Leases and contracts
Leases and contracts for the shop you run
A storefront lease can run for years and carry a personal guarantee. Supplier and staff contracts shape every month after that. I read them before you sign and stay on call after you open.
For a lease, I look at the rent and how it rises, what you pay beyond rent, what you can do to the space and what happens when the term ends. For a supplier or vendor contract, I look at minimums, exclusivity and how you can leave.
Once you are open, many owners keep a lawyer on call by the month, for the staff handbook, the contract that arrives on a Friday afternoon and the question that is not worth a letter.
Common requests
Reading a storefront or office lease before you sign
Negotiating a renewal or a sublease
Supplier, vendor and delivery agreements
Employment agreements and staff policies for owners
A lawyer on call by the month, with a stated monthly fee
Working with a lease
- 01
Step 1: Before you sign
I mark rent increases, extra charges and personal guarantees, and list what to ask the landlord for.
- 02
Step 2: Before you build out
I check what the lease lets you change and who pays when something breaks.
- 03
Step 3: When you grow or move
Renewals, subleases and early exits, with the dates that matter written on one page.
What owners ask before signing
Can a lease be negotiated?
Often, especially with a smaller landlord. Rent steps, the length of a guarantee and repair duties are common points.
What does a lawyer on call include?
A set number of questions and document reviews each month for a fixed monthly fee. I put the number and the fee in writing before we start.
Do you draft staff handbooks?
Yes, as plain pages an owner can actually hand to a new hire. I write them with your shop in mind, not from a template alone.
Got a lease to sign?
Book a first call and send the draft. I will tell you what it asks of you before the deadline.