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“Brad's amicable demeanor creates a comfortable environment for the opposing legal team. He prioritizes conflict resolution and deal completion, steering away from unnecessary confrontation.”

Chambers USA 2024

Overview

Brad is a natural deal maker who loves nothing more than getting clients to closing.

With a quarter century of experience, Brad represents developers and other clients in the purchase, sale and leasing of real estate. In addition to the acquisition, development, leasing and management of property, Brad also assists with joint ventures, complex ownership structures, 1031 exchanges, real estate investment sales and purchases, and real estate financing. His clients include national, regional and local retailers, developers, corporations, investors, lenders and individuals, and he has worked with retail, industrial, office, medical, multifamily and mixed-use spaces.

While Brad handles nearly all real estate asset classes, he is particularly known for and experienced with retail property transactions. He readily understands the retail world and its unique challenges and considerations, and he has built an extensive network among retail executives and in-house counsel. Brad is actively involved with the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), where he currently serves on the national planning committee for the organization’s annual legal conference. In addition to ensuring that he stays fully informed of developments within the retail industry, his work with the ICSC helps Brad maintain relationships with general counsel’s offices at a wide variety of national retailers—relationships that can help fast track client deals.

Brad has a passion for getting deals done: he’s enthusiastic about negotiating the best deal possible, he loves seeing the tangible results of his work in a community, and he finds great satisfaction in closing a transaction that all parties can celebrate. Because he has represented clients on all sides of real estate transactions, he understands what it takes to efficiently secure agreement, and he takes a practical approach to deal-making. Brad’s goal is to help clients get to yes as efficiently as possible, while ensuring they and their business are protected.

Above all, Brad is known for his dedication to client service. With a reputation for his quick responsiveness—a critical differentiator in his ability to negotiate and close transactions—Brad is always readily accessible to clients.

“Brad's amicable demeanor creates a comfortable environment for the opposing legal team. He prioritizes conflict resolution and deal completion, steering away from unnecessary confrontation.”

Chambers USA 2024

Industry

Services

Recognition

  • American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL), Fellow
  • The Best Lawyers in America®
    • Land Use and Zoning Law, 2018-2025
    • Real Estate Law, 2009-2025
    • Best Lawyers® Land Use and Zoning Law "Lawyer of the Year," Milwaukee, 2022
  • Chambers USA
    • Real Estate, 2008-2024
  • The Legal 500 United States
    • Real estate, Recommended attorney, 2024
  • IFLR 1000 United States
    • Real Estate (Wisconsin), Highly Regarded, 2019, 2022, 2024
    • Real Estate Finance (Wisconsin), 2023
  • Thomson Reuters Stand-Out Lawyer, 2023 and 2024
  • Wisconsin Super Lawyers, 2010-2015, 2018-2020

Education

  • J.D., Case Western Reserve University School of Law
    • magna cum laude
  • B.S., Miami University
    • Finance
    • cum laude

Admissions

  • Wisconsin

Professional Memberships and Certifications

  • International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
  • NAIOP
  • Commercial Association of Realtors-Wisconsin (CARW)
  • Milwaukee Bar Association
Featured Experience

Mixed-Use Development Is a Win for Client and Community

Brad advised the developer of 84South, a $200+ million, 48-acre mixed-use center in Greenfield, Wisconsin, that includes 350,000 square feet of retail space, along with an ambulatory surgery center and apartments. The deal, which involved complex financing, required careful negotiations between national retailers, the existing big-box tenant and a residential developer.

Navigating and integrating the multiple moving parts of the development required experience and knowledge of how a complex mixed-use development operates. Balancing the demands of competing national retailers against the desires of lenders and the City was an additional challenge. The development was named “Best Public/Private Partnership” in real estate by the Milwaukee Business Journal.


Additional Experience

Retail

  • Advised large regional grocery retailer on purchase, sale, sale leaseback, leasing and development of multistore locations, including multistore acquisitions, expansion in the marketplace, redevelopment of existing stores and negotiations with national developers and retailers of leases and shopping center operating agreements.
  • Advised several local developers in the acquisition, development, leasing and sale of retail shopping centers, including extensive work negotiating leases and shopping center operating agreements with national retailers of all sizes.
  • Counseled local developer in land assemblage, development and lease negotiations of multiple national retail pharmacy locations.
  • Represented several national and regional retailers in site selection, development and leasing of multiple store locations.
  • Represented asset manager in leasing and management of multiple office, retail and industrial properties owned in the "tenant in common" (TIC) structure.
  • Represented the developer in the financing and acquisition of West Allis, WI properties. Involved negotiations with one private seller and one school district, relocating multiple tenants, entering into new leases, negotiations with the city over a public park, Opportunity Zones, and New Market Tax Credit Financing. Also involved negotiating multiple mixed-use components including a hotel, event space and retail, in addition to new tenant leasing.

Commercial/Industrial

  • Represented local developer in development of corporate headquarters for Fortune 500 company.
  • Advised local manufacturing company on expansion of its facility.
  • Represented investment property owners in simultaneous, deferred and reverse Section 1031 like-kind exchanges.
  • Represented a developer in the acquisition, financing and leasing of property to a national defense contracting firm. This included the construction, which was completed summer 2020, as well as assisting with private placement memorandum and equity raise.
  • Represented developers in the acquisition, financing and leasing of medical office buildings.
  • Obtained zoning approval for Greywolf Partners to add a nursing school to Honey Creek Corporate Center in Milwaukee, requiring a zoning change opposed by various municipal policymakers.

Residential

  • Counseled clients on developing multifamily condominiums, including drafting declarations and disclosure materials, forming nonstock corporations to manage and control common elements and negotiating and closing sale of individual condominium units.
  • Represented major home builder in acquisition of land, formation of homeowners association and development of declaration for creation of residential subdivisions.
Case Studies
Microsoft Corporation

Our team assisted Microsoft in the construction of a $1 billion data center on a 315-acre parcel of land in Wisconsin.

Media Mentions | October 2020
Best Lawyers® 2021: The Midwest Issue
Outside the Office

Brad shares his love of outdoor sports with his family.

He and his wife, Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Dallet, kayak, hike and travel the country to participate in bike trips. Brad enjoys downhill skiing with his three daughters, particularly in Colorado.

Community Leadership

Brad is actively involved in the Jewish community.

He and his wife spent 19 years running a youth program at Congregation Shalom, and they volunteer for the Milwaukee Jewish Community Center and the Milwaukee Jewish Federation.

Retail Real Estate

Brad has decades of experience in retail real estate transactions and has developed a deep national network of retail professionals. The trust he has built with retail executives and lawyers helps Brad facilitate transactions efficiently and amiably. He understands how retail works and knows the unique issues national retailers face.

Whether leasing, buying or selling, clients benefit from Brad’s retail-specific experience. He works effectively with developers, retailers, shopping center operators and business owners on issues such as land assemblage, lease negotiations, operating agreements, site selection, development and leasing of multiple store locations, acquisitions and expansions.