Marcia K. Owens

Marcia Owens is a partner at Honigman LLP and leader of the firm's Retail practice. Marcia represents clients in all aspects of real estate, from acquisition and disposition to finance, workouts and leasing. Marcia has experience in industrial, retail, office and mixed use transactions. Marcia has represented clients in numerous transactions involving acquisitions and dispositions including vacant, improved or income-producing assets, tax free exchange transactions, complex debt and equity financing, retail leasing (including the negotiation of leases with national department stores, big box retailers, junior anchors, grocery stores and national small shop tenants), and complex development and reciprocal easement agreements. Her experience spans the country, representing clients with transactions in Illinois, as well as Arizona, California, Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Texas. In addition to her experience in real estate, Marcia counsels many of her clients on day-to-day business activities and manages their legal needs. She prides herself on partnering with her clients to implement the strategies necessary to accomplish the client's goal and get a deal done.

Marcia is also a leader in advancing women in law. She served as chair and founder of the Women’s Global Collaborative at Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP (a 650 member international law firm now merged into Locke Lord), past President of the Coalition of Women’s Initiatives in Law and Director of the National Board of the Coalition of Women’s Initiatives in Law leading efforts to expand into New York, Washington D.C. and beyond. She has been recognized for her achievements as a female lawyer and regularly writes and speaks on this topic.

Practice Areas

Representative Matters

• Represented owner in the acquisition and redevelopment of the Pheasant Run Golf Course in St. Charles, Illinois to an industrial park

• Negotiated the sale of a $110 million, three property, two state industrial portfolio to an institutional purchaser during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and completed the acquisition of five replacement properties to complete a full tax free exchange

• Negotiated the sale of a strategic office parcel in Chicago to a developer and the resulting acquisition of three NNN leased properties to complete a tax free exchange

• Negotiated the development, leasing and disposition of NNN properties leased to retailers including Walgreens, CVS, Vitamin Shoppe, McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Chase Bank and Texas Roadhouse

• Negotiated numerous leases with retailers including Nordstrom, Von Maur, Ulta, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Mariano’s, The Fresh Market, Jewel-Osco, Starbucks, Giordano’s, Potbelly Sandwich Works, Walgreens, Dollar Tree, Chick-fil-A, Chipotle, Panera, Xfinity and many others.

• Represented regional bank in connection with the disposition and development of an approximately 50 acre mixed use development with town home, condominium and commercial parcels following a deed-in-lieu transaction

• Represented stalking horse purchaser in the Giordano's bankruptcy, including the negotiation of the lease for Giordano's flagship restaurant

• Represented retail developer in the leasing and development of a 250,000 square-foot power center plus five outlot pads in the Chicagoland metropolitan area, including the negotiation of a ground lease with site development components and reciprocal easement and maintenance agreements with a national home improvement retailer and construction loan and mezzanine financing in excess of $40 million

• Represented a developer in an approximately $145 million refinance of a historic loop office tower using a combination of public and private financing including TIF funds, a stimulus grant, tax credits and municipal bonds

• Represented a joint venture in the assemblage of 13 commercial and residential properties for the development of a regional shopping center, including the acquisition and construction financing, sale to a national discount retailer, sale of outlot pads and retail leasing

Education

Admissions

Awards

• Crain's Chicago Business 2024 Notable Women in Law
• The Best Lawyers in America, 2014-2025
  • Recognized in the area of Real Estate Law
• Law Bulletin Media
  • Leading Lawyers, Real Estate Law: Commercial 2014-2024
  • Leading Lawyers, Real Estate Law: Finance 2014-2024
• Crain's Chicago Business 2022 Gen X Leaders in Accounting, Consulting and Law
• Chicago Daily Law Bulletin 40 Under Forty 2022
• Chicago Daily Law Bulletin Top 50 Women in Law Award, 2021
• Best Lawyers, Women of Influence Award, 2017
• Coalition of Women’s Initiative in Law, Leadership Award,  2016

• Law Bulletin Publishing Company, Women Making An Impact Award Recipient, 2015

• Illinois Super Lawyers, 2011-2025

  • Named as one of the:
    • Top 50 Women Super Lawyers, 2015
    • Rising Star, 2011-2012
• 40 Illinois Attorneys Under Forty To Watch, 2012

• Alta May Hulett Award, Chicago Bar Association Alliance for Women, 2011

• Top 100 Women Making a Difference, Today's Chicago Woman, 2011

Professional & Community Involvement

• Licensed Illinois Real Estate Broker
• Kohl Children's Museum of Greater Chicago
  • Past Chair of Marketing Committee
  • Past Trustee
• Illinois Legal Aid Online
  • Host Committee, 2017
• Chicago Public Education Fund
  • Leadership Council
  • Past Member
• Coalition of Women's Initiatives in Law
  • Director of the National Board and Co-Chair of National Programming
  • Past National Board Chair and President of the Chicago Coalition
• Anti-Defamation League
  • Past Member of Women of Achievement Committee
• International Council of Shopping Centers
• NAIOP

News

Press Releases

Events

Moderator, The Future of Law Firm Office Space, March 16, 2023

Speaker, Structuring Complex Easement Agreements in Commercial Real Estate Deals, December 2021, 2022 and 2023

Moderator and Panelist, "Expanding the Capital Stack: Alternative Approaches to Financing Development," In-house Seminar, June 2009

Speaker, Illinois Real Estate Journal 2013 Forecast Conference, January 2013

Panelist, "Leasing Group/Assignment and Sublet Committee Call Anatomy of a Sublease," ABA Leasing Group, November 2012

Speaker, Illinois Real Estate Journal 2012 Forecast Conference, January 2012

Speaker, Illinois Real Estate Journal 2011 Forecast Conference, January 2011

Alerts

Publications

Co-Author, Team Work Makes the (Real Estate) Dream Work: Tips on Building Your Commercial Real Estate Team, July 2021

Author, “May the Force (Majeure) Be With You,” BISNOW, October 2021

Featured, “Getting Creative, Real Estate Bar Still Finding a New Balance as Market Settles Down,” Chicago Lawyer, April 22, 2021 

Author, “Top 10 Legal Issues to Watch for in 2021,” BISNOW, January 2021

Co-Author, “The Next Generation of Women’s Diversity Initiatives,” IILP Review 2017, 2017

Author, “Gender Diversity in Law Firms, Our Hope for the Future,” 2014 Top 40 Illinois Attorneys under Forty edition of the Chicago Lawyer, Fall, 2014

Co-Author, “Public Private Partnerships—Programs to Help Complete the Capital Stack,” Client Bulletin, January 2011

Co-Author, "Crime and Shopping Centers: Security Factors for Landlords to Consider,” Retail Law Strategist, Vol. 9, Issue 2, February 2009

Co-Author, "Changes in the wake of Lane Bryant: Security Factors for Landlords to Consider," Illinois Real Estate Journal, November 2008