Practice Overview: Business & Corporate

Sonkin • Koberna’s Business and Corporate practice group represents a wide variety of established and emerging companies in a broad range of corporate matters, including mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and shareholder issues, private equity, venture capital and corporate finance.

Our attorneys provide “general counsel” and corporate counseling services to many closely-held businesses, including many wholesale and distribution companies, restaurant and other retail operations. We furnish day-to-day advice to assist our business clients in making and implementing important strategic decisions, and helping them achieve their desired goals of profitability and growth. We also provide sophisticated succession planning services, and have extensive experience negotiating and drafting shareholder agreements, operating and partnership agreements, employment agreements, sales documents, representative/distributor agreements and warranties.

Over the years, Sonkin • Koberna has developed a particular expertise representing automobile dealerships in all aspects of their business operations, including regulatory compliance, licensing, acquisition and sales of dealership facilities and franchises, financing, and manufacturer approval of new and relocated dealerships. We represent numerous automobile dealerships on a regular basis in Ohio and other parts of the country, and have been actively involved with the Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers Association.

REPRESENTATIVE ENGAGEMENTS

  • Lead counsel for a national drug store chain in the acquisition and development of numerous sites
  • Represented seller of multiple point automobile dealership for over $80 million
  • Represented public company seller of 300+ acre industrial park in Northeast Ohio
  • Represented buyers in acquisition of several regional shopping centers
  • Represented buyers and sellers of the following automobile franchises:

–  Acura
–  Audi
–  Bentley
–  Cadillac
–  Chevrolet
–  Ford

–  Hyundai
–  Infiniti
–  Kia
–  Lexus
–  Lincoln
–  Maserati

–  Mercury
–  Mitsubishi
–  Nissan
–  Porsche
–  Saab
–  Toyota

  • Lead counsel in restructuring and merging of approximately 20 separately held entities into two parent holding companies
  • Negotiated credit agreement, promissory note and related security documents, and facilitated closing of $95 million senior secured credit facility
  • Lead counsel for development of hotel and conference center for an Ohio university foundation, including interim and final construction and ground leasing agreements and New Markets Tax Credit transaction
  • “Big Box” leasing for a major property owner/manager and numerous transactions with national chain tenants such as TJX Companies (TJ Maxx and Marshall’s), Bed Bath and Beyond, Staples, Office-Max and Dick’s Sporting Goods
  • Financing, refinancing and loan work-outs for many clients
  • Counsel for buyers and sellers in numerous 1031 exchange transactions
  • Lead counsel for buyer of 100-unit residential apartment complex in Cleveland Heights, Ohio
  • Counsel for landlord in negotiation of key tenant lease for 73,284 square foot medical and office building in Middleburg Heights, Ohio
  • Representation of property owners in BUSTR compliance matter
  • Representation of property owner in connection with VAP grant award with the City of Sandusky, Ohio
  • Representation of property owner in the development and leasing of shopping center in Independence, Ohio
  • Counsel for buyer in purchase of approximately 180 units in multiple apartment buildings in Lakewood, Ohio
  • Counsel for buyers in purchase of multiple location Parker-Hannifin distribution business
  • Counsel for buyer in acquisition of metal processing and distribution business

Back to Practice Areas