ICSC+LAW SYMPOSIUM OH/KY/IN/MI/PA

Friday February 27, 2026
7:00 am - 5:00 pm
Location: Polaris Foyer C

Friday February 27, 2026
7:30 am - 8:00 am
Location: Polaris Ballroom

No breakfast service after 8:00 am. 

Friday February 27, 2026
8:10 am - 9:20 am
Location: Polaris Ballroom

Roundtables will be held in two 30-minute rotations. Please refer to the full list of topics below. Topics covered during this time will be indicated on signage on-site.

1. Broker Agreements 

Betsy Allen, Senior Managing Director of Legal Services and General Counsel, Friedman Real Estate 

2. Reimagining REAs: Modern Solutions for Current and Future Retail Development

Alison Andronic, Counsel, Reed Smith 

3.  Think Before You Lease: LOIs as Your Blueprint

J. Julius Bolock, Senior Corporate Counsel, Dick’s Sporting Goods 

4. Navigating the Intersection of Franchise Rights and Shopping Center Operations: Co-Tenancy, Exclusive Use and Performance Standards in the Post-Pandemic Retail  

Josh Brown, Industry Chair, Partner, Taft/

5. Real World Considerations for Drafting LOIs  

Kyle Chambers, Associate, Taft/ 

6. Rights, Remedies and Retail Reality: REA Enforcement in 2026  

Jennifer Clark, Associate General Counsel - Real Estate, Meijer, Inc. 

7. Drop It Like It’s Hot and Swap (Carefully) 

Amanda Daquelente, Partner, Meyer, Unkovic & Scott LLP 

8. Current Trends and Developments in Retail Sale Leasebacks  

Steven Davis, Counsel, Thompson Hine LLP  

 9. Watts Going On? EV Charging Stations in the Retail Space  

Chris Gant, Associate Attorney, Kayne Law 

10. ROFO/ROFR Clauses in Commercial Real Estate Transactions  

Aditya Ghatpande, Attorney, Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis 

11. Short-Term Occupancy: To Lease or to License, That Is the Question  

Marcy Hamilton, Partner, Meyer, Unkovic & Scott LLP 

12. The Next Wave: Don’t Be Towed Under—Retailer Bankruptcies, the 2026 Outlook and Best Practices  

Audrey Hornisher, Attorney at Law, Clark Hill

13. Construction Considerations for Work Letters

Patrick Johnson, Partner, Honigman

14.Hot Topics in Title  

Jeff Junstrom, Underwriting Counsel, Chicago Title

15. Stripping It Down: Lessons Learned in the Rise of the Strip Retail Market 

Jeff Kiser, Associate, Vorys 

16. Percentage Rent: Challenges and Opportunities In Today’s Retail Leasing Environment  

Ken Lamy, Founder, President & CEO, The LAMY Group  

17. TIA FYI: Things to Consider When Drafting Tenant Improvement Allowance Provisions      

Patrick Manning, Managing Associate, Real Estate, Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP

18. NDAs, Part 1: Can You Keep a Secret?

NDAs, Part 2: Can I Share This?   

Brian McAllister, Contracts Manager, BlastOne International  

19. Beyond the Boilerplate: What to Look for in Lease Insurance Provisions  

Noelle McCall, National Practice Leader for Contract Review, Howden Group

20. Drafting the Lease Condemnation Clause  

Ronald Reynolds, Business, Real Estate, and Litigation Attorney, Hilger Hammond 

21. Title Endorsements for Commercial Transactions: The Must Haves and the Nuances    

Mark Riffle, Associate, Taft/

22. Breaking Off the Engagement (It's Not You, It's Me): Backing Out of Deals and Closures   

Megan Roberts, Associate General Counsel - Global Real Estate, The Wendy's Company 

23. Current Financing Market in These Uncertain Times: Cap Stack Options for the Foreseeable Future 

Harlan Robins, Attorney at Law, FBT Gibbons  

24. Risky Business: Tenant Self-Help Rights When Landlord Defaults  

Jeffrey Sabatine, Associate General Counsel, Chase Properties 

25. Get Ready for the Call: Local Counsel Dos and Don’ts  

Jim Schwarz, Partner, Taft

26. Think Like an Environmental Lawyer: Best Practices for Managing Environmental Risk in Retail Leases 

Reed Sirak, Partner | Environmental Practice Group, Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP 

