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Biography

John concentrates his practice in the areas of commercial real estate, corporate and business transactions. He serves as general outside legal counsel to a variety of public and privately held businesses both regionally and across the country. John is regularly involved in structuring and negotiating the sale and acquisition of a wide range of businesses, both at the entity level as well as at the asset level, serving as the lead lawyer for the Frost Brown Todd team.

Johnย has maintained a national real estate practice representing commercial, shopping center and apartment developers, owners of commercial office buildings, REITs, national hotel chains, department stores and in-line mall tenants. He regularly represents clients in the development, acquisition, leasing and financing of real estate projects across the country, handling all facets of the legal work from negotiating the development documents to the institutional or securitized loans used to finance the developments.ย John has also had extensive experience in representing lenders, and his background as developersโ€™ counsel has made him well suited in representing lenders on real estate and commercial loan transactions.

Other Info About John

Education

Law School

The Ohio State University, Moritz College of Law, J.D.

Graduate School

University of Chicago, M.A., Divinity School
Rockefeller Foundation Fellow

Undergraduate School

Denison University, B.A., cum laude
Phi Beta Kappa
Omicron Delta Kappa (Economics Honorary)

Bar Memberships

John is licensed to practice in the following state(s):

Ohio

Florida

Recognition

Local & National Recognition

Chambers USA, Real Estate, 2005-2023

The Best Lawyers in Americaยฎ, Real Estate Law, 2003-2024

Selected for inclusion in Ohio Super Lawyersยฎ, 2004-2017; 2019-2024

International Whoโ€™s Who Legal forย Real Estate Lawyers 2012-present

AVยฎ Rated,ย Martindale-Hubbellยฎ

Professional Affiliations

Professional Affiliations & Memberships

American College of Real Estate Lawyers, 2003-present

The Ohio State University Center for Real Estate, Executive Committee, 2013-present

International Council of Shopping Centers, Member of the ICSC U.S. Law Conference Planning Committee, 2014-present

American Bar Association, Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, Member

Ohio State Bar Association, Real Property Law Section, former Chair of the Section Governing Council, former Vice Chair and Secretary of the Council, and former Chair of the Legislative Review Committee

The Florida Bar, Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, Member

Columbus Bar Association, Real Property Committee, Member; Business Law Committee, Member

Columbus Bar Foundation, Member

Civic Activities

Civic & Charitable Organizations

US Bank Columbus Region Advisory Board, former Member

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Board of Trustees; former Trustee and former Member Finance Committee

University of Chicago Divinity School, Council Member

Ohio Dominican University, former Member Board of Trustees

Firm Committees

John serves or has served in the following leadership role(s) at Frost Brown Todd:

Finance Committee, former Member

Presentations

John was invited to speak at the following events:

Speaker: โ€œRenovating and Expanding Existing Regional Shopping Centersโ€
1999 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference

Speaker: โ€œRetooling REAโ€™s: Evaluation of the Critical Elements of the Typical REAโ€ 2001 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference

Speaker: โ€œExpansions: Breathing New Life into Old Shopping Centersโ€
2003 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center Regional Law Conference

Speaker: โ€œRe-Development of Shopping Centers โ€“ Trends in 2006โ€
2006 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference

Speaker: โ€œThe ABCs Of Redeveloping Existing Shopping Centersโ€
2008 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference

Speaker: โ€œHelp! My Shopping Center Has Fallen and Canโ€™t Get Up!โ€
2009 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference

Speaker: โ€œAre You Aware of Certain Ohio and Federal Requirements for Transactions Involving a Foreign National?โ€ 2008 Ohio State Bar Association

Speaker: โ€œAlternatives to Conventional Financingโ€
2008 Ohio State Bar Association Sixteenth Annual Bradley J. Schaeffer Real Property Institute: Foreclosure Fallout

Speaker: โ€œReinventing The Wheel: Re-enginnering Existing Shopping Center Projectsโ€ 2010 American Bar Association 21st Annual Spring Symposia

Speaker: โ€œHELP! My Shopping Center Has Fallen and Canโ€™t Get Up โ€“ Dealing with the Troubled Centerโ€ 2010 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference

Speaker: โ€œLease Guaranties and Other Collateral: So You Really Thought You were Secured?โ€ 2011 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference

Speaker: โ€œLetters of Intent โ€“ Considerations For Leasing and Deal Transactionsโ€
2012 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference

Speaker: โ€œSo Your Anchor Has Closedโ€ฆNow What?โ€
2013 ICSC Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan and Pennsylvania Retail Development and Law Symposium

Speaker: โ€œDrafting Exclusive Use Clauses in Retail Leasesโ€
2013 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference

Major Publications

John is an author or contributor to the following publications:

Co-Author: โ€œRenovating and Expanding Existing Regional Shopping Centersโ€ 1999 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference

Co-Author: โ€œRetooling REAโ€™s: Evaluation of the Critical Elements of the Typical REAโ€ 2001 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference

Co-Author: โ€œExpansions: Breathing New Life into Old Shopping Centersโ€
2003 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center Regional Law Conference

Contributing Author: โ€œRenovating and Expanding Existing Regional Shopping Centersโ€ ICSC Leasing Law Handbook Crafting Lease Clauses, Volume III, 2003

Co-Author: โ€œRe-Development of Shopping Centers โ€“ Trends in 2006โ€
2006 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference

Co-Author: โ€œThe ABCs Of Redeveloping Existing Shopping Centersโ€
2008 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference

Co-Author: โ€œHelp! My Shopping Center Has Fallen and Canโ€™t Get Up!โ€
2009 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference

Author: โ€œAre You Aware of Certain Ohio and Federal Requirements for Transactions Involving a Foreign National?โ€ 2008 Ohio State Bar Association

Author: โ€œAlternatives to Conventional Financingโ€
2008 Ohio State Bar Association Sixteenth Annual Bradley J. Schaeffer Real Property Institute: Foreclosure Fallout

Co-Author: โ€œThe ABCs of Redeveloping Existing Shopping Centersโ€
Probate & Property โ€“ A Publication of the Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section, American Bar Association
September/October 2009 Vol. 23 No. 5

Co-Author: โ€œReinventing The Wheel: Re-enginnering Existing Shopping Center Projectsโ€
2010 American Bar Association 21st Annual Spring Symposia

Co-Author: โ€œHELP! My Shopping Center Has Fallen and Canโ€™t Get Up โ€“ Dealing with the Troubled Centerโ€ 2010 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference

Co-Author: โ€œLease Guaranties and Other Collateral: So You Really Thought You were Secured?โ€ 2011 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference

Co-Author: โ€œLetters of Intent โ€“ Considerations For Leasing and Deal Transactionsโ€ 2012 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference

Co-Author: โ€œSo Your Anchor Has Closedโ€ฆNow What?โ€
2013 ICSC Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan and Pennsylvania Retail Development and Law Symposium

Author: โ€œDrafting Exclusive Use Clauses in Retail Leasesโ€
2013 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference

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