Kyla O'Brien Baker

Partner

Practices

Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Leasing | Retail Development and Leasing | Real Estate Development | Automotive Retail and Dealerships

Industry

Financial Services

Kyla O'Brien Baker

+1.407.244.5167

Overview

Kyla O'Brien Baker is a real estate attorney based in Atlanta and Orlando who focuses her practice on leasing, acquisition, disposition, development and management of commercial real estate. Ms. Baker represents purchasers, sellers, landlords, tenants, developers, owners and managers in a wide range of commercial real estate matters. Ms. Baker negotiates purchase and sale transactions and leasing transactions involving shopping centers, outparcels, freestanding locations, inline space, office buildings, agricultural land, industrial and warehouse space, automobile and equipment dealerships, airports and raw land for commercial use. In addition, Ms. Baker also counsels commercial clients in conducting multistate due diligence reviews and lease abstracts in financing and acquisition transactions, as well as for general management purposes.

In connection with these transactions, Ms. Baker drafts and negotiates development and easement agreements, restrictive covenants, subordination, non-disturbance and attornment agreements (SNDAs), purchase and sale agreements, leases, as well as other lease documents and closing documents. Ms. Baker also negotiates with various governmental authorities and utility providers. She advises clients in resolving title, survey and due diligence matters, environmental issues and other site development issues.

Representative Experience

Reviewed the leases and prepared abstracts in the $78 million acquisition of an industrial office complex in Southern California; the 44.8-acre property contains 23 buildings with almost 50 tenants
Represented an international travel retailer in a comprehensive review of all leases, i.e. retail, warehouse and airport
Represented a museum in a lease negotiation against the City of Gainesville for development of former brownfield land leased from the City of Gainesville
Served as purchaser's counsel in a triparty acquisition of vacant land; negotiated an agreement to assign and a restrictions, access, utilities and storm water easement and maintenance agreement, in addition to typical closing documents
Served as landlord's counsel for a ground lease of a 30-acre property involving higher education institutions
Served as landlord's counsel for leasing of industrial space in connection with development of Class I railroad connections
Served as landlord's counsel and tenant's counsel for leasing of agricultural land for one of the largest producers of sugar cane, citrus and other agricultural crops in the United States
Served as landlord's counsel for leasing and general management of office buildings
Served as tenant's counsel for leasing of industrial and retail space for a national convenience store delivery business
Served as tenant's counsel for leasing of office space

Served as developer's counsel for the development of approximately 40 acres for commercial and retail use, including the formation of a commercial property owners association and related Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, Easements and Restrictions, as well as other associated restrictions and served as landlord's counsel for leasing of such land and inline space for retail purposes
Served as landlord's counsel in the drafting and negotiation of in-line space leases to retail tenants for multiple shopping centers, retail centers and malls, during the general operation of such developments, as well as during receivership
Served as purchaser's counsel in the acquisition of an ATM drive-thru out parcel that the client could develop for additional parking use
Served as purchaser's counsel in the acquisition of vacant land for the development of the property into a storefront in new planned unit developments; negotiated several development agreements and restrictive covenants
Served as tenant's counsel in the leasing of land being outfitted for new restaurant locations; negotiated leases, subordination, non-disturbance and attornment agreements; reciprocal easement agreements; declarations of restrictions, covenants and easements; development agreements; and amendments to lease, easements and other lease documents
Served as purchaser's and tenant's counsel for an American retail and healthcare company in the acquisition, leasing and development of land with the intention of redeveloping it for a storefront; negotiated subordination, non-disturbance and attornment agreements, reciprocal easement agreements, declarations of restrictions, covenants and easements, development agreements and amendments to lease, easements and other lease documents
Served as purchaser's and tenant's counsel in the acquisition, leasing and development of land being developed by a client for new bank branches; negotiated purchase agreements, subordination, non-disturbance and attornment agreements, reciprocal easement agreements, declarations of restrictions, covenants and easements, development agreements and amendments to lease, easements and other lease documents; addressed specific requirements in developing a bank branch for an affordable housing project subject to several layers of financing

Served as seller's real estate counsel in connection with the disposition of $420 million of real estate and leasehold improvements from Jim Koons Automotive Companies to Asbury Automotive Group
Served as seller's real estate counsel in connection with Beyer Auto Group's disposition of its dealership assets
Served as purchaser's real estate counsel for numerous national acquisitions of land for agricultural equipment and automobile dealerships
Served as purchaser's real estate counsel for numerous acquisitions of land for agricultural equipment in connection with Florida footprint expansion
Served as real estate counsel during the acquisition and disposition of numerous automobile dealerships
Served as tenant's real estate counsel for the leasing of commercial properties for agricultural equipment and automobile dealerships
Served as purchaser's/tenant's real estate counsel for sale-leaseback transactions in connection with acquisition of automotive dealerships

Served as purchaser's and borrower's real estate counsel in an asset purchase transaction of the world's largest producer of Vidalia onions, including acquisition of approximately 5,500 acres of agricultural land and related facilities for processing crops, labor housing and storage facilities
Served as purchaser's counsel for several acquisitions of land for an industrial chemical distribution company
Served as purchaser's counsel for the acquisition of land for industrial use for a utility provider
Served as real estate counsel for general operations for an international hotel operator
Served as real estate counsel for an international communications and technology company and defense contractor
Served as purchaser's counsel for numerous acquisitions of commercial land for real estate investors
Served as seller's counsel for numerous dispositions of commercial land and office buildings
Served as real estate counsel for New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) transactions

Credentials

Education

University of Florida Levin College of Law, J.D., magna cum laude
University of Florida, B.S., Telecommunications, summa cum laude

Bar Admissions/Licenses

Florida
Georgia

Memberships

Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW), Outreach Committee, 2014-2015; Future Leaders Committee, 2017-2019; Membership Committee, 2021-Present; Membership Committee, Co-Chair, 2021-2023; Leadership Class of 2024; Communications Committee, Co-Chair, 2025
Orlando Day Nursery, Board of Directors, 2014-2019, Secretary, 2017-2019
Junior League of Greater Orlando, Mentoring Adolescent Girls to Inspire Change (MAGIC), 2017-2019; Community Action Team, 2015-2017
International Council of Shopping Centers
Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association, Guardian Ad Litem
Florida Law Review

Honors & Awards

The Best Lawyers in America guide, Real Estate Law, 2025
The Best Lawyers in America, Orlando Real Estate Law Ones to Watch, 2021-2024
Influencer in Retail Real Estate - Holland & Knight's Retail Development and Leasing Team, GlobeSt. Real Estate Forum, 2023
Holland & Knight Rising Star, Class of 2023
Holland & Knight Pro Bono All-Star, 2020
Rising Star, Florida Super Lawyers magazine, 2020, 2023
Order of the Coif, University of Florida
Dean's List, University of Florida, Fall 2010-Spring 2013
University of Florida Book Awards, Legal Drafting, Secured Transactions, Corporations, Corporate Scandals, Income Tax, Estates and Trusts