Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

The Unstoppable Rise of SLBs

By Jennifer LeClaire
June 01, 2016

When Stern Group set out to expand its Mercedes-Benz dealerships across The Netherlands last year, the automotive company turned to an alternative financing strategy that is seeing strong momentum in the commercial real estate industry. The Dutch company sold 10 of its retail and service sites to W. P. Carey (WPC), a real estate investment trust (REIT) specializing in corporate sale-leaseback financing and single-tenant net lease acquisitions, for $62.9 million.

As part of the strategy, Stern immediately leased back the retail portfolio in a 17-year triple-net deal with WPC. Thanks to the new-found liquidity through the sale-leaseback ' a form of financing that allows companies to maximize the value of real estate assets ' Stern reduced expensive bankrolling and is funding new growth of its Mercedes-Benz dealerships in Europe.

“A long-term sale-leaseback was the logical decision to free up illiquid capital tied up in our real estate holdings to fund strategic growth initiatives,” said Henk van der Kwast, chief executive officer of Stern, noting that the SLB-net lease deal allowed him to “advance strategic components” of the company's business plan.

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
Major Differences In UK, U.S. Copyright Laws Image

This article highlights how copyright law in the United Kingdom differs from U.S. copyright law, and points out differences that may be crucial to entertainment and media businesses familiar with U.S law that are interested in operating in the United Kingdom or under UK law. The article also briefly addresses contrasts in UK and U.S. trademark law.

The Article 8 Opt In Image

The Article 8 opt-in election adds an additional layer of complexity to the already labyrinthine rules governing perfection of security interests under the UCC. A lender that is unaware of the nuances created by the opt in (may find its security interest vulnerable to being primed by another party that has taken steps to perfect in a superior manner under the circumstances.

Strategy vs. Tactics: Two Sides of a Difficult Coin Image

With each successive large-scale cyber attack, it is slowly becoming clear that ransomware attacks are targeting the critical infrastructure of the most powerful country on the planet. Understanding the strategy, and tactics of our opponents, as well as the strategy and the tactics we implement as a response are vital to victory.

Removing Restrictive Covenants In New York Image

In Rockwell v. Despart, the New York Supreme Court, Third Department, recently revisited a recurring question: When may a landowner seek judicial removal of a covenant restricting use of her land?

"Holy Fair Use, Batman": Copyright, Fair Use and the Dark Knight Image

The copyright for the original versions of Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse have expired. Now, members of the public can create — and are busy creating — their own works based on these beloved characters. Suppose, though, we want to tell stories using Batman for which the copyright does not expire until 2035. We'll review five hypothetical works inspired by the original Batman comic and analyze them under fair use.