What You Need to Know
Traversing the Cutting Edge
I was in Washington, D.C. last week to lobby on Capitol Hill on behalf of the real estate industry, and had the pleasure of meeting with the Editor-In-Chief of NAIOP’s Commercial Real Estate Development magazine. Here are three concepts…
Detroit: A Tale of Two Cities
Detroit is a fascinating example of stark contrasts. After spending the better part of a week there with 4,000 other real estate professionals at the Urban Land Institute Spring Meeting, I am inspired, impressed and…
Back to Black
As the real estate industry braces for what is likely to be a challenging point in the boom/bust cycle, getting each commercial lease over the finish line takes on greater importance and requires greater finesse. As each lease...
Letters of Intent for Commercial Leases
Ellen Sinreich participated in a panel discussion during the New York Law School Rooftops Conference on the do’s and don’ts of letters of intent for NYC commercial leases. Transfers and guarantees were two of the…
Office Space Evolving
This month we explore the intersection of corporate real estate and the co-working revolution that is transforming office use globally. This was the topic of conversation at a recent meeting of Fortune 100 company real estate executives…
Breaking News: NYC Retail
As we move into 2018, the challenges faced by brick and mortar retail continue to garner interest. Armchair pundits loudly proclaim New York City retail is in especially deep decline. But the facts don't support this conclusion…
Unibail-Rodamco Acquires Westfield
For those of us in the retail real estate industry, the December announcement that Unibail-Rodamco, Europe’s largest listed commercial property company, reached an agreement to purchase Westfield, the owner of Class A malls, was big news.
Selected Issues in Shopping Center Transactions
Ellen Sinreich participated in an in-depth discussion of the legal and operational issues that are unique to shopping center transactions. Issues ranged from the impact of omni-channel retailing to coordinating use restrictions.
Reading Tea Leaves
As a strong 2017 accelerates to a close, we’ve picked our heads up for a moment to look ahead. Here’s what we see in two of the real estate sectors that we’re active in, based on our own book of business, industry forecasts…
Do’s & Don’ts of Tenant Improvement Allowances
Ellen Sinreich co-chaired a peer-to-peer workshop on tenant improvement allowances at the 2017 ICSC Law Conference. The discussion focused on leasehold strategies that will help landlords and tenants avoid pitfalls.
In the Weed(s) Part 2
If you’re thinking that the cultivation, transformation, or retail distribution of cannabis would be a good use for your property, keep in mind that the use, cultivation, and transportation of marijuana is illegal under federal law…
Over Our Heads
As we move into the fall season of a year studded by hard-to-conceive-of events, capped (so far) by the horrific devastation of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, we are struck by two recent hard-to-believe innovations that could further…
Reinventing Retail: The Scoop
A stellar panel of retail real estate experts convened last week in New York City for the Urban Land Institute’s Reinventing Retail program to answer this $64,000 question: what’s in store for retail real estate? Here’s what they had to say…
A Fresh Perspective
Spring is (finally) in the air and it’s a great time to evaluate what your company stands to gain by taking advantage of the fresh perspective new leasing counsel can provide. Here are three ways that a new attorney can save you time and money…
Will Tax Reform Slam Real Estate?
This April, we turn our attention to tax reform and its effect on the real estate industry. A variety of real estate associations, including the Real Estate Roundtable, the ICSC, and the National Association of Realtors are…
The Devil You Know
As we move further into the new year, change is palpably in the air. The inclination to cling to what’s comfortable and familiar is being challenged everywhere. From our vantage point on the front lines of the legal leasing process…
A Brave New World
With or without the Affordable Care Act, the healthcare landscape will continue to evolve, and it's altogether likely that today’s urgent care center, which did not exist yesterday, will be unrecognizable tomorrow.
Shopping Centers: Legal/Operational Issues
As part of the Practising Law Institute’s 18th Annual Commercial Real Estate Institute, Ellen Sinreich participated in a discussion of the current issues unique to shopping centers, including the impact of technology and terrorism.
Making Sense of It All
Having just witnessed one of the most important transitions in U.S. and world history with the 2016 Presidential election, and having just participated in ULI’s Fall Meeting and the ICSC Law Conference, I’m focused on making sense of it all.
The Giant Petri Dish
Attending ULI and ICSC conferences is like being in a giant petri dish where I (and my colleagues) can focus on improving the fundamental underpinnings of the legal leasing process in ways that are not possible when we are back at our desks.