Our real estate clients see us as more than just their lawyers—we’re business counselors, risk managers, transactional advisors and growth strategists. After fifty years of serving central Ohio’s most recognizable lenders and real estate developers, we know that a fully integrated partnership is the only way to build something special. This relationship-based approach to work is the reason our firm is ranked as a “Tier 1” firm in Columbus for issues involving real estate law by U.S. News and World Report and The Best Lawyers in America.

Our firm’s real estate attorneys combine in-depth knowledge of local and regional markets with a broad understanding of the legal, regulatory and economic issues affecting our clients. But we also understand the importance of responsiveness, timeliness, cost-effectiveness and a relentless focus on accomplishing our clients' goals.

Our Services

We offer a comprehensive range of services to our clients involved in the lease, purchase, sale, development and financing of real estate.

  • Real estate financing: traditional commercial financing; syndicated lending; mezzanine financing; mixed-financing projects; loan restructuring; acquisition and disposition of distressed debt
  • Environmental and energy issues: investigation of and compliance with state and federal environmental regulations; acquisition and protection of surface and subsurface interests; assistance with property valuation and lien issues
  • Purchase and sale transactions: preparation and negotiation of acquisition, disposition and financing documentation; review of title insurance commitments, surveys, entitlement reports, land use approvals and environmental site assessments; real estate issues involved in M+A transactions; counsel on global inbound commercial real estate investments in conjunction with our global business practice
  • Real estate and land use litigation: eminent domain and condemnation proceedings; annexation and administrative zoning decisions, including permits, conditional use, variance, development plan approval, and the subdivision and platting of land; representation before the Board of Revision and the Board of Tax Appeals
  • Zoning, land use and development: understanding economic development tools; leveraging local, state and federal tax incentives; real property taxes and valuation; legislative and administrative zoning matters; working with local governments and design and development professionals to develop land
  • Tax credits and economic incentives: identifying and negotiating incentive packages for new and growing businesses and new Ohio investments; site selection strategies; tax-structuring; grant application, negotiation and compliance

Our Clients

Our attorneys work with a diverse range of public and private owners, commercial developers, lenders and borrowers regionally and nationally. In real estate deals, we represent community, regional and national lending institutions, including community banks, national banks and life insurance companies. And as counsel to borrowers, we also represent some of the area’s most prominent local, regional and national real estate developers, property managers and brokerages, including:

  • One of Ohio’s leading real estate development and property management companies focusing on residential, commercial and mixed-use properties
  • A large commercial developer focusing on the rehabilitation and redevelopment of underutilized and abandoned properties
  • A Columbus-based real estate business offering comprehensive services, including construction services, brokerage services, and property and association management
  • One of the nation’s largest and most prominent housing authorities

Contact Us

For more information on our firm’s comprehensive real estate services, please contact Michael L. Schottenstein or Jeffrey W. Stiltner.