27. Cap‑Tivating Negotiations: OpEx Caps and Exclusions in Retail Leases 

Michael Schottenstein, Director + Chair of Real Estate and Finance Practice, KEGLER BROWN HILL + RITTER  

28. Development Issues with Single Tenant Retail Assets 

Michael Ward, Partner, Real Estate, Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP  

Friday February 27, 2026
9:20 am - 9:30 am
Location: Polaris Ballroom

SPEAKER 

Angela Ceccarelli, ICSC+LAW SYMPOSIUM OH/KY/IN/MI/PA 2026 Program Advisory Committee Chair; Partner, Thompson Hine LLP 

Friday February 27, 2026
9:30 am - 9:40 am
Location: Polaris Ballroom

SPEAKER 

Phillips Hinch, VP, Tax Policy, Government Relations, ICSC 

Friday February 27, 2026
9:40 am - 9:50 am

Friday February 27, 2026
9:50 am - 10:50 am
Location: Polaris C & F

This session will provide a summary of how an AmLaw Top 200 law firm approached AI in the workplace. From which platform to use and managing ethical concerns to developing attorney guidelines and practical applications, our panelists will explore the adaptive use of Ai as just another tool to enhance productivity and efficiency in providing excellent service to law firm clients. 

MODERATOR 

Harlan Robins, Attorney at Law, FBT Gibbons 

SPEAKERS 

Maureen Bickley, Cincinnati Vice Partner-in-Charge, FBT Gibbons   

Josh Brock, Attorney at Law, FBT Gibbons   

Masako Hashimoto, Senior Legal Project Manager, FBT Gibbons   

Friday February 27, 2026
9:50 am - 10:50 am
Location: Gemini Ballroom

Navigating the World of Marijuana Tenants and Firearms Regulation for Shopping Centers, Lifestyle Centers and General Commercial Real Estate

Marijuana legislation has grown from cultivation to medicinal sales to recreational across the states. This seminar will cover the status of such laws and how businesses are handling the challenges from banking to transport to landlord requirements to oversaturation of competition. Additionally, many landlords and commercial tenants seek to create spaces that take into account the safety of employees and customers while adhering to the rights of firearms holders. Navigating both realms and considering the nuances of state-by-state regulations, laws and court cases can be extremely tricky. Our panel will shed light on the questions to be asked, and the considerations for signage, insurance coverage and liability limitation for those landlords and tenants while maintaining the spaces for commerce to bloom. 

MODERATOR 

Hal Coffey, Member, Clark Hill PLC  

PANELISTS

Ralph M. Monico, Esq., Member, Burns White 

Steven M. Schain, Esq., Smart-Counsel LLC 

Friday February 27, 2026
10:50 am - 11:00 am

Friday February 27, 2026
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Location: Polaris C & F

This dynamic panel will unpack the shifting insurance landscape in commercial retail leasing, from evolving catastrophe and cyber exposures to the practical implications of additional insureds, waiver of subrogation and indemnity clauses. We will spotlight current trends—rising premiums and deductibles, valuation and coinsurance gaps, and lender driven requirements— as well as common, but perhaps somewhat obscure, insurance clauses such as the right to self insure. This panel will offer pragmatic strategies to both landlords and tenants to allocate risk and negotiate coverage in retail leases. 

MODERATOR 

Angela Ceccarelli, ICSC+LAW SYMPOSIUM OH/KY/IN/MI/PA 2026 Program Advisory Committee Chair; Partner, Thompson Hine LLP 

PANELISTS 

Noelle McCall, National Practice Leader for Contract Review, Howden Group

Matt Replogle, Managing Director, Howden Group 

Angela Savino, Partner, Perez Morris LLC  

Friday February 27, 2026
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Location: Gemini Ballroom

As data center developments, especially hyperscale data center developments, gain traction throughout the region, creative solutions naturally collide with current frameworks in place. Our panelists will provide a general overview of data center development and examples of factors that will show how each development is unique. Among other data points, zoning, engineering and infrastructure matters will be discussed. Panelists will share examples of past data center developments, discussing positive outcomes and any hurdles that were overcome. 

