We do real estate.
And we do it best.

What We Offer

With a singular focus on one area of practice, Underhill & Hodge is a different kind of law firm. We recognize that each of our clients has particular needs and that no two deals are alike. Our attorneys have seen it all, so they’re equipped to handle even the most complex or unique project needs. Our client’s economic goals, timing, and asset realities drive our strategy so that each negotiation and case are set up for success.
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Our team represents clients throughout the real estate project life cycle including purchasing property, obtaining necessary land use rights, financial incentives for development, and providing counsel when securing financing for construction or operations, all the way through leasing and sales. Our firm can assist clients in both the private and public aspects of acquiring, developing, leasing, and selling property.

Our areas of expertise include but are not limited to:

  • Deed restrictions and covenants

  • Formation of property owners’ associations

  • Development financing and assistance with permanent loans

  • Real estate development joint venture agreements, operating agreements, and entity governance documentation

  • Governmental incentives/public financing matters such as tax increment financing (TIF) districts, new community authorities (NCAs), and income tax rebate incentives

  • Real estate entitlements, such as annexations, zonings, conditional uses, variances, administrative appeals, and platting

  • Commercial real estate sales and purchases

  • Commercial leasing (landlord or tenant representation)

  • Property sales with leasebacks

  • Evaluation and implementation of development

  • Easements

  • Underhill & Hodge’s real estate and development services encompass all transaction and financing matters. We represent corporate, institutional, and individual clients in projects such as single-family and multi-family residential communities, retail and office developments, medical services and hospitals, mixed-use developments, and restaurants.

    We handle a wide range of development project needs including:

    • Purchase and sale agreements

    • Zoning and land use

    • Annexations

    • Variances

    • Deed covenants and restrictions

    • Development agreements

    • Construction and permanent financing

    • Assistance with structuring joint ventures

    • Property transfers

    • Leases

    • Reciprocal easement agreements

  • Ohio’s annexation and zoning laws are complex and nuanced. In the realm of annexations alone, there are several ways to annex property to a municipality, each one with its own procedural requirements and a unique end result. From there, zoning regulatory schemes are different depending on jurisdiction and vary greatly among cities, townships, and counties. On top of this, each jurisdiction has its own subset of rules and politics.

    Navigating this process and predicting the likelihood of success requires an attorney that can juggle all of these moving parts and we are just that team of experts.
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    Underhill & Hodge excels in steering complex projects strategically and in a manner that maximizes efficiency. Success is as much an art as it is a science and our decades of experience and proven record of success put us at the ready to translate our vast experience into a successful result for your project.
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    Services in this practice area include:

    • Annexations

    • Zonings

    • Conditional uses

    • Variances

    • Site entitlement strategy and evaluations

    • Administrative appeals

  • Underhill & Hodge attorneys have worked on leases in over twenty states from Washington and New York to Florida and California, including many in its home state of Ohio.  In 2018, the Firm completed leases totaling approximately 1.5 million square feet of retail and office space. Our attorneys are actively involved with the International Council of Shopping Centers and other industry organizations.
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    The firm’s leasing practice is significant, varied, and known for negotiating complex and high profile leases in a time-sensitive and cost-effective manner.  We represent national and regional landlords and tenants on big box, in-line, ground and outparcel leases in neighborhood shopping centers, office complexes, power centers, regional malls, and mixed-use developments both in urban and suburban centers.
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    Our attorneys regularly draft documents and counsel clients on matters including:

    • Leases

    • Negotiating letters of intent

    • Reciprocal easement & operating agreements

    • Tenant relocations

    • Use restrictions

    • Tenant exclusives

    • Parking

    • Accessibility

    • Visibility

    • Signage rights

    • Operating covenants