Real Estate Leasing

Recent News:

Elizabeth Kearney Named a 2025 GlobeSt. Woman of Influence

Elizabeth Kearney, vice chair of Cozen O’Connor’s Real Estate practice, has been named a 2025 GlobeSt. Woman of Influence.

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Cozen O’Connor’s prominent Real Estate Leasing practice represents landlords, tenants, and developers in commercial leasing transactions across the United States. The firm has deep experience with the leasing of all categories of commercial real estate, including office, retail, hospitality, shopping centers, industrial and distribution facilities, student housing, lab/science space, data centers, and telecom sites.

Experience

Every engagement, whether leasing a stand-alone retail space or a multi-jurisdictional industrial portfolio, presents unique challenges. Cozen O’Connor’s Leasing team is exceptionally well prepared to tackle the full range of possible lease provisions, while never losing sight of the need to maximize value, preserve rights, and efficiently execute lease documentation.

Cozen O’Connor’s Leasing practice is national in scope and includes attorneys who understand the economics, laws, and remedies specific to each geographic region. Our leasing experience is diverse, ranging from the leasing of iconic commercial buildings and office towers in major real estate markets to industrial, manufacturing, and distribution centers to retail shopping properties. We often serve as lead leasing counsel for large corporate tenants with broad regional and national presence.  

The firm also includes one of the Am Law 100’s first lease restructuring teams, which serves major clients in both up and down cycles. Cozen O’Connor assists with workouts and distressed real estate restructuring as well as term extensions and amendments that position clients for ongoing success.

Services

We advise clients through the entire lease life cycle, from brokerage agreements and letters of intent, through lease negotiation and execution, to operational issues and lease amendments. Our services include:

  • Lease Types. Analyze complex lease agreements of all types, including anchor tenants and flagships, in-line tenants, corporate headquarters, build-to-suit, master leases, co-working and licensing arrangements, and ground leases.
  • Lease Provisions and Considerations. Negotiate core terms, including commencement dates, termination options, and renewal options; base rent, taxes, utilities, and operating expenses; transferability provisions, including lease assignments and subleasing; premises expansion or contraction; construction and alterations; indemnity; loan security options; guarantors/guarantees; insurance; subordination and non-disturbance agreements; and lease defaults and other remedies.
  • Lease Restructuring. Assist when geopolitical events (economic recession or global pandemic) or business-specific exigencies (sector distress, over-expansion, opportunistic strategic pivot) require adjustments to lease duration, cost, size and configuration, usage, or obligations.

Distinction

As a result of Cozen O’Connor’s longstanding collaborative culture, the Leasing practice is closely aligned with and linked to other practices throughout the firm. Within the Leasing practice, our attorneys collaborate on a daily basis with respect to specific issues, challenges, and documentation. Leasing attorneys have unfettered access to and frequently collaborate with colleagues in construction law, zoning and land use, environmental, real estate development, tax, bankruptcy, real estate-related litigation, and other relevant areas.

 

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Experience

Publications

Life Science Conversions in Real Estate

May 24, 2023

Matt Weinstein discusses the legal issues surrounding the lease that need to be evaluated and addressed when considering a conversion of office space to life science space in Area Development.

SCOTUS Goes to Mall of America: Court Recognizes Jurisdiction Over Appeals of Bankruptcy Sale Orders [Alert]

May 10, 2023

The U.S. Supreme Court recently overruled lower courts in a dispute involving Sears' $10/year lease at the Mall of America.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Enters Eviction Fray With New Ruling Under FDCPA [Alert]

May 04, 2021

Steve Katkov and Amy Katz discuss the CFPB interim final rule and First Amendment challenges to the CDC moratorium currently pending.

Congress Enacts Modification to Bankruptcy Procedures Governing Assumption and Rejection of Leases

February 12, 2021

Steve Katkov and Joel Nesset discuss provisions in the Consolidated Appropriations Act that narrowly target companies to assist those that have filed for protection under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code by temporarily modifying the rules governing a tenant’s performance under its leases.

Beware the Boilerplate — 10 Costly Pitfalls for the Commercial Tenant [Alert]

July 22, 2020

Grier Hoyt lists 10 costly pitfalls for the office tenant to avoid when entering into an office lease agreement.

Events & Seminars

Past Events

Boilerplate Provisions in Retail Leases in the Age of Covid

November 05, 2021 - San Francisco, CA

Leasing and Loans During Covid-19

November 05, 2020 -

In The News

Elizabeth Kearney Named a 2025 GlobeSt. Woman of Influence

April 21, 2025

Elizabeth Kearney, vice chair of Cozen O’Connor’s Real Estate practice, has been named a 2025 GlobeSt. Woman of Influence.

