Heather France & Laura Dillard: Commercial real estate attorneys | France Law LLC

France Law LLC is a boutique real estate law firm with a national presence.

The firm has expertise in managing real estate and business transactions nationwide for property owners, developers, real estate investment trusts, landlords, retailers and restaurants.

Over our 25+ years of practice, we have developed a reputation for offering practical solutions to legal and business issues, while providing exceptional legal representation for the time efficient completion of transactions. Our team uses both experience and creative strategies to manage due diligence and contract negotiation, counsel on risk analysis, and partner with our clients to navigate all aspects of property and retail business transactions.

We believe that the sum of the parts are greater than the whole. Our clients each play an important and unique role in our business and success. We are proud to have been be a part of many teams and stories throughout our years of practice.

Areas of Expertise

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Leasing
Retail, office, industrial and mixed use

Acquisition & Sales
Real property and business

Development &
Redevelopment

Our Team

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hfrance@francelawllc.com
(301) 926-9565

ldillard@francelawllc.com
(301) 966-7371

Dana M. Evans CPA LLC

Billing & Accounting

accounting@francelawllc.com

Paula Dobin

Paralegal

pdobin@francelawllc.com

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Heather France, Esq.

Education

The American University Washington College of Law (2000)
- Juris Doctor, magna cum laude
- Mussey Prize (highest scholastic average in graduating class)
- The American University Law Review
- Award for participation in Women and International Human Rights program
University of Maryland (1993)
- Bachelor of Science (English and Communications), cum laude

Bar Memberships

Maryland
District of Columbia

Heather has focused her career in commercial real estate since 1993, and has substantial experience counseling and managing real estate transactions for property owners, developers, real estate investment trusts, and tenants. In addition to her focus on retail leasing transactions with expertise in mixed use and new development portfolios, Heather also handles business and property acquisitions and dispositions, and related corporate transactions.

Prior to attending law school, Heather worked for a large real estate development company in Montgomery County, Maryland, handling, among other matters, due diligence and lease administration. Heather has worked as an attorney in private practice since 2000, and has developed a national level client base and reputation for her ability to offer practical solutions to legal issues, while efficiently providing exceptional legal representation and timely completion of transactions.

BACK READ MOREREAD LESS

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Laura K. Dillard, Esq.

Education

The William & Mary School of Law (2013)
- Juris Doctor, magna cum laude
- William & Mary Law Review
- Moot Court team
- Order of the Coif honor society
Bowdoin College (2007)
- Bachelor of Arts (Anthropology and French), cum laude

Bar Memberships

Virginia
District of Columbia

Laura has practiced commercial real estate law since 2013 and has experience coordinating all aspects of complex real estate transactions. She has represented a wide range of clients including developers, lenders, property owners, and tenants in connection with commercial real estate transactions in the Washington, DC area and in other major markets across the United States. In addition, Laura has advised clients on issues related to entity formation, construction, and land use. Prior to joining Heather France in private practice in 2018, Laura worked at an AmLaw 100 law firm for 5 years.

Deal Sheet Highlights

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➤Landlord Representation

Represented landlords in numerous commercial lease transactions, including the following representative leases with national retailers:
- Grocery, Drug, Convenience & Food Markets
- 7-Eleven
- Aldi
- Amazon Fresh
- CVS
- Dash In
- Giant Food
- Grocery Outlet
- NetCost Market
- Rite Aid
- Sprouts
- The Fresh Market
- Whole Foods Market
- Restaurants, Coffee & Fast Casual
- Barcelona Wine Bar
- BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse
- Call Your Mother Deli
- Chicken Salad Chick
- Chick-fil-A
- Chipotle
- Daily Provisions
- Del Frisco’s / Steak 48
- Dunkin’
- First Watch
- Fox Restaurant Concepts — Flower Child, The Henry, Culinary Dropout
- Habit Burger & Grill
- honeygrow
- Indaco — Indigo Road Hospitality Group
- J. Alexander’s
- Jeni’s Ice Cream
- Just Salad
- La La Land Kind Cafe
- Loco Taqueria & Oyster Bar
- McDonald’s
- Mellow Mushroom
- Mezeh Mediterranean Grill
- Miller’s Ale House
- Mission BBQ
- Nami Nori
- NAYA
- Panda Express
- Panera
- P.F. Chang’s
- Pollo Campero
- PopUp Bagels
- Postino
- Pura Vida Miami
- Quickway Hibachi
- Shake Shack
- Sweetgreen
- Texas Roadhouse
- The Rustic / Bowl & Barrel
- Uchi
- VModern
- Van Leeuwen Ice Cream
- Retail
- Ace Hardware
- Altar’d State
- American Eagle / Aerie / Offline
- Anthropologie
- Athleta
- Badgley Mischka
- Barnes & Noble
- Bath & Body Works
- Bloomingdale’s
- Bluemercury
- Brooks Brothers
- Burlington
- Carolina Herrera
- Claire’s
- Coach
- Columbia Sportswear
- Cos Bar
- Finish Line / JD Sports
- Foot Locker
- Golden Goose
- Gucci
- IGK Salon
- J.Crew / Madewell
- Jared Jewelers
- Jos. A. Bank
- Kay Jewelers
- Kendra Scott
- L.L.Bean
- Lands’ End
- Le Labo
- Lilly Pulitzer
- L’Occitane
- Louis Vuitton
- lululemon
- Macy’s
- Michaels
- Nike / Nike Factory Store
- Pandora
- Petfolk
- Pet Supplies Plus
- PetSmart
- Pet Valu
- Pottery Barn
- Pucci
- Reformation
- Rejuvenation
- Sally Beauty
- Sephora
- SKG Jewelry
- Sportsman’s Warehouse
- Swarovski
- Tesla — EV & Inline Operations
- Ulta Beauty
- Under Armour
- VEG — Veterinary Emergency Group
- Victoria’s Secret
- Warby Parker
- Watches of Switzerland
- West Elm
- Williams Sonoma
- Franchised Concepts
- Crumbl Cookie
- Jersey Mikes
- Nothing Bundt Cakes
- Playa Bowls
- Smoothie King
- StretchZone
- The Joint
- Tropical Smoothie
- Fitness
- Club Pilates
- CorePower Yoga
- F45
- Pure Barre
- Row House
- Rumble Boxing
- SalonCentric
- Sola Salon Studios
- Solidcore
- Stretch Zone
- Technology & Financial Services
- AT&T
- Bank of America
- JPMorgan Chase
- Navy Federal Credit Union
- PNC Bank
- T-Mobile
- Healthcare & Medical
- America’s Best
- Aspen Dental
- ATI Physical Therapy
- Baptist Health
- Bon Secours
- Chiro One
- DaVita
- Fresenius Medical Care
- Heartland Dental
- Horizon Dental
- Ivy Rehab
- MedStar Health
- Quest Diagnostics
- Visionworks
- Education & Childcare
- The Goddard School
- Kiddie Academy
- KinderCare
- Entertainment
- Cinemaworld
- Santikos Theatres

