Frost Brown Todd (FBT) is pleased to announce the addition of George A. Schmidt to its Finance and Real Estate practice in Columbus. Schmidt joins the firm from Glimcher Realty Trust, one of the nation’s premier retail Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), where he served in various capacities for the past 19 years.
“We’re very excited that George Schmidt has joined our team in Columbus,” says David Bence, head of FBT’s Finance and Real Estate practice group. “He brings significant depth of experience and industry knowledge that complements our real estate and transactional practice, both regionally and nationally.”
Schmidt focuses his practice on contract negotiation, preparation and review, corporate governance matters, and transaction diligence and review. He will work with clients on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and range of real estate transactions, including financing and shopping center/ retail development. At Frost Brown Todd, he joins approximately 60 legal professionals on the Finance and Real Estate team, and more than 400 additional attorneys who work in dozens of different industries and practice areas across the firm’s eight-state footprint.
As executive vice president, general counsel and secretary for Glimcher, which became WP GLIMCHER earlier this year through a merger with Washington Prime Group, Schmidt oversaw the legal staff and all legal matters, including numerous large-scale acquisitions, joint ventures and divestitures. He also handled the company’s compliance regulations, Securities and Exchange Commission filings, litigation and new development. In 2013, Schmidt was recognized by Columbus Business First as Top General Counsel Columbus, OH, for his leadership, high ethical standards and exemplary professional skills.
Schmidt is a member of the Ohio, Texas and Columbus (Ohio) Bar Associations, the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT). He received a Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University, a Master of Business Administration from Ohio University, and his J.D. from Case Western Reserve University.