Overview

Karl J. Lott is an attorney in Holland & Knight's Century City and Los Angeles offices and a member of the Real Estate Group. Mr. Lott has more than 35 years of experience as a commercial real estate attorney, and his practice focuses on all aspects of commercial real estate transactions.

Mr. Lott handles all types of leasing matters, including office leases, retail leases and industrial leases, representing owners of office buildings and shopping centers in various locations in California in all matters relating to the leasing of their properties, and also representing major national and international tenants in their leasing negotiations. In addition, Mr. Lott advises clients in matters of real estate finance, representing lenders, borrowers and joint ventures, as well as representing lending entities established to participate in the EB‑5 immigration program. He regularly assists clients in forming joint ventures and in the management of limited liability companies. Mr. Lott also has extensive experience in acquisitions and dispositions of office buildings, shopping centers, industrial properties and other commercial real estate.

Mr. Lott heads Holland & Knight's Office and Industrial Pursuit Team, which is a team of attorneys throughout the firm who represent clients on the sales and acquisitions, financing and leasing of office and industrial properties. Mr. Lott also serves as co-editor of Holland & Knight's Retail and Commercial Development and Leasing Blog.

Mr. Lott complements his legal practice with a strong commitment to education and professional development. He teaches two courses at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law focused on legal issues in real estate transactions. Within Holland & Knight, he leads a firmwide training series on commercial leasing issues, presenting bimonthly webinars to attorneys.

Nonprofit Work

In addition to his real estate work, Mr. Lott serves as the chair of the Century City office Diversity Committee and sits on Holland & Knight's Diversity Council. Mr. Lott also serves as the chair of the Century City office Pro Bono and Charitable Services Committee.

Mr. Lott is active in the nonprofit housing community and serves as the chair of the West Hollywood Community Housing Corporation, a nonprofit organization that builds and operates affordable housing throughout Los Angeles County and provides ongoing services to its residents to help them transition back into secure housing and the community.

Mr. Lott also serves on the Los Angeles Advisory Board of Best Buddies, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Representative Experience

Mr. Lott is an experienced leasing attorney, representing landlords and tenants. Some recent leasing engagements include:


  • representing the landlord of an office building in San Francisco in a lease of 10 floors of the building to a technology company
  • representing the landlord of an office complex in Pasadena in the lease of an entire building to a tenant, as well as in the ongoing leasing of the remainder of the office complex
  • representing a developer in negotiating a ground lease of property on which the developer is constructing a multifamily housing project
  • representing a developer in negotiating a ground lease of approximately 60 acres of property on which the developer will renovate and operate a campus of research and development facilities
  • representing several landlord and tenant clients on major restaurant leases in Beverly Hills
  • assisting a property owner in restructuring the leases on an industrial property to position the property for sale
  • representing a national auto dealership company in the leasing of various properties in connection with an asset purchase agreement
  • conducting all leasing matters on a number of office buildings and shopping centers in various locations in California
  • representing landlords in connection with the negotiation and preparation of commercial leases, property management agreements and other documents in connection with the ownership or operation of commercial property
  • representing tenants in connection with the negotiation of commercial leases

Mr. Lott has many years of experience advising a company that organizes and administers construction loans (primarily loans relating to the construction or renovation of hotels) in connection with the EB-5 immigration program, including projects in Los Angeles, Dallas and New Orleans.

In addition to EB-5 lending, Mr. Lott has substantial experience representing lenders and borrowers in connection with financing secured by real property, including in connection with new loans, loan amendments, loan workouts, recovery of collateral, coordination of foreclosures and appointments of receivers, and negotiation and preparation of deeds of trust, promissory notes, settlement agreements, loan agreements, guarantees and related documents in connection with restructuring various loans secured by real property. Some representative engagements include:


  • representing a developer in obtaining mezzanine financing, including negotiation of an intercreditor agreement
  • representing a lender in connection with a construction loan for the development of a residential community
  • negotiation of a loan sale agreement involving a construction loan
  • negotiation of a construction loan on behalf of a hotel developer

Mr. Lott also represents clients in the formation of joint ventures and other entities, including the negotiation of the entity documents. Recent engagements include:


  • assisting a client to negotiate a joint venture agreement involving the conversion of a retail center into a multistory, mixed-use residential/retail building
  • formation of a joint venture to acquire, finance and develop a manufactured home community
  • formation of a series of joint ventures between a developer and financing entity for purposes of acquiring and developing office buildings and multitenant apartment buildings throughout Southern California
  • assisting with the negotiation of a joint venture between a developer and a Chinese entity to acquire property and develop a luxury hotel
  • negotiation of a limited liability company for the purpose of constructing a residential manufactured home development
  • assisting with negotiations of a limited liability company for the purpose of developing affordable housing
  • assisting with forming and structuring new entities in connection with real property ownership or acquisitions

Mr. Lott represents buyers and sellers in acquisitions and dispositions of office buildings, retail centers, hotels, industrial properties and other commercial properties. Recent work in this area includes:


  • representing a family trust with the disposition of a portfolio of industrial buildings throughout the western United States
  • assisting a client with the purchase and leaseback of an industrial property
  • working with a client in connection of numerous properties throughout California to be used for various commercial purposes
  • assisting an affordable housing developer with the acquisition of properties throughout California

Credentials

Education
  • UCLA School of Law, J.D.
  • Columbia University, M.A., International Affairs
  • College of William & Mary, B.A., Political Science and Economics
Bar Admissions/Licenses
  • California
Memberships
  • American Bar Association
  • American College of Mortgage Attorneys (ACMA)
  • Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA), Diversity in the Profession Committee, Member
  • Legal Education Access Pipeline (LEAP), Volunteer
Honors & Awards
  • Influencer in Retail Real Estate – Holland & Knight's Retail Development and Leasing Team, GlobeSt. Real Estate Forum, 2023
  • Public Counsel's Community Development Project, Pro Bono Award, 2022
  • Holland & Knight Pro Bono All-Star, 2020
  • Los Angeles Business Journal's Most Influential Minority Attorneys, 2019
  • Top Author, Real Estate Industry, JD Supra Readers' Choice Awards, 2018
  • Los Angeles Business Journal's Nonprofit & Corporate Citizenship Award Nominee

Publications

Speaking Engagements

News