Ohio commercial real estate counsel, for the deal and the lease.
Rhodium Law represents one party in an Ohio commercial property purchase, sale, or lease, with attention to the terms that allocate financial responsibility, control, and risk.
Commercial acquisitions and dispositions move from preliminary business terms through diligence, financing, title review, and closing. Commercial leases require a different analysis of rent, operating expenses, use, maintenance, default, renewal, and exit rights. In either setting, Rhodium Law represents one party and evaluates the documents from that client’s position.
Buy or sell commercial property
Acquisitions and dispositions of office, retail, industrial, mixed-use, and small-commercial property, from the letter of intent through closing and the entity that will hold it.
Draft or negotiate a commercial lease
Leases for landlords and for business tenants. The concerns are not symmetrical, and the lease should be written from the side you are on.
What a commercial transaction runs through
A purchase or sale moves through a recognizable set of stages. Counsel is most useful while material terms remain open to negotiation.
| Stage | What happens | Legal focus |
|---|---|---|
| Letter of intent | Business terms sketched, usually non-binding | Flagging which “non-binding” terms actually bind, and what to lock in now |
| Purchase agreement | The binding contract | Price, contingencies, the diligence period, representations, remedies, and who carries which risk |
| Diligence | Title, survey, leases, environmental, and permitted-use review | Turning what diligence finds into a contract issue while you still have leverage |
| Financing & title | Loan documents, guarantees, the title commitment | Reviewing and negotiating the loan documents and personal guarantees; coordinating title and survey with the professional |
| Closing & post-closing | Signing, funding, and transfer | A clean transfer, then the entity, lease, and operating questions that follow |
Lease terms from each side
Rhodium Law represents either the landlord or the business tenant in a lease matter, never both. The provisions requiring the closest attention depend on which party we represent.
| Watch for | Landlord | Business tenant |
|---|---|---|
| Rent & escalations | Predictable increases, strong collection terms | Total occupancy cost, caps on pass-throughs |
| Term & options | Renewal control, relocation rights | Renewal and expansion options, exit flexibility |
| Maintenance & CAM | Clear tenant obligations | What “common area” charges actually include |
| Default & remedies | Enforceable, prompt remedies | Cure periods and proportionate consequences |
Commercial terms in their full context
A commercial purchase, sale, or lease rarely turns on a single document. The legal terms must account for the property’s intended use, the parties’ financial commitments, the allocation of operating expenses, financing and guarantee obligations, diligence findings, closing conditions, and the business plan the property is meant to support. Rhodium Law helps connect those parts so the agreement reflects both the transaction in front of you and the decisions that follow it.
The deal team
A commercial deal is coordinated with the professionals around it: your broker, your lender, the title and survey professionals, environmental or other diligence specialists where the property calls for them, your CPA or tax adviser, and your insurance professional. Rhodium Law addresses the legal terms and coordinates with the other professionals so the contract, financing, diligence, and closing requirements remain aligned.
We handle negotiated commercial transactions and leases for property owners and business tenants. Evictions, contested landlord-tenant matters, zoning disputes, workouts, and litigation are outside our transaction-focused scope and require separate counsel.
Frequently asked questions
Do you represent both the landlord and the tenant?
No. We represent one party in a matter, either the landlord or the business tenant, so the counsel is undivided. The other side should have its own counsel.
Do you handle zoning?
Transactional use and zoning diligence, yes, confirming that the intended use is permitted as part of a purchase or lease. Zoning applications, variances, hearings, and appeals are outside the transactional practice.
Do you review loan documents and personal guarantees?
Yes. Reviewing and negotiating the loan documents and any personal guarantees is part of the transaction, coordinated with the lender’s counsel.
Do you handle commercial lease disputes or evictions?
No. The practice is transactional. Contested lease disputes, evictions, and litigation fall outside it, though we can help you understand the options and coordinate a referral.
Start with a Strategy Session.
Bring the contemplated purchase, sale, or lease. A complimentary 15-minute Strategy Session is a brief first conversation with Intake Services to understand the situation and identify the appropriate next step. It is not legal advice.