Practice Overview

Attorneys in our Real Estate, Construction and Development practice advise clients in all aspects of real estate acquisition, financing, leasing, sale and restructuring transactions. Sonkin • Koberna’s services in this area include commercial leasing, construction and development with an emphasis on shopping center development and leasing, mixed use development, including office, retail, hotel and parking facilities, medical offices, multi-family and industrial and warehouse development. Our clients include national real estate development companies, local and regional developers, investors, apartment owners, REITS, real estate brokerage firms, automobile dealers, residential developers and home builders and national and local retail companies.

Sonkin • Koberna assists many of its business and individual clients through all phases of the administrative and judicial process in zoning and land use issues. We regularly appear before municipal and administrative agencies on behalf of our clients to help obtain necessary use permits, variances and/or zoning reclassifications.

Our lawyers also have extensive experience negotiating and drafting all forms of construction contracts, including agreements involving owners, architects, engineers, general contractors, construction managers, subcontractors and materialmen.

REPRESENTATIVE ENGAGEMENTS

  • Lead counsel for a national drug store chain in the acquisition and development of numerous sites
  • Represented public company seller of 300+ acre industrial park in Northeast Ohio
  • Represented buyers in acquisition of several regional shopping centers
  • Lead counsel for development of hotel and conference center for an Ohio university foundation, including construction and ground leasing agreements and New Markets Tax Credit transaction
  • “Big Box” leasing for a major property owner/manager and numerous transactions with national chain tenants such as TJX Companies (TJ Maxx and Marshall’s), Bed Bath and Beyond, Staples, Office-Max and Dick’s Sporting Goods
  • Counsel for buyers and sellers in numerous 1031 exchange transactions
  • Lead counsel for buyer of 100-unit residential apartment complex in Cleveland Heights, Ohio
  • Lead counsel for landlord in negotiation of key tenant lease for 73,284 square foot medical and office building in Middleburg Heights, Ohio
  • Representation of property owners in BUSTR compliance matter
  • Representation of property owner in connection with VAP grant award with the City of Sandusky, Ohio
  • Representation of property owner in the development and leasing of shopping center in Independence, Ohio
  • Counsel for buyer in purchase of approximately 180 units in multiple apartment buildings in Lakewood, Ohio
  • Counsel for seller in acquisition out of bankruptcy of 75,000 square foot medical office building in Middleburg Heights, Ohio
  • Obtained favorable settlement for owner of apartment complex in dispute involving premature failure of concrete parking deck