With more than 25 years of experience, David concentrates his practice on a wide range of transactions involving the acquisition, development, financing, construction, leasing, management and sale of real estate. He represents clients who develop and own retail, office, industrial and single- and multi-family residential real estate, and handles complicated mixed use subdivision and easement issues.
Notably, David has far-reaching experience with retail developments, including conversion of numerous vacant retail properties into retail strip centers, and with mixed use properties, including vertical subdivisions and the sale or lease of various components. In addition, he assists lenders and borrowers in connection with real estate-related financing, foreclosures and workouts.
Commercial leasing is at the heart of David’s practice. He represents both landlords and tenants in connection with leasing transactions and lease disputes. He has negotiated and closed numerous lease agreements involving many of today’s best-known retailers. David is valued by many clients for his ability to negotiate leases that address the issues that are important to them, and are financeable and saleable in the future.
Prior to joining the firm, David served as associate general counsel/corporate secretary for CSM Corporation, a commercial real estate development company, where he honed his skills in national leasing initiatives. He also worked for several years as general counsel/vice president for a residential real estate development company. Working in-house helps David think like an owner, identify the issues that matter to his clients, and communicate complex legal issues and creative solutions in a manner that is understandable to them.
David takes pride in his ability to work collaboratively with his clients and collegially with his peers to complete the deal, while protecting his client's interests.
David’s relevant legal experience includes the :
- Development, leasing and sale of retail shopping centers, including drafting and negotiation of leases, ground leases, development agreements, declarations, easements, listing agreements and construction contracts
- Development and leasing for large downtown office properties, including lease disputes, evictions, negotiation of easements and parking management agreements
- Vertical subdivision, sale and leasing of downtown mixed used properties
- Negotiation of “big box” and "mid box" retail leases and ground leases with various national retailers specializing in the sale of grocery items, clothing stores, dollar and price point merchandise, books, media, office supplies, home improvement, home furnishings, and tools and equipment
- Negotiation of restaurant leases including national restaurant chains for in-line space and pad sites, including ground leases
- Negotiation of build-to-suit leases, including medical offices and private colleges
- Acquisition and/or development of approximately 35 hotel properties
- Legal support for owner/property manager of numerous multi-family apartment/townhome units
- Negotiation of sale lease-back transactions
- Development and sale of numerous single family and townhome residential developments, including negotiation of developer agreements and establishing homeowner associations
Professional and Community Involvement
Member, Minnesota State Bar Association
Member, Hennepin County Bar Association Real Property Section
Honors
Minnesota Super Lawyers Rising Star, 2005
The Best Lawyers in America, 2019-2020, 2022-2025