Real Estate Law
Real Estate Law
We represent owners, developers and investors in the purchase, sale, leasing and financing of commercial and investment property, and in the title, zoning and boundary disputes that interrupt those transactions.
Schedule a ConversationWhat This Work Actually Involves
Where Property Transactions Break Down
Real estate transactions fail on details that surface late: a defect in the chain of title, an easement nobody accounted for, a zoning classification that does not permit the intended use, or a counterparty who is not represented and does not understand what is being asked of them. The work is in finding those things early enough to price them.
Our clients hold property in Michigan and in other states, and often hold it through entities whose structure matters as much as the deed does.
We coordinate with local counsel and title professionals where a property sits outside Michigan.
Real Estate Counsel
The work behind the transaction
Purchase and sale
Letters of intent, purchase agreements, diligence and closing for commercial and investment property, including portfolio and multi-parcel transactions.
Title defects and curative work
Identifying defects in the chain of title and clearing them, including quiet title actions where the record cannot be corrected by agreement.
Commercial leasing
Landlord and tenant representation on office, industrial and retail space, with attention to the assignment, renewal and default provisions that matter later.
Easements and boundaries
Access, use and encroachment questions between neighbouring owners, resolved by agreement where possible and litigated where it is not.
Zoning and municipal matters
Use approvals, variances and disputes with municipalities, including constitutional challenges where a municipality has overreached.
Entity and ownership structure
Holding property through the right entity for liability, financing and succession, coordinated with the owner's broader plan.
Representative Experience
Matters We Have Handled
Multi-parcel acquisitions and sales for a developer
Represented a real estate developer across a series of parcel acquisitions and sales in several Michigan counties, resolving title defects and managing an unrepresented counterparty throughout. All transactions closed.
Reese Serra and Matt Wozniak · 2026Sale of real estate interests in New York City and Miami
Represented a retired business owner in the sale of real estate interests in New York City and Miami, working through differing local requirements in each market. The sales closed.
Reese Serra · 2025Constitutional and zoning litigation against a municipality
Represented a portfolio company in litigation against a Michigan municipality raising constitutional and zoning questions. The matter settled.
Reese Serra · 2025The matters described above are examples of work performed by The Private Firm. Client identities and identifying details have been omitted or generalized. Every matter turns on its own facts and its own law. Prior results do not guarantee, predict or imply a similar outcome in any future matter. Nothing on this page constitutes legal advice or creates an attorney-client relationship.
Who Handles This Work
Real Estate Counsel at The Private Firm
Real estate matters at the firm are handled by the attorneys who also advise on the entity and tax structure holding the property, because those questions are usually the same question.
Reese Serra
Reese SerraMatt Wozniak
Matt Wozniak