Represent the developer (NDT) of the new Nora West Palm project in West Palm Beach, Florida. Nora is a transformative 40-acre mixed-use district along a historic rail line with retail, restaurant, and residential uses alongside a new boutique hotel.
Represent the developer (Sunbeam Properties) of the new Miramar Cove in Miramar, Florida, a 125-acre waterfront community with retail, residential, and office components.
Represent the developer (Blaser Ventures) of The Granary District in Salt Lake City, Utah, a project focused on transforming warehouses into dining and retail. The Granary District is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Salt Lake City.
Represent the developer (Greystar) in the Howard University redevelopment of the historic Wonder Plaza site along Georgia Avenue in Washington, D.C. The mixed use project will contain student housing, student dining and athletic facilities, and retail/restaurants.
Represented the developer (Avalon Bay) in the redevelopment of the Winn-Dixie South Miami location, demolished and replaced by a mixed-use residential project, which features a new commercial grocery space anchored by The Fresh Market.
Represent Urban Edge Properties (UE NYSE) as counsel in leasing a portfolio of 75 properties and over 16.2 million square feet of gross leasable area.
Legal counsel to 11 North, a New York-based retail real estate investment firm which focuses on acquiring and managing grocery-anchored, open-air shopping centers and retail portfolios across the United States.
Throughout all phases of development since 2015, represent the ownership (Edens, O’Connor Capital Partners) of the Shops at Stonefield in Charlottesville, Virginia, a 43.5-acre master-planned, mixed-use community featuring over 269,000 square feet of retail and entertainment space alongside residential and office components.
Represent the developer (Segall Development) of Sherando Green, a grocery-anchored retail development in Stephens City, VA. Anchored by a Publix supermarket, containing 120,000 +/- square feet of retail, shop, and outparcel space.
Represent the developer (MCB) in:
- The Reservoir Square new 8-acre mixed-use development located in West Baltimore (the Publix anchor project aims to revitalize a long-vacant urban corridor with residential, retail spaces, a grocery anchor, and a new workforce development headquarters)
- Armory Square a 110,000-square-foot retail shopping center in Prince Frederick, Maryland
- The new Fairway Village mixed-use retail and residential project in Waldorf, Maryland
Represent the developer (Charleston based, Twin Rivers Capital) in the new Green Top mixed use development in Glen Allen, Virginia.
Represented the developer (O'Connor Capital Partners) for The Esplanade luxury shopping center at 150 Worth Avenue in Palm Beach, Florida.
Represent the landlord, Army Air-Force Exchange Services (AAFES), since 2009 in leasing and development of open-air shopping centers on U.S. military installations.

➤Tenant Representation

Represent Harbor Freight Tools in leases and contract negotiations for retail locations nationwide (have successfully negotiated 150+ leases for the client). Harbor Freight Tools is a privately held tool and equipment retailer, with over 1,600 stores across the U.S.
Represented the buyer in the due diligence, contract negotiation, and closing in connection with an acquisition of 70+ restaurants located throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.

Representative Clients

Landlord Clients

11 North Partners
Army and Air Force Exchange Services (AAFES)
Avalon Bay
Blaser Ventures
Craftsmen Developers
Edens
Fordham Development Company
Greystar
Jefferson Apartment Group
Keane Enterprises
Kenwood Management Company
Maryland Financial Investors
MCB Real Estate
Monument Realty
Mosaic Realty Partners
NDT Development
O’Connor Capital Partners
Segall Group
Seneca Properties
Service Star Development Company
Sunbeam Properties
Twin Rivers Capital
Urban Edge
Washco Management Company
WTG Properties, Inc.

Tenant Clients

Andy's Pizza
Body Rok
The Colada Shop
Dave’s Hot Chicken
DogHaus
Five Guys
Harbor Freight Tools
Neighborhood Restaurant Group
Orangetheory Fitness
Passion F&B
Sylvan Learning Center

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