MODERATOR 

Christina Sprecher, Partner, FBT Gibbons 

PANELISTS 

Peter C. Bergan, Jr., Partner, Orrick  

Justin Ross, P.E., Principal & Co-Founder, LIVIC Civil  

Jason Wrona, Partner, Meyer, Unkovic & Scott LLP  

Friday February 27, 2026
12:00 pm - 12:30 pm
Location: Polaris Ballroom

No lunch service after 12:30 pm. 

Friday February 27, 2026
12:30 pm - 12:40 pm

Friday February 27, 2026
12:40 pm - 1:40 pm
Location: Polaris C & F

This presentation will provide a comprehensive guide to the receivership process for distressed commercial real estate (CRE) assets, covering the motivations and qualities sought by banks, legal considerations, including jurisdiction and emergency relief, and the receiver's role in stabilizing properties and achieving successful outcomes, with insights from a bank representative, a lawyer and a receiver. 

MODERATOR 

Kari Coniglio, Partner, Vorys 

PANELISTS  

Carrie Brosius, Partner, Vorys 

Kevin Garvey, SVP, Peoples Bank 

Jeff Lane, CEO, Prodigy Properties 

Friday February 27, 2026
12:40 pm - 1:40 pm
Location: Gemini Ballroom

After you’ve finalized the lease, assembling the exhibits and negotiating various ancillary documents can result in several more weeks of work. This panel will discuss common retail lease exhibits, frequently negotiated provisions and strategies to assemble those exhibits seamlessly to ensure quick execution after the rest of the lease is finalized. This session will also include a discussion of several ancillary lease documents (such as franchise addendums, commencement date agreements, SNDAs, lien waivers and more) that often need to be finalized before the lease is filed away and the tenant is off and running. This panel is primarily designed to cover the basics of these documents for the benefit of new real estate professionals but will also include tips and refreshers that even seasoned practitioners will appreciate. 

SPEAKERS 

Michael Brockman, Associate General Counsel, Thompson Thrift  

Cathryn Greenwald, Partner, Thompson Hine LLP  

Leigh Hellner, Partner, Meyers Roman Friedberg & Lewis  

Friday February 27, 2026
1:40 pm - 1:50 pm

Friday February 27, 2026
1:50 pm - 2:50 pm
Location: Polaris Ballroom

Roundtables will be held in two 30-minute rotations. Please refer to the full list of topics below. Topics covered during this time will be indicated on signage on-site. 

1. Broker Agreements 

Betsy Allen, Senior Managing Director of Legal Services and General Counsel, Friedman Real Estate 

2. Reimagining REAs: Modern Solutions for Current and Future Retail Development  

Alison Andronic, Counsel, Reed Smith 

3.  Think Before You Lease: LOIs as Your Blueprint  

J. Julius Bolock, Senior Corporate Counsel, Dick’s Sporting Goods 

4. Real World Considerations for Drafting LOIs  

Kyle Chambers, Associate, Taft/ 

5. Rights, Remedies and Retail Reality: REA Enforcement in 2026  

Jennifer Clark, Associate General Counsel - Real Estate, Meijer, Inc. 

6. Drop It Like It’s Hot and Swap (Carefully) 

Amanda Daquelente, Partner, Meyer, Unkovic & Scott LLP 

7. Current Trends and Developments in Retail Sale Leasebacks  

Steven Davis, Counsel, Thompson Hine LLP  

 8. Watts Going On? EV Charging Stations in the Retail Space  

Chris Gant, Associate Attorney, Kayne Law 

 9. ROFO/ROFR Clauses in Commercial Real Estate Transactions  

Aditya Ghatpande, Attorney, Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewi 

10. Short-Term Occupancy: To Lease or to License, That Is the Question  

Marcy Hamilton, Partner, Meyer, Unkovic & Scott LLP 

11. Construction Considerations for Work Letters

Patrick Johnson, Partner, Honigman  

12. Hot Topics in Title  

Jeff Junstrom, Underwriting Counsel, Chicago Title

13. Stripping It Down: Lessons Learned in the Rise of the Strip Retail Market 

Jeff Kiser, Associate, Vorys

14. Percentage Rent: Challenges and Opportunities in Today’s Retail Leasing Environment  

Ken Lamy, Founder, President & CEO, The LAMY Group

15. TIA FYI: Things to Consider When Drafting Tenant Improvement Allowance Provisions 

Patrick Manning, Managing Associate, Real Estate, Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP

16. NDAs, Part 1: Can You Keep a Secret?

NDAs, Part 2: Can I share this? 

