Jon F. Leyens Jr.

Chip Leyens is a shareholder in the New Orleans office of Baker Donelson where he focuses his practice on commercial real estate leasing and development, and business financing. He has represented numerous companies and individuals, including both lenders and borrowers, in connection with a wide spectrum of commercial transactions, including leasehold development and financing, securitized transactions, asset-based financing, bond loans, public-private cooperative endeavors and utility development matters.

Mr. Leyens represents office, retail and industrial landlords, as well as tenants in significant office, hotel and retail transactions. He has developed extensive contacts with city and state officials in the areas of planning, zoning, subdivision, permitting, economic development and utility matters.

Prior to joining Baker Donelson, Mr. Leyens was a partner at Steeg Law and clerked for the Honorable Judge Ginger Berrigan, United States District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana. He also worked for the United States Department of Energy and on various political campaigns in the New Orleans area.

Representative Matters

• Tenant counsel on 215,000 square foot office lease for Class A office building in New Orleans (including naming rights).
• Tenant counsel on amendments and renewal of 350,000 square foot office lease for corporate headquarters.
• Lead counsel for acquisition of $90,000,000 hotel.
• Lead counsel for development and service contracts for $50,000,000 district energy plant.
• Real estate counsel for acquisition of several merchant power plants ($200,000,000 to $250,000,000 each).
• Landlord's counsel for numerous 50,000 to 100,000 square foot warehouse leases, including leases to Fortune 500 companies for regional distribution centers.
• Borrower's counsel for $50,000,000 securitized loan for shopping center.
• Landlord's counsel for several 50,000 to 100,000 square foot leases in Class A office buildings in New Orleans.
• Real Estate counsel for site acquisition and development in Louisiana for national fast-food franchisee.

Speaking Engagements

• "Negotiating Green Leases, Latest Trends and Practical Tips," Law Seminars International, May 2011
• "Workletters: From Design to Substantial Completion," ABA Section of Real Property, Trust & Estate Law, January 2011
• "Landlord-Tenant Law Update," Sterling, November 2010
• "Current Issues in Green Leasing," American Bar Association RPTE Spring Meeting, May 2010
• "Insurance and Indemnity: Are You Covered?" American Bar Association Leasing Group, March 2010
• "Green Building Issues," American Institute of Architects, AGC Critical Issues Summit, January 2010
• "Zoning for Commercial Brokers," New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors, January 2010
• "The GREEN of Green," Urban Land Institute/American Institute of Architects, November 2009
• "Commercial Loan Work-Outs," Commercial Real Estate Women, August 2009
• "Negotiating Commercial Leases," Sterling, July 2009
• "Commercial Loan Work-Outs," Turnaround Management Association, June 2009
• "Lease Work-Out Issues," Certified Commercial Investment Member Institute, April 2009
• "Taking the LEED on Green Leasing," ABA Teleconference/Webcast, March 2009
• "Leasing Group: Warehouse and Industrial Leasing 101," American Bar Association, March 2009
• "Are Your Leases Killing Your Sales/Loans?" American Bar Association Conference/Webcast, July 2008
• "Looking Down the Road: Estoppels, SNDAs and Other Lease Provisions that Can Make or Break a Sale," American Bar Association Spring Meeting, April 2008
• "Redevelopment of Blighted Properties," American Bar Association's Affordable Housing and Community Development Forum, February 2008
• "Hot Topics in Leasing," American Bar Association, April 2007
• "Post-Katrina Real Estate Development Issues," Certified Commercial Investment Member Institute, Spring 2006
• "Real Estate Lessons from Hurricanes Katrina & Rita," Certified Commercial Investment Member Institute, November 2005

Publications

• Contributor – Look Down the Road: Estoppels, SNDAs and Other Leasing Provisions That Can Make or Break a Sale, Probate and Property, Volume 22, Number 5, September/October 2008
• Contributor – Commercial Lease Formbook, 2nd Edition (2010), ABA Section of Real Property, Probate and Trust Law

Professional Honors & Activities

• Fellow – American College of Real Estate Lawyers
• Listed in Chambers USA: America's Leading Business Lawyers in Real Estate since 2006
• AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
• Named in Best Lawyers of America® in the area of Real Estate Law since 2007
• Listed in Louisiana SuperLawyers since 2008
• Listed in New Orleans Magazine Best Lawyers in Real Estate
• Leadership in Law award from New Orleans CityBusiness
• Chair – American Bar Association's Green Leasing Task Force
• Chair – American Bar Association's Warehouse and Industrial Leasing Committee
• Former Member – Board of Zoning Adjustments of the City of New Orleans
• President – Longue Vue House and Gardens Board of Directors, 2012
• Past President – Crescent City Farmers Market
• Past Board Member – Jewish Family Services and Touro Synagogue

Admissions

• Louisiana, 1993
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, 1996
• U.S. District Court, Middle and Western Districts of Louisiana, 1997
• Texas, 2007

Education

• Harvard Law School, J.D., 1993
• Amherst College, magna cum laude, B.A., 1987
• London School of Economics, 1986