We have represented clients in commercial real estate development projects totaling hundreds of millions of dollars and encompassing hundreds of thousands of square feet.
These engagements include the negotiation and structuring of contracts for, and resolution of disputes relating to, tall towers, complex adaptive reuse of historic buildings, high-end hospitality venues, urban infill sites, and vertically subdivided developments. Our construction and design experience spans from luxury hotels to cutting-edge redevelopment of legacy mall sites into vibrant mixed-use communities.
Clients and Partners
We work with real estate developers, architecture and engineering firms, design-builders, institutional investors, property managers, and consultants – often at the heart of complex, time-sensitive commercial transactions. We have also advised highly sophisticated specialty trade subcontractors – such as curtain wall design-builders and premier millwork fabricators – whose engineering and manufacturing capabilities and project risks rival those of the project’s prime participants.
Notable Projects
We’ve helped negotiate deals for landmark hotel redevelopments, such as the $75 million adaptive reuse of a high-rise tower into a 300-key urban hotel. Our office experience includes speculative suite build-outs, lobby and atrium redevelopments, corporate headquarters, and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) system upgrades – often within operational buildings that demand phased delivery and minimal disruption. Our retail and mixed-use matters include the redevelopment of legacy shopping mall anchors and integrating multifamily structures atop existing retail footprints – a development model at the leading edge of how America reimagines its aging suburban real estate.
Resort, Club, and Entertainment Projects
Our resort and club projects have included spas, golf clubs, fitness centers, swim and tennis clubs, and private amenity buildings for high-net-worth residential enclaves. These projects often require careful sequencing, negotiation with multiple joint venture stakeholders, and tight control of interior design specifications. On one matter, we helped preserve architectural intent after value-engineering proposals threatened the design vision.
Entertainment projects often demand hybrid structuring to account for public-private funding, nonprofit participation, or regulatory complexity. We have worked on performance venues, gaming facilities, museums, and zoos – structuring layered design professional contracts and subconsultant scopes under AIA Document B111–2022, Agreement Between Owner and Design Architect, and AIA Document B112–2022, Agreement Between Owner and Architect of Record, and AIA Document C401–2017, Agreement Between Architect and Consultant, among others.
Contract Experience
Our experience includes working with many contract forms. We often work with American Institute of Architects (AIA) documents – negotiating, supplementing, and tailoring agreements such as AIA Document B101–2017, Agreement Between Owner and Architect; AIA Document A141–2014, Agreement Between Owner and Design-Builder; and AIA Document B152–2019, Agreement Between Owner and Architect for Interior Design and Furniture, Furnishings, and Equipment (FF&E). In addition to standard forms, we routinely draft and negotiate non-AIA agreements, bespoke contracts, and heavily modified templates – ensuring each document reflects the client’s strategic goals, risk profile, and applicable regulatory considerations.
Dispute Resolution and Risk Management
When disputes arise, we help clients avoid unnecessary escalation while preserving project progress and business relationships. Our experience includes prosecuting multimillion-dollar mechanics lien claims, defending against defect and delay allegations, and resolving high-stakes disagreements through mediation, arbitration, and litigation. We have helped reduce lien claims by over 90%, resolved payment disputes outside of court through strategic negotiation, and structured creative settlements that prioritized future collaboration and project closeout. Our goal is always to achieve an outcome that balances legal leverage with commercial pragmatism.
Strategic and Business-Minded Approach
Our understanding of the commercial sector is both legal and business-minded. Whether a project is part of a long-term hold strategy or a lease-up and sale transaction, we align our approach to support the client’s underlying goals. From repositioning obsolete space to managing risk in new construction, we bring experience, judgment, and practical insight to every project.
Contact Baker Law Group today to discuss how we can support your next commercial project and achieve successful outcomes.
