Real Estate and Commercial Leasing
Gordon Arata Montgomery Barnett attorneys handle a wide array of real estate transactions, commercial leasing and related matters. We are called upon to represent chemical and manufacturing plants, public and private developers (including real estate investment trusts), warehouse, shopping center and apartment complex owners, banks, commercial lessors and lessees, insurance companies and purchasers of luxury condominiums in such diverse matters as:
- Acquiring, subdividing and selling industrial real estate
- Negotiating and preparing commercial leases for landlords and tenants of warehouses, shopping centers, hospitals, plants, office buildings and retail space
- Negotiating pipeline, electrical, railroad and other servitudes, easements and rights-of-way
- Assisting with zoning, permitting and local licensing issues
- Establishing condominium regimes and advising condominium associations on the implementation and operation of those associations
- Advising both in- and out-of-state lenders on all real estate issues including, title, survey and local law matters
- Performing due diligence and assisting purchasers with the acquisition of chemical plants and other industrial facilities
- Reviewing, drafting and negotiating construction agreements, development agreements, service contracts and related agreements
We regularly provide title services required for the financing, acquisition and other transactions we handle. Our firm’s title insurance agency, Current Title Agency, L.L.C., writes title insurance for Fidelity National Title Group and WFG National Title Insurance Company and regularly issues large commercial title policies to owners and lenders. We have also represented national title insurers in connection with claims litigation and represented the lead title insurer in connection with the re-issuance of the title policies on the New Orleans land-based casino project. We regularly use our title insurance savvy to review title commitments and surveys for purchasers and advise them on title issues and endorsements to protect against those issues.
Our commercial leasing practice includes representation of local and regional landlords in a wide array of lease transactions, including negotiation and preparation of shopping center and free-standing store leases, commercial warehouse leases, and build-to-suit property leases. We regularly represent large and small tenants in leases of commercial office buildings, retail spaces and various other properties. We also regularly negotiate and prepare ancillary lease documents, such as estoppel certificates, subordination, non-disturbance and attornment agreements and waivers of various lien rights, for our clients.
Some of our recent real estate and commercial leasing transactions include:
- Representing a global specialty chemical company in the acquisition of a catalyst plant in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Representing a national chemical company in the divestiture of a synthetic rubber plant in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and the acquisition of another plant in Port Neches, Texas
- Advising the owner of a warehouse held in an LLC with sale of membership issues
- Advising purchasers of luxury condominiums in New Orleans, Louisiana
- Representing a chemical company in the expansion of its footprint at their Norco, Louisiana, Facility and renegotiation of the related Site Services and Facilities Agreement
- Representing the owner of industrial real estate in Geismar, Louisiana, with the subdivision of its land into smaller parcels and establishment of servitudes and rights of way needed for the sale of excess acreage
- Representing a landlord in the lease of a large warehouse distribution facility
- Representing a landlord in the lease of a plasma collection center
- Representing a tenant in lease renegotiation of large commercial office building space
