Commercial Real Estate
The Margolis Law Firm has more than forty years experience in guiding leading developers, owners, and tenants of all types through the intricacies of New York lease law. Specific areas of representation include leasing of offices, industrial, and retail/restaurant properties. We have developed a specialty niche in shopping center, urban retail and restaurant leasing. All cases are personally supervised by attorney Jeffrey A. Margolis, a nationally recognized real estate lawyer who has often lectured and written on this highly specialized area of New York law.
Our Commercial Real Estate Services
Buying
We provide legal guidance throughout the property purchase process, ensuring smooth transactions and protecting your interests in residential and commercial acquisitions. Our services include contract review, title searches, negotiations, and closing assistance.
Leasing
We assist landlords and tenants with drafting, reviewing, and negotiating lease agreements for residential and commercial properties. Our services ensure that lease terms are clear, legally sound, and aligned with your interests.
Selling
We handle all legal aspects of property sales, from drafting and reviewing contracts to managing negotiations and closing proceedings. Our team ensures that sellers meet all legal requirements and minimize risks throughout the transaction.
Mediation & ADR (Arbitration)
We provide professional alternative dispute resolution (arbitration & mediation) services to resolve real estate disputes efficiently and cost-effectively, helping parties reach fair agreements without litigation. Whether dealing with landlord-tenant issues, contract disputes, or property conflicts, we facilitate constructive solutions.
The Margolis Law Firm was designated as approved outside regional counsel for a major insurance company’s corporate real estate leasing program. We represent clients in simple and complex lease negotiations. Further, we have given clients advice on transaction structures and, when needed, exit strategies.
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Jeff Margolis is a nationally recognized authority on retail and restaurant leasing. He has presented numerous leasing training seminars to clients, brokers and to other attorneys. Past speaking engagements included: First National Conference on Restaurant Leasing (Las Vegas, Nevada), Office Leasing (New York City), and Guerilla Leasing Tactics for the Smaller Office, Retail and Restaurant Tenant (New York City). Recent programs have included Leasing and CV19 New Leasing Realities, and Commercial Leasing, which Jeff taught as an adjunct professor of Real Estate at Brooklyn Law School in 2016.
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Over the years, Jeff has represented both institutional (Equitable Life, Cadillac Fairview) and private sector clients (for example, the Weiler-Arnow family). Before starting his own practice in 1982, Jeff did leasing and other transactional work for a number of leading New York real estate owners, including the Rudin Family, Benenson Capital and the Tisches (Loews).
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Representative transactions include:​
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Office lease for international law firm
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Represented landlord in major office lease to government agency
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Represented major regional mall shopping center developer in its leasing programs
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Represented major national tenant in NY store leasing program
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Represented local chain of wireless communication store
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Represented local chain of Japanese restaurants
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As a result of the extensive work that we have done for both landlords and tenants, we understand each party’s perspective on negotiations and leasing issues in the current market. We are thoroughly knowledgeable about all of the negotiating strategies and issues (and, most importantly, the practical solutions to those issues) that arise in leasing transactions.
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Purchase/Sale of Commercial Property
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The purchase or sale of commercial real estate requires experienced counsel to help navigate through the numerous complex issues often encountered. We often act as special real estate counsel to other attorneys, both in-State and out-of-State. We have more than thirty years of experience to guide you through the process of buying or selling commercial property.
Our Transactional Experience
Our transactional experience includes providing legal expertise on shopping centers, office buildings, hotels, multi-family residential properties and transactions involving net leaseholds and undeveloped land.
Representative Major Acquisitions and Sales include:
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$150,000,000 Acquisition of a NY office building by a German REIT (buyer)
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$50,000,000 Acquisition of former Fortune 500 headquarters by a Foreign REIT(buyer)
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$170,000,000 Sale of a N.Y. office building by a foreign investor
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$35,000,000 Sale of modern Suburban office building by an institutional owner
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$12,000,000 Sale of a strip shopping center by a family trust
