Recent News:
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:
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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.
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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.
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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.