Rachael B. Skigen

Senior Attorney
Rachael’s practice is focused primarily on luxury fashion retail agreements, franchise agreements, and commercial real estate matters from both the landlord and tenant perspectives. Most recently, Rachael has helped clients establish best practices as they navigate through the current Coronavirus crisis.
Skigen-Rachael

Clients describe Rachael as a trusted partner who provides passionate, professional guidance, and excellent support while often dealing with challenging situations and last minute deadlines. They praise her focus, insightfulness, and forward-thinking strategy and direction, as well as her discretion, professionalism, passion, and pleasantness. Most recently, Rachael has helped clients establish best practices as they navigate through the current Coronavirus crisis, and looks forward to expanding the footprint of cannabis related retail locations. Rachael’s most recent representations include:

 

Fashion & Retail

  • Boutique leasing portfolios and general advisement for luxury retail clients including Diesel, Escada, Lacoste, Alexander Wang, Joseph, Diane von Furstenberg, YSL, Fila, Marni, Maison Margiela, and Draper James.
  • Negotiation of outlet leasing portfolios for luxury retail clients for locations including Simon, Macerich, Westfield, and Brookfield properties.
  • Representation of F45 Fitness franchisees in portfolio leasing throughout the northeast corridor.
  • Negotiation of Benefit Cosmetics Global HQ lease agreement.
  • Negotiation of multiple RAAS (membership/retail-as-a-service) and direct to consumer agreements for locations including those within Showfields portfolio. 

Real Estate 

  • Representation of Krispy Kreme Doughnut Corporation in multiple purchase and lease-back transactions from leading franchisees.
  • Representation of commercial landlords in leasing to major anchor tenants including Amazon & Walgreens.
  • Negotiation on behalf of landlords for rooftop and site agreements for telecommunications equipment and services. 
  • Negotiation of space as a service / co-working membership agreements and licenses including individual and spaces with WeWork US and UK.

Previous Work

Prior to joining ArentFox Schiff, Rachael worked as in-house counsel for a large telecommunications company. Although her primary practice focused on environmental risk management and preparing telecommunications and real estate agreements, she also advised internal business units on regulatory, marketing, and corporate social responsibility matters.

As lead attorney for both the business continuity and corporate social responsibility business units, Rachael’s focus on risk management ensured the availability of critical business functions to employees, customers, suppliers, regulators, and other entities during non-routine occurrences or threats. Her efforts in leading the company in the design and implementation of its sustainability program resulted in the company being named in Newsweek’s Green Rankings as #3 among America’s greenest companies.

Professional Activities

  • Member of the American Bar Association
  • Member of the National Bar Association
  • Former Education Chair for Women’s Wireless Leadership Forum, a volunteer association for professional women in the wireless communications industry

Life Beyond the Law

Rachael has a passion for family, the arts, and animals. She enjoys time her with husband and her two boys who are competitive rowers and professional actors. Currently, she serves on two boards,  as member for Orange County Rowing Association, a community nonprofit dedicated to promoting the sport of rowing, development of the Hudson River, and overall improvement of the quality of life in the Hudson Valley, as well as co-chair for Advocates of Young Performers, a coalition of parents, former child performers and industry professionals whose mission is to improve the well-being of all children working professionally in the entertainment industry through education, programming, support, and advocacy.

Perspectives