Plugging Loopholes

One thing to look out for when leasing to bars, restaurants, nightclubs, and other entertainment establishments is unanticipated—and unwanted—use changes after the business opens. Such changes may include the introduction of topless dancing. Needless to say, this is the kind of thing...

By Sujata Yalamanchili, Esq. and Elizabeth A. Holden, Esq.

Co-working spaces look like cool, hip, innovative spaces, so you may have wondered if you can do your job in one of those spaces. Could a law firm or just an individual attorney sit at a table for a day, type away, and...

During the economic downturn several years ago, contraction options—which let tenants give back part of their space during their leases and pay a lower rent—became popular because downsizing was one way for tenants in trouble to scale back costs. But two now-common commercial real...

Tenants who have a high electricity consumption can pose problems that you might not have considered when negotiating your leases. And a tenant that uses a typical amount of electricity now could need more later, or sublet or assign its lease to a high-power tenant. So, the message should be in...

Performing due diligence on a prospective tenant is one way to try to determine whether the tenant is financially viable. But what if you end up leasing to a tenant that proves to be a risk, no matter how careful you thought you were when researching it? One example of a risky tenant is one that...