Overview
Karen Pifer is a real estate attorney who advises and represents clients across the country in wide range of real estate transactions. She is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee, Board of Directors and the Leader in the Hospitality and Lodging Practice Group. She represents landlords, tenants, hotel owners and developers in lease negotiations, acquisitions, dispositions, financings and the negotiation of management and franchise agreements.
Karen possesses extensive experience in retail and hospitality matters and is a frequent speaker at the ICSC law conferences. She counsels a wide range of clients from large public companies to small business owners and they have all come to trust and rely on her advice and guidance.
Services
Practice Areas
Experience
Representative Matters
- Assists Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust in the leasing of more than 75 shopping centers located throughout the country
- Counsels a publicly traded retail tenant in leasing space throughout the country
- Counseled Phillips Edison and Company on the acquisition and financing of shopping centers located throughout the country
- Represented a national developer in the acquisition, financing, and leasing to a national drug store chain
- Represented an office building owner in the leasing of multiple office buildings in the metropolitan Detroit area
- Represented a life insurance company in closing approximately $5 billion of credit tenant loans
Prior Experience
- Dykema Gossett PLLC, Attorney, 1994-2000
Credentials
Education
University of Michigan Law School, J.D.
Albion College, B.A.
- cum laude
Admissions
- Michigan
Recognition
Awards
- The Best Lawyers in America, 2010-2023
- Recognized in practice area of Real Estate Law
- DBusiness, Top Lawyers, 2013-2015, 2017, and 2018
- Leading Lawyers Magazine Michigan, 2017
- Recognized in practice areas of:
- Real Estate Law: Commercial
- Real Estate Law: Finance
- Recognized in practice areas of:
- Listed in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, 2023
- Recognized as one of America's leading business lawyers in the Real Estate field in Michigan
Professional & Community Involvement
- International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
- Government Relations Committee, 2011-17
- Michigan Continuing Education Program Planning Committee Mentor
- Roundtable Program Chair, 2012, 2013
- State Bar of Michigan
- Real Property Law Section
- Birmingham Bloomfield Chamber
- Executive Committee, 2010-2013
- Board of Directors, 2007-2013
- Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Detroit
- Past Programs Chairperson
- Leadership Oakland
- Graduate, 1997