Attorney Godfrey leverages his experience in representing major national corporations with commercial and retail locations in almost every state, to provide his clients with practical insights into the multitude of issues to be considered when drafting, reviewing, and negotiating a lease.
Leases differ from other contracts in many important ways, not only as to terminology, but also as to the application of the law as to real property and personal property rights. In addition, there is a body of law in each state that underlies how a lease is to be interpreted and governed.
Although there are numerous critical differences to be considered between a commercial lease and a retail lease, the basic terms have much in common. The lease term, base rent, insurance, taxes and maintenance provisions, will all share similar terms and concepts. The differences arise in such areas as calculation of rents and escalations, use and maintenance of common areas, permitted use restrictions, parking and signage issues, to name a few of the most common divergences.
When drafting, reviewing or negotiating a lease, it is imperative to understand how each provision may affect the operation of your business, the protection of your assets, and important cash-flow aspects inherent in how each of the "standard" sections of a lease apply to your unique situation. Attorney Godfrey can guide you through the basic terms and the "boilerplate" provisions to insure that you appreciate their impact on your business deal and expectations. With the experienced support of Attorney Godfrey, the import of how various provisions can be written or revised, whether a seemingly innocuous provision will create unintended consequences, or how plan for future growth, can be clearly addressed in advance of finalizing the lease. This puts you in the position of making the right decisions now, as opposed to being in the position of finding a solution to an unanticipated problem.
This same background and experience enables Attorney Godfrey to provide the legal support you may need to resolve any problems that may arise with an existing lease. Leases are complicated contracts in which the various provisions are often interdependent. Attorney Godfrey's experience enables him to pinpoint issues that may create conflicts as a result of internal inconsistencies. This may improve your leverage in bringing about a favorable resolution or in approaching the problem from a different standpoint to reach the desired end.