruso and Paul Jacobs of CBRE, received the 2011 Westchester County Lease of the Year award presented at the Commercial Real Estate Development Association (NAIOP) awards ceremony at the Patterson Club in Fairfield, Connecticut, on December 1, 2011.
  
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