Brian McAllister, Contracts Manager, BlastOne International    

17. Beyond the Boilerplate: What to Look for in Lease Insurance Provisions  

Noelle McCall, National Practice Leader for Contract Review, Howden Group

18. Drafting the Lease Condemnation Clause  

Ronald Reynolds, Business, Real Estate, and Litigation Attorney, Hilger Hammond  

19. Title Endorsements for Commercial Transactions: The Must Haves and the Nuances    

Mark Riffle, Associate, Taft

20. Breaking Off the Engagement (It's Not You, It's Me): Backing Out of Deals and Closures   

Megan Roberts, Associate General Counsel - Global Real Estate, The Wendy's Company 

21. Current Financing Market in These Uncertain Times: Cap Stack Options for the Foreseeable Future 

Harlan Robins, Attorney at Law, FBT Gibbons

22. Risky Business: Tenant Self-Help Rights When Landlord Defaults  

Jeffrey Sabatine, Associate General Counsel, Chase Properties  

23. Get Ready for the Call: Local Counsel Dos and Don’ts  

Jim Schwarz, Partner, Taft/

24. Cap‑Tivating Negotiations: OpEx Caps and Exclusions in Retail Leases   

Michael Schottenstein, Director + Chair of Real Estate and Finance Practice, KEGLER BROWN HILL + RITTER 

25. Think Like an Environmental Lawyer: Best Practices for Managing Environmental Risk in Retail Leases 

Reed Sirak, Partner | Environmental Practice Group, Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP 

26. Development Issues With Single-Tenant Retail Assets 

Michael Ward, Partner, Real Estate, Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP 

Friday February 27, 2026
2:50 pm - 3:50 pm
Location: Polaris Ballroom

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming how real estate professionals and attorneys work, from document drafting and market analysis to client communications and contract review. But as these tools become more sophisticated, so do the ethical and legal risks that accompany their use. In this interactive program, we’ll explore how brokers and attorneys can leverage generative AI responsibly, efficiently and ethically. Using live demonstrations and real-world examples, participants will see how tools like ChatGPT and other AI applications can assist with listing descriptions, contract summaries, due diligence and communication while also examining where these tools cross the line under professional rules of conduct and brokerage ethics. 

SPEAKER 

Cari L. Sheehan, Assistant General Counsel, Taft

Friday February 27, 2026
3:50 pm - 4:00 pm

Friday February 27, 2026
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Location: Polaris C & F

Get a practical look at how to carve off pieces of a larger shopping center—whether you’re selling an outparcel or breaking out a smaller strip center—and what you need to know before doing it. Gain insights on the key due diligence items and the most common obstacles, including existing REAs, leases and site conditions that can complicate subdivision, along with strategies and documents that help clear the path. The program also covers how to structure the split and coordinate ongoing rights—access, parking, utilities, signage and cost sharing—to ensure the new parcels function smoothly without creating long-term headaches. 

SPEAKERS 

Anthony Andricks, Counsel, Thompson Hine LLP  

Jennifer Katzakis, Partner, Real Estate, Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP  

Jessica Rose, Partner, Reed Smith  

Friday February 27, 2026
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Location: Gemini Ballroom

Hear from lawyers and surveyors about the basics of how title insurance and ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys work together to identify and address typical (and not so typical) title and survey issues so you can close your deal without unforeseen difficulties.  

MODERATOR 

Alan Sable, Partner, Meyer, Unkovic & Scott LLP  

PANELISTS 

Don Groesser, VP, Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc.  

Emi Kaneko, Regional Underwriting Counsel, First American Title

Jen Somma, Underwriting Counsel, First American Title