Commercial Landlord – Leasing Dispute with International Retailer

Herrick delivered a major victory to a commercial landlord against a billion-dollar international retailer with more than 500 stores worldwide. The retailer sought rescission of its lease based on claims of mutual mistake, breach of contract, breach of duty to cooperate and breach of implied covenant of good faith. The court denied the tenant's motion to amend its complaint to allege impossibility, frustration of performance, constructive eviction, as untimely. Herrick successfully showed that the landlord was not required to do the work for the tenant or to obtain all necessary permits. Herrick believed that the retailer's real motivation for abandoning the space was a corporate decision to open a larger store at a different location. The court found that the retailer failed to conduct proper due diligence as to the necessary certificate of occupancy, the tenant took the premises "as is" and the landlord made no representation to permitted uses. The court dismissed every one of the claims against the landlord. Furthermore, the court granted the landlord a judgment of over $13 million dollars for unpaid rent, plus interest and attorneys fees, bringing the total expected judgement to over $20 million dollars.