Overview

We provide a broad range of capabilities and deep experience.

Butzel's real estate team has worked on virtually every type of project: major urban redevelopment projects, downtown office facilities, greenfield development of office, industrial, research and technical centers, retail, hotels and residential properties as well as signature incentive programs.

Our multi-disciplinary team is comprised of attorneys who have handled real estate activities ranging from the development of community projects, to spearheading tax increment finance, from the creation of sophisticated financial instruments to the drafting of leases, from zoning, condemnation and tax issues to mineral rights, environmental assessments and permitting. Our group has the expertise to navigate the public dollars arena, efficiently and effectively.

Selected Services:

  • Entity selection and formation
  • Acquisition and disposition
  • Corporate real estate issues
  • Development, architectural and construction contracts
  • Land use restrictions
  • Financing and syndication
  • Tax related issues
  • Leasing of offices, retail stores, restaurants, warehouses and full buildings on behalf of landlords or tenants throughout the country
  • Planning, zoning and government relations
  • Publicly financed development
  • Environmental regulation
  • Brownfield redevelopment
  • Easements and boundary issues
  • Historic preservation issues
  • Condominium development and conversion
  • Waterfront development
  • Condemnation/eminent domain
  • Homeowner association issues
  • Brokerage and property management
  • Foreclosure, workouts and bankruptcy
  • Litigation/disputes

Practice Leadership

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Areas of Concentration

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Speaking Engagements

Experience

  • Leasing of numerous offices on behalf of major advertising clients throughout the country
  • Represents lender for more than ten years in connection with a loan secured by One Liberty Plaza, including numerous extensions a bankruptcy filing
  • Complex, multi-continent acquisitions of companies for an international polymers manufacturer
  • Represented 112,000 square foot corporate office and R & D complex; represented foreign purchaser in all aspects of transaction
  • Negotiated numerous lease transactions for national & international locations
  • Leasing for multinational investment company in NY, Chicago, San Francisco, Hong Kong and London
  • Represented developer of numerous hotel development projects including acquisitions, financing, operations, licensing and sales
  • Leasing - Land Lord Counsel
  • Represented an international logistics company in a lease of 1,086,000 square foot manufacturing facility for supplier services
  • Represented the sellers in connection with the sale of the build-operate-transfer franchise for a state highway in California.
  • Lease for insurance company
  • Represented developer in negotiation and financing of land acquisition from Downtown Development Authority and acquisition of the hotel from prior owners
  • Real Estate - Leasing for tenant
  • Sale of property for development in Harbor Springs, Michigan
  • Purchase of land for construction of office building
  • Represented hotel owner to bid in and purchased all hard assets of bankrupt onsite restaurant and obtained a full release from lease
  • Leasing of an entire Shopping Center on behalf of landlord
  • Negotiated the acquisition of a 150,000 square foot industrial facility on behalf of the purchaser
  • Responsible for formulating and drafting legislation that created The Trust for Cultural Resources of The City of New York, a public benefit corporation authorized to issue tax-exempt bonds to benefit cultural institutions in New York City.
  • Negotiated construction and development contracts for commercial office building
  • Negotiated the 8th largest leasing transaction in New York City on behalf of a financial services tenant
  • Leases & Sub Leases
  • Leasing of major New York City office building on behalf of Landlord
  • Leasing - Land Lord Counsel
  • Representation of lender in mortgage transactions in amounts from $150 million to $1,500 million, secured by "trophy" office buildings, hotels and industrial properties
  • Represented client in purchase of $17.5 million residential duplex in New York, involving NYC Zoning Resolution research and advice.
  • $200,000 judgment for lessor in commercial lease dispute; litigation counsel for real estate investment firm
  • Negotiated price reduction of mortgage loan balances and sales of shopping center properties
  • Prevailed on Motion for Summary Disposition on behalf of our client, an anchor tenant in a shopping center, and against the landlord who claimed wrongful termination of the lease
  • Represented the South Street Seaport Museum and its affiliates in ground lease negotiations to preserve Seaport District and develop Seaport Marketplace
  • Represented national carrier with regard to Cell Tower leasing
  • Representation of Pittsburgh business group and major foundation in conversion of movie palace to opera house and development of office building.
  • Represented LG Chem in the acquisition of land, obtaining various government grants and tax incentives and the drafting and negotiating of the construction contract for a $303 million advanced lithium ion battery manufacturing facility.
  • Negotiated cell tower leases on behalf of landlords or tenants
  • Negotiated restaurant leases on behalf of landlords or tenants throughout the country
  • Obtained dismissal by summary judgment in a quiet title action
  • Obtained dismissal by summary judgment in a quite title action
  • Represented lender on a loan, originally in the amount of $480 million, secured by Tower A in the World Financial Center in lower Manhattan
  • Representation of tenant in subleasing 170,000 square feet to social service organization and negotiation of complex arrangements to obtain landlord’s consent
  • Purchase of land for residential development
  • Lead lawyers for conversion of a City of Detroit housing project into multi-use, residential property under federal program
  • Negotiated long term mortgageable ground lease on behalf of developer for construction of physicians office building adjoining surgical center
  • Negotiated synthetic lease transactions
  • Negotiate and complete deed in lieu of foreclosure for financial lender.
  • Lease dispute for major exposition center
  • Created loan/financing structure for capital acquisition and industrial expansion for Canadian and U.S. structure and operations
  • Leasing of retail and commercial space on behalf of Landlord
  • Successfully negotiated multi-party settlement in complex real estate transaction
  • Represented not-for-profit institutions in connection with the disposition of its headquarters, a 250,000-square foot commercial condominium unit
  • Represented developer of waterfront residential condominium development
  • Multiple relocations throughout the East Coast
  • Represented an independent school in connection with the unwinding of transfer of development rights
  • Litigated lease disputes on behalf of tenants concerning operating expenses in connection with lease audits
  • Negotiations with landlord on behalf of tenant regarding violation of exclusive use clause
  • Negotiated Retail Store leases on behalf of landlords or tenants
  • Served as counsel for the acquisition of multiple parcels of land for major mixed use residential/commercial development
  • Represented not-for-profit corporations in connection with the sale to another not-for-profit corporation of a building leased to a bankrupt tenant that agreed to vacate
  • Served as counsel for the acquisition of vacant land and related construction financing
  • Represented not-for-profit corporation in connections with leasing, including 200,000-square foot office lease, broadcast leases and licenses and retail lease for street-level studio
  • Acted as principal attorneys for the developer of a complex $180,000,000 historical rehabilitation, conversion, retrofitting of a 32 story jewel in downtown Detroit, including all aspects of financing
  • Leasing - Landlord's counsel
  • Developed and negotiated industrial lease for major manufacturers
  • Multiple retail property transactions throughout New England for a national retail tenant.
  • Negotiated the acquisition of a 230,000 square foot industrial facility on behalf of a major Chinese purchaser
  • Represented Shopping Center landlords and tenants for national retail and big box stores as well as smaller and more local retail stores
  • Acted as lead counsel for the conversion of a former housing project in the City of Detroit into multi-use residential property under the HOPE IV Implementation Grant Mixed Finance federal program
  • Leasing - Landlord's counsel
  • Represented The Trust for Cultural Resources in connection with the collection and administration of tax equivalency payments payable to the Trust by the owner of the privately-owned portion of an expansion undertaken by The Museum of Modern Art
  • Subleased space for sub-tenant
  • Acted as lead counsel in negotiating and structuring large industrial design/build lease, including coordination of all aspects of financing and project oversight
  • Negotiated the purchase of a building and assumption of indebtedness for major health care organization
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