Commercial Lease Review, Negotiation, and Disputes

A commercial lease is one of the largest and longest financial commitments a business makes, and the terms are rarely as standard as they look. I review, negotiate, and resolve disputes over commercial leases for tenants and landlords across Northern Virginia and the greater Washington, DC region. Whether you are signing a new lease, renewing an existing one, or facing a disagreement over charges or default, I help you understand exactly what you are agreeing to and protect your position.

Lease Review and Negotiation

Most commercial leases are drafted by the landlord and favor the landlord. Before you sign, I read the entire document, explain the terms that matter in plain language, and negotiate the points that carry real financial and operational risk. My goal is to align the lease with how your business actually operates, not the form the leasing agent handed you.

The terms I focus on include base rent, escalations, and any free-rent or abatement periods; common area maintenance (CAM), operating expense, and tax pass-throughs, including caps and audit rights; tenant improvement allowances and build-out responsibilities; renewal, extension, and early termination options; assignment and subletting rights; permitted use, exclusive use, and, where relevant, co-tenancy provisions; maintenance, repair, and casualty obligations; the scope and limits of any personal guaranty; subordination, non-disturbance, and estoppel requirements; and default, notice, and cure provisions.

Lease Disputes and Resolution

When a dispute arises, the cost of getting it wrong is rarely just the amount in dispute. It is the relationship with your landlord and, often, your ability to keep operating from the space. I resolve lease disputes through careful analysis and direct negotiation, with the goal of a practical resolution rather than a prolonged fight.

Matters I regularly handle include disputed CAM and operating-expense reconciliations; late-fee and interest assessments; default and cure notices, and measured responses to them; standstill and forbearance arrangements; rent abatement, offset, and repair questions; lease termination, surrender, and buyout negotiations; demand letters and responses to demand letters; and pre-litigation strategy, including document preservation.

A Contracts Lawyer Who Checks the Math

Landlords and their managing agents make mistakes. Reconciliation statements, late-fee calculations, and interest charges are frequently overstated, and those errors compound over the life of a lease. I read the ledger line by line and verify the numbers. My background in computer science, combined with years of complex commercial contract work, means I am comfortable in both the legal language of a lease and the calculations behind it.

Who I Help

I represent both tenants and landlords, including small businesses and professional practices leasing office, retail, or medical office space; technology and early-stage companies signing their first or next lease; tenants facing disputed charges, default notices, or lease-end disagreements; and landlords and property owners who need a lease drafted, reviewed, or enforced.

Contact Me About Your Lease

If you have a lease to review, a renewal to negotiate, or a dispute to resolve, please reach out. I will tell you what I see and how I can help. Please email me at [email protected] to schedule a consultation.

This page describes the types of matters I handle and does not constitute legal advice or a guarantee of any particular outcome. Contacting me does not by itself create an attorney-client relationship.