Restaurant Leases and Basics of Commercial Leases: Practical negotiating and drafting skills, locations factors and intended use (Office, Retail or Storage Leases)

Jodi B. Rich | Ulmer & Berne LLP

Jodi Rich is an attorney in the Cleveland office of Ulmer & Berne LLP. She practices in the area of real estate law, where she represents buyers and sellers in the acquisition, sale, and development of shopping centers as well as landlords and tenants in commercial real estate leases. Rich also represents buyers and sellers in various commercial real estate acquisitions and sales, including properties with unique circumstances such as environmental contamination.

She frequently represents clients completing 1031 exchanges and assists both lenders and borrowers in negotiating loan documents. Rich has negotiated transactions involving distressed properties, including assisting clients navigating through deals involving the foreclosure of real property. She earned her B.A. degree, cum laude, from The George Washington University, and her J.D. degree, magna cum laude, from Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

Rich is a member of the American, Ohio State, and Cleveland Metropolitan bar associations. She serves as vice chair of the Board of the Cleveland Restoration Society and serves on the board of trustees for Park Synagogue. She is a frequent speaker on real estate topics, specifically restaurant and retail leasing.

Ronald Garfield | Garfield & Hecht

Ron, along with Andy Hecht, is a founding partner of Garfield & Hecht, which first opened its doors in 1975 and has maintained an unwavering commitment to helping clients traverse the complicated legal landscape. Ron is the managing shareholder of Garfield & Hecht, which has six locations on the Western slope and a front range office at the Denver Tech Center. Ron remains active in various practice areas by representing individual and corporate clients, including several banks, and he also oversees Garfield & Hecht’s opinion letter practice.

In addition to representing both landlords and tenants in negotiating retail, office and residential leases, Ron has authored covenants and declarations for a variety of developments from duplexes to planned urban developments (PUDs) and even high–end subdivisions such as Wildcat Ranch near Aspen.

Banks and private lenders trust in Ron’s representation for their lending activities, as well as the restructure of non-performing loans and, where needed, collection activity including foreclosures and UCC sales. Ron has represented both purchasers and sellers in a variety of real estate transactions including fractional ownership, single-family residences, duplexes, commercial properties, hotels, farm, and ranch lands, as well as parcels earmarked for development. He has also represented buyers and sellers of businesses, including stock and asset sales with and without leverage.

Ron has authored helpful articles on the Garfield & Hecht website for clients and potential clients including Purchasing Mountain Property, Renting Mountain Property, and Selling Mountain Property.

Session I – Rethinking Restaurant Leases | 12:50pm – 1:50pm

1. Inflation and how it affects rent, CAM, and pricing of menu items | 12:50pm – 1:05pm
2. Staffing and how it is affecting product offerings and operations | 1:05pm – 1:20pm
3. New restaurant development/completing construction work | 1:20pm – 1:35pm
4. Opportunities (available real estate, ghost kitchens, creative concepts) | 1:35pm – 1:50pm

Break | 1:50pm – 2:00pm

Session II – Basics of Commercial Leases: Practical negotiating and drafting skills, locations factors and intended use (Office, Retail or Storage Leases) | 2:00pm – 3:00pm

1. Practical negotiating and drafting skills | 2:00pm – 2:15pm
2. Factors such as location and intended use are critical to consider | 2:15pm – 2:30pm
3. Use of the leased premises can be a limiting factor | 2:30pm – 2:45pm
4. Learn to avoid common errors | 2:45pm – 3:00pm