Commercial Real Estate Law
It’s a cliché that ‘every commercial real estate transaction’ is unique. Sometimes, though, cliches are true. This one is. There are no cookie-cutter solutions when it comes to commercial real estate. What about a ‘turnkey’ transaction you ask? Not even them, they come with a host of questions and issues that must be explored, negotiated, and settled before closing, then revisited.
The stakes are high for everyone involved in commercial real estate transactions. Those unexpected events that may occur at any time are almost a given – witness the pandemic. No one, of course, can plan for a once-in-a-lifetime event. Everyone, however, can include measures, procedures, and contingencies for how to address something so disruptive in the future.
It’s all a matter of experience. Experience with the many complexities of commercial real estate, experience with swiftly, decisively working with clients to handle the unexpected. The attorneys at Hopkins Centrich have earned that experience over years of working with clients to successfully navigate the many challenges of any commercial real estate transaction. Contact us as early as you can – before you are boxed in by something you said, wrote, or negotiated. Hopkins Centrich will help.
Commercial Real Estate Law Firm
From development, permits, and zoning concerns to contracts, to dispute resolution, to sales and leasing – commercial real estate involves many facets of the law.It’s challenging. Hopkins Centrich embraces those challenges.We have represented developers, builders, lenders, and property owners from acquisition to development, to lease or sale of commercial and industrial properties.
Here are a few of the commercial real estate issues we have successfully handled with our clients over the years:
Commercial leasing- Title issues
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Financing and conveyance
- 1031 exchanges
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Preparation of easements
- Property tax appeals
- Condemnations
- Boundary and/or easement disputes
- Commercial property
development
- Condominium and planned unit developments
- Zoning, land use planning, and development
- Acquiring, financing, developing, commercial property
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Open space dedications, land trust documents, and boundary
swaps
- Commercial conveyancing and financing
- Assessment and appraisal issues
Every commercial real estate matter has unique issues, unique challenges, and unique solutions. Closings. Contract disputes. Zoning and land-use conflicts. Non-payment – in any context. Breach of warranty. Owner-tenant misinterpretations. Fraud. None of these matters exist in a vacuum. All are inexorably entwined in other issues.
It takes attorneys with a breadth of knowledge and years of experience across the spectrum of real estate law to recognize the genuine issues and efficiently find the right solutions. No real estate issue can be solved too quickly, ‘time is of the essence’ is, after all, the watchword of the real estate industry for a reason. The attorneys at Hopkins Centrich have that knowledge and experience. We know business, we know real estate. We listen and we move quickly. We know what’s at stake.
Commercial Leases
Commercial leases are never simple. They almost always have to drafted with one eye on the present and the other on the future of the business. There are certain standards that must be met first. To be enforceable, a commercial lease must include several clauses, from a detailed description of the premises to alternative dispute resolutions. Aside from these clauses – some of them highly technical – most commercial leases are dependent on negotiations between the landlord and tenant. Those negotiations are critical to the formation of a lease that suits both parties and is legally enforceable.
This requires a deep understanding of commercial real estate. That understanding is not worth much without the ability to recognize the other party's needs and negotiate an agreement. Then, the agreement must be clearly written in unambiguous language. Contingencies must be addressed. Gray areas will be extinguished. Potential pitfalls identified and allowances made should they occur. The time, energy, and resources expended on negotiating, drafting, and executing a commercial lease pay enormous dividends. Potential disputes are avoided. Conflict is mitigated. The potential for litigation is greatly lessened.
How We Do It
We work as a team. We employ an interdisciplinary approach to issues whenever it is needed. Hopkins Centrich’s attorneys all have ‘big firm’ backgrounds. They formed our firm with the goal of keeping the best of those firms while designing a far more personal experience for our clients. We do this by using technology to its fullest.
We make use of every cutting-edge legal and business technology and methodology to assure that we deliver the highest quality legal services to our clients. It also allows us to respond promptly and efficiently to client needs, exceed project requirements, operate effortlessly with narrow timeframes, and develop innovative and flexible legal solutions at competitive fees.
We are creative. We are agile. We quickly adapt to rapidly changing circumstances, including changes in the law. Hopkins Centrich has years of experience working with commercial property owners and tenants to negotiate, design, and draft leases that last and are conflict-free. Our attention to detail and ability to draft a lease that is clear, comprehensive, and understandable is unmatched. Our sole focus is our client and their business.
Why Choose Us
Even for seasoned real estate professionals - builders and developers; commercial and residential landlords; project managers - real estate transactions are loaded with potential pitfalls. Commercial real estate means dealing with a blur of rules, regulations, clauses, conflicting clauses, misinterpreted provisions, and outright disagreements based on misunderstandings. Add in emotions - real estate matters are almost always infused with emotional issues - and even the ‘simplest’ transactions can, at best, get bogged down; at worst headed for court.
Hopkins Centrich loves nothing more than to cut through all that for our clients. We help them avoid pitfalls, understand the issues, and get to a timely resolution. ‘Time is of the essence’ in real estate transactions is so overused it’s lost much of its urgency. It never has for Hopkins Centrich. We are creative. We are agile. We quickly adapt to rapidly changing circumstances, including changes in the law. We know what’s at stake for our clients. We know the stress they are under as they worry about their home or their livelihoods.
Hopkins Centrich solves problems across the broad spectrum of real estate matters including the purchase, sale, and closings of commercial real estate, drafting and negotiating leases, representing condominium associations and owners, and many types of real estate-related disputes. We make it our mission to guide and support our clients while making the legal process as straightforward, efficient, and stress-free as possible. Hopkins Centrich approaches every real estate matter with the focus, care, and attention to detail it deserves.
