Commercial Real Estate
Counsel for purchases, sales, commercial leases, and development projects in Dearborn, Wayne County, and across Metro Detroit.
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What we handle
Commercial real estate work is contract work. The building matters, but the deal lives in the documents — the letter of intent, the purchase agreement, the lease, the title commitment, the closing statement. We represent buyers, sellers, landlords, tenants, and investors across Wayne County in:
- Purchases and sales — offer through closing, including negotiating the purchase agreement rather than signing a broker form as-is
- Commercial leasing — office, retail, industrial, and mixed-use leases, on either side of the table
- Due diligence — title and survey review, zoning verification, environmental assessment coordination
- Financing and workouts — loan document review, refinancing, and negotiating with lenders when a property is under stress
- Development projects — land assembly, municipal approvals, and construction-adjacent contract issues, working with our construction law practice where the two overlap
Why commercial deals go wrong
The pattern in most disputes we see is the same: the problem was visible in the documents before closing, and nobody was looking for it. A use restriction buried in a decades-old easement. A triple-net lease where the “additional rent” exceeds the base rent. A personal guarantee that outlived the business it was signed for. An environmental condition that became the buyer’s problem at closing.
Commercial parties are presumed sophisticated under Michigan law. Courts enforce commercial contracts as written, and the consumer protections that soften residential deals mostly do not apply. That cuts both ways — it is why a well-drafted agreement protects you, and why a bad one binds you.
Local ground
Our office is in Dearborn, and most of our commercial work sits in the corridor that runs through Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Detroit, and the Downriver communities. That means the municipal offices, the zoning boards, and the title companies involved in your deal are ones we work with regularly. For business owners in the area, commercial real estate questions often arrive alongside entity questions — we handle both, and our business and corporate practice covers the formation and governance side.
How we work
Flat-fee document review is available for leases and purchase agreements where the scope is defined. Larger transactions are typically handled hourly with an estimate up front. Either way, the most valuable time you can give us is before you sign anything — including the letter of intent, which sets more of the final terms than most parties expect.
This is a focused part of our real estate law practice. Call (313) 425-5555 to talk through your situation.
Commercial Real Estate FAQ
Michigan does not require one, but commercial deals lack most of the consumer protections that cover residential buyers. The Michigan Seller Disclosure Act, for example, applies to residential property of one to four units — not to commercial purchases, where the default is closer to buyer beware. The contract you sign is essentially the only protection you have, which is why review before signing matters more here than in a home purchase.
At minimum: a title commitment review for liens, easements, and use restrictions; an ALTA survey if the boundaries or improvements raise questions; zoning verification with the local municipality to confirm your intended use is permitted; and, for most commercial sites, a Phase I environmental site assessment. Environmental review deserves particular attention in Michigan, because owning contaminated property can carry cleanup exposure even if you did not cause the contamination and protections generally depend on completing a baseline environmental assessment before or shortly after closing.
Michigan's residential landlord-tenant protections largely do not apply to commercial leases, so nearly everything is negotiable — and enforceable as written. Terms that commonly surprise tenants include triple-net (NNN) charges for taxes, insurance, and maintenance on top of base rent; personal guarantees that survive the business; broad assignment restrictions; and repair obligations that shift costs a residential tenant would never carry. The time to fix those terms is before signature.
Yes. Zoning questions come up constantly in Dearborn and the surrounding Wayne County cities — whether a use is permitted, whether a variance or special land use approval is needed, and how to respond when the municipality raises an objection. We handle the review before purchase and the municipal process after it.
Real Estate Law Across Metro Detroit
We represent real estate law clients throughout Wayne County from our Dearborn office.
Visit Our Dearborn Office
We represent commercial real estate clients throughout Wayne County and Metro Detroit from our Dearborn office.
- Address 22226 Garrison St
Dearborn, MI 48124 - Phone (313) 425-5555
- Hours Mon - Fri: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
- Languages English & Arabic
Talk to a commercial real estate lawyer before you sign
The letter of intent and the purchase agreement decide most of what happens later. Get counsel involved while the terms are still open.