John concentrates his practice in the areas of commercial real estate, corporate and business transactions. He serves as general outside legal counsel to a variety of public and privately held businesses both regionally and across the country. John is regularly involved in structuring and negotiating the sale and acquisition of a wide range of businesses, both at the entity level as well as at the asset level, serving as the lead lawyer for the Frost Brown Todd team.
Johnย has maintained a national real estate practice representing commercial, shopping center and apartment developers, owners of commercial office buildings, REITs, national hotel chains, department stores and in-line mall tenants. He regularly represents clients in the development, acquisition, leasing and financing of real estate projects across the country, handling all facets of the legal work from negotiating the development documents to the institutional or securitized loans used to finance the developments.ย John has also had extensive experience in representing lenders, and his background as developersโ counsel has made him well suited in representing lenders on real estate and commercial loan transactions.
The Ohio State University, Moritz College of Law, J.D.
University of Chicago, M.A., Divinity School
Rockefeller Foundation Fellow
Denison University, B.A., cum laude
Phi Beta Kappa
Omicron Delta Kappa (Economics Honorary)
Chambers USA, Real Estate, 2005-2023
The Best Lawyers in Americaยฎ, Real Estate Law, 2003-2024
Selected for inclusion in Ohio Super Lawyersยฎ, 2004-2017; 2019-2023
International Whoโs Who Legal forย Real Estate Lawyers 2012-present
AVยฎ Rated,ย Martindale-Hubbellยฎ
American College of Real Estate Lawyers, 2003-present
The Ohio State University Center for Real Estate, Executive Committee, 2013-present
International Council of Shopping Centers, Member of the ICSC U.S. Law Conference Planning Committee, 2014-present
American Bar Association, Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, Member
Ohio State Bar Association, Real Property Law Section, former Chair of the Section Governing Council, former Vice Chair and Secretary of the Council, and former Chair of the Legislative Review Committee
The Florida Bar, Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, Member
Columbus Bar Association, Real Property Committee, Member; Business Law Committee, Member
Columbus Bar Foundation, Member
Ohio Dominican University, Former Member Board of Trustees
US Bank Columbus Region Advisory Board, Former Member
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Board of Trustees; Former Member Finance Committee
University of Chicago Divinity School, Council Member
Finance Committee, former Member
Speaker: โRenovating and Expanding Existing Regional Shopping Centersโ
1999 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference
Speaker: โRetooling REAโs: Evaluation of the Critical Elements of the Typical REAโ 2001 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference
Speaker: โExpansions: Breathing New Life into Old Shopping Centersโ
2003 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center Regional Law Conference
Speaker: โRe-Development of Shopping Centers โ Trends in 2006โ
2006 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference
Speaker: โThe ABCs Of Redeveloping Existing Shopping Centersโ
2008 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference
Speaker: โHelp! My Shopping Center Has Fallen and Canโt Get Up!โ
2009 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference
Speaker: โAre You Aware of Certain Ohio and Federal Requirements for Transactions Involving a Foreign National?โ 2008 Ohio State Bar Association
Speaker: โAlternatives to Conventional Financingโ
2008 Ohio State Bar Association Sixteenth Annual Bradley J. Schaeffer Real Property Institute: Foreclosure Fallout
Speaker: โReinventing The Wheel: Re-enginnering Existing Shopping Center Projectsโ 2010 American Bar Association 21st Annual Spring Symposia
Speaker: โHELP! My Shopping Center Has Fallen and Canโt Get Up โ Dealing with the Troubled Centerโ 2010 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference
Speaker: โLease Guaranties and Other Collateral: So You Really Thought You were Secured?โ 2011 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference
Speaker: โLetters of Intent โ Considerations For Leasing and Deal Transactionsโ
2012 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference
Speaker: โSo Your Anchor Has ClosedโฆNow What?โ
2013 ICSC Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan and Pennsylvania Retail Development and Law Symposium
Speaker: โDrafting Exclusive Use Clauses in Retail Leasesโ
2013 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference
Co-Author: โRenovating and Expanding Existing Regional Shopping Centersโ 1999 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference
Co-Author: โRetooling REAโs: Evaluation of the Critical Elements of the Typical REAโ 2001 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference
Co-Author: โExpansions: Breathing New Life into Old Shopping Centersโ
2003 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center Regional Law Conference
Contributing Author: โRenovating and Expanding Existing Regional Shopping Centersโ ICSC Leasing Law Handbook Crafting Lease Clauses, Volume III, 2003
Co-Author: โRe-Development of Shopping Centers โ Trends in 2006โ
2006 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference
Co-Author: โThe ABCs Of Redeveloping Existing Shopping Centersโ
2008 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference
Co-Author: โHelp! My Shopping Center Has Fallen and Canโt Get Up!โ
2009 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference
Author: โAre You Aware of Certain Ohio and Federal Requirements for Transactions Involving a Foreign National?โ 2008 Ohio State Bar Association
Author: โAlternatives to Conventional Financingโ
2008 Ohio State Bar Association Sixteenth Annual Bradley J. Schaeffer Real Property Institute: Foreclosure Fallout
Co-Author: โThe ABCs of Redeveloping Existing Shopping Centersโ
Probate & Property โ A Publication of the Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section, American Bar Association
September/October 2009 Vol. 23 No. 5
Co-Author: โReinventing The Wheel: Re-enginnering Existing Shopping Center Projectsโ
2010 American Bar Association 21st Annual Spring Symposia
Co-Author: โHELP! My Shopping Center Has Fallen and Canโt Get Up โ Dealing with the Troubled Centerโ 2010 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference
Co-Author: โLease Guaranties and Other Collateral: So You Really Thought You were Secured?โ 2011 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference
Co-Author: โLetters of Intent โ Considerations For Leasing and Deal Transactionsโ 2012 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference
Co-Author: โSo Your Anchor Has ClosedโฆNow What?โ
2013 ICSC Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan and Pennsylvania Retail Development and Law Symposium
Author: โDrafting Exclusive Use Clauses in Retail Leasesโ
2013 ICSC U.S. Shopping Center National Law Conference