Donald F. Holmes Jr.
Overview
Don Holmes provides comprehensive representation for sophisticated real estate transactions, quickly and efficiently closing favorable agreements for his diverse client base. Don’s focus has been on landlord-side commercial lease representation, but he also provides tenant representation for trade associations, breweries, distilleries, restaurants, and medical office practices in metro Washington, D.C. His noteworthy book of business spans three decades and hundreds of deals, including commercial leases for millions of square feet.
Bolstered by broad market experience and an adaptable, highly communicative approach to unique client needs, Don negotiates transactions involving office, restaurant, retail, and flex-space leases; co-working agreements; commission agreements; SNDAs; subleases; assignment agreements; termination agreements; lease default workouts / settlements; antenna / satellite and other telecom agreements; non-disclosure agreements; personal services agreements; and a variety of other highly specialized contracts, agreements, and projects.
In addition to his versatile transactional work, Don also serves as a dedicated client advisor for decisions pertaining to business formation, general financing, operations, and risk management, including litigation avoidance. His work across the D.C. metro area also frequently intersects with local administrative law issues, including public space use and liquor licensing, which he diligently keeps clients abreast of.
Credentials
Education
- Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law (J.D.)
- Temple University (B.B.A.)
Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
- Represented a landlord in a 2023 lease deal for a 32-acre site in Hanover, Maryland, including a 140,000-square-feet production facility building for a major defense industry contractor installation.
- Represented a landlord with respect to lease multiple floors to an elite university for offices, classroom space, and event spaces. The transaction involved lease assignment, extension of term, surrender of space, lease of additional spaces in phases with complicated delivery condition and work agreement terms, special use of common area amenity spaces, building and lobby signage rights, and multiple options.
- Represented a landlord in the D.C. region’s largest ever private lease deal – a 624,000-square-feet, 20-year deal in Rosslyn with a publicly-traded business advisory and research firm – including the preparation and negotiation of many ancillary lease termination and lease assignment agreements with third parties in order to free the firm from its then existing lease obligations on K Street and the West End in order to make the deal.
- Represented a landlord for the largest development bank in the world’s 220,000-square-feet, full-building lease in D.C.’s Central Business District.
- Represented a landlord for a 250,000-square-feet call center facility in Laurel, Maryland, for one of the largest telecommunications companies.
- Represented a landlord to expand and extend the tenancy of a premier Fortune 500 mission integrator’s office lease in Rosslyn. This deal included SCIF space; extension of term and lease of additional space with complicated work and delivery terms; and adding and recasting multiple expansion, extension, parking, and building signage rights.
- Represented property owners to facilitate beyond ordinary outdoor special events such as multimedia art installations and interactive displays, beer gardens and street markets, and for a touring equestrian and multimedia production’s big-top tent show which ran for several months in Pentagon City, with 50 entertainers using over 80 tons of equipment and 100 horses.
- Represented a landlord with respect to the lease by an award-winning craft brewery for a new brewery / tasting room facility with food truck service at a warehouse / flex space facility in Alexandria. This deal included complicated land use (multiple 35-feet tall grain silos), parking, and signage issues.
- Represented D.C.’s premier craft brewery in its lease of its initial production facility and tasting room, including solar power generation and roof rights agreements.
- Apartment and Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington
- Commercial Real Estate Brokerage Association of Greater Washington, D.C.
- Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington
- District of Columbia Building Industry Association
- International Council of Shopping Centers
- District of Columbia Bar, Real Estate, Housing, and Land Use Section
- New York State Bar Association