Matthew Weinstein Elected Fellow of American College of Real Estate Lawyers

April 09, 2024

Matthew I. Weinstein, chair of Cozen O’Connor’s Real Estate Lease Restructuring Group, has been elected a Fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers.

Cozen O’Connor Brings its Cross-Border Real Estate Practice to Canada, Adding Three Lawyers in Toronto

January 29, 2024

Enzo Sallese, Steven I. Pearlstein, and Andrea Wong — will join its fast-growing North American Real Estate practice.

Second Annual Cozen O’Connor Real Estate Survey Reveals Large Drop in Optimism About New York Market

November 14, 2023

New York City real estate professionals’ confidence in the city’s short-term future dropped by a quarter since last year, while pessimism tripled, according to a survey conducted by the law firm of Cozen O’Connor.

Paul Rutter Named in Los Angeles Business Journal’s LA500 List

June 06, 2023

LOS ANGELES, June 6, 2023 — Paul Rutter, a member of Cozen O’Connor’s Real Estate Practice, has been named to the 2023 LA500 by Los Angeles Business Journal.

As Garment District Landlords Clamor for Resi Conversions, Others Say Not So Fast

March 01, 2023

Ken Fisher is quoted in Crain’s New York in an article discussing the fate of the Garment District, located in Midtown Manhattan, as City Council continues to hold hearings to determine if the city should use commercial vacancy to create more housing.

Survey of Real Estate Professionals Finds Strong Optimism About New York City’s Future

October 06, 2022

New York City real estate professionals are feeling optimistic about the city, with anti-real estate sentiment among politicians topping their list of concerns, narrowly edging out the high cost of construction.

Cozen O’Connor Minneapolis Attorney Jon Schoenwetter Named an “Up & Coming” Attorney by Minnesota Lawyer magazine

August 10, 2022

MINNEAPOLIS, August 10, 2022 — Minneapolis attorney Jon Schoenwetter, an associate in Cozen O’Connor’s Real Estate Practice, has been named a 2022 “Up & Coming” attorney by Minnesota Lawyer magazine.

Super Lawyers Names Four Cozen O’Connor Attorneys to 2022 Minnesota List

July 25, 2022

Super Lawyers has named four Cozen O’Connor attorneys to its 2022 Minnesota Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists.

[+] [View All News]

Contacts

Richard H. Berney

Co-Chair, Leasing

rberney@cozen.com

(212) 453-3847

Grier Hoyt

Co-Chair, Leasing

ghoyt@cozen.com

(202) 747-0788

Elizabeth E. Kearney

Vice Chair, Real Estate

ekearney@cozen.com

(215) 665-4169

Marnie R. Kudon

Co-Chair, Leasing

mkudon@cozen.com

(212) 883-4926

People

Awards

Chambers Ranks 86 Cozen O’Connor Lawyers, 22 Practice Areas in Chambers USA 2022 Guide

June 02, 2022

Chambers USA, the leading annual guide to the top lawyers and law firms in the United States, has ranked 86 Cozen O’Connor lawyers as leaders in their respective fields in the guide’s 2022 edition.

49 Cozen O'Connor Attorneys Named Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

June 01, 2022

Super Lawyers has selected 49 Cozen O'Connor attorneys to the 2022 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists.

Biomeme, Inc. Office Lease Wins Philadelphia Business Journal's Best Real Estate Deal of 2021

April 04, 2022

Biomeme, Inc., represented by Beth Kearney, was awarded Best Office Lease in Philadelphia Business Journal's 2021 Best Real Estate Deal Awards.

Cozen O'Connor Promotes 28 Attorneys to Member

March 25, 2022

Cozen O'Connor promoted 28 attorneys to member in March.

Ken Fisher and Stuart Shorenstein Recognized Among City & State New York’s 2022 Law Power 100

March 07, 2022

Ken Fisher, a member of Cozen O'Connor’s Business Law Department, and Stuart Shorenstein, Managing Director of Cozen O’Connor New York Public Strategies, have been named to City & State New York’s 2022 Law Power 100.

Ken Fisher Named to Brooklyn Power 50

September 21, 2020

New York – September 21, 2020 – Kenneth K. Fisher, a member of Cozen O'Connor’s Business Law Department, was named to City & State New York’s 2020 Brooklyn Power 50.

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