Christopher Rizza

Holding dual JD/MBA degrees, Chris has earned a reputation for being a business-oriented, practical real estate attorney.  As former in-house counsel to a private real estate development company and with over a decade of Big Law experience, Chris has combined his business acumen with a comprehensive legal skill set that makes him exceptional at balancing business and legal considerations on every deal.  He understands that each transaction is driven by a client’s unique set of goals, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to closing a deal.

Chris’s practice focuses on commercial leasing and related real estate transactions spanning all major asset classes, from retail and industrial to office and mixed-use.  On the landlord/developer side, he represents REITs, institutional investors, pension funds, and development companies.  On the tenant side, he represents national and regional tenants, as well as individual closely held businesses.

Prior to joining Harvest, Chris was a partner at Crosbie Gliner Schiffman Southard & Swanson LLP (CGS3) and at Elkins Kalt Weintraub Reuben Gartside LLP.  He started his career in-house for a private real estate development company before joining the ranks of law firms, initially at McGuireWoods and then at Cox Castle & Nicholson.  Chris has been interviewed on several occasions to discuss the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on retail leasing and how he helped landlords and tenants successfully navigate through the global economic shutdown.

Notable Deals

• Negotiated numerous retail lease agreements with sophisticated national and regional tenants for one of California's largest privately held REITs in connection with a portfolio of high-end shopping centers in Southern California.
• Represented national and regional shopping center developers in the acquisition and lease-up of several shopping centers anchored by big-box retailers, including Target, Wal-Mart, Costco, Sam's Club, Kohl's, Home Depot, and Lowe's.
• Advised a large, privately held real estate investment company in connection with leasing-up, repositioning and redeveloping its portfolio of retail properties in the western United States.
• Represented a private real estate development company in the purchase of raw land, completion of the entitlement process, and the design and construction of finished lots for sale to national and regional homebuilders.
• Represented a Fortune 500 telecommunications company in the expansion of its network of communication sites, retail stores, and offices in the western United States.