Lew has worked extensively in retail development, both as in-house counsel and outside counsel, and as attorney and deal maker. After law school, Lew joined the Real Estate department of O'Melveny & Myers' Newport Beach office where he primarily represented lenders in secured transactions. Lew returned to Utah and, after a brief stint in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, joined the real estate law group of American Stores where he worked on transactions for Lucky Food Stores, Acme Markets, Jewel Food Stores, Osco Drug and Sav-on Drug. Lew has also worked as a Director of Real Estate for Einstein/Noah Bagels in the initial roll out of that chain's stores in the Western U.S. and has designed, built, operated and sold a local restaurant operation.
In 1999, when American Stores was acquired by Albertson's, Mark Geyer and Lew Miller started Geyer & Miller, which focused primarily on representing Albertson's, Sav-on and Acme in building stores in the Northeast and in California. Geyer & Miller became Ward, Miller, & Geyer in 2005, and Miller, Geyer, & Stewart in 2011. Since 1999, Lew has represented Albertson's in the development and construction of dozens of new stores in California and Arizona. The types of projects range from fee purchases to ground leases to reverse build-to-suit and build-to-suit leases. These projects have included involvement from the preparation of the term sheet through entitlements, construction and the negotiation and resolution of construction disputes. For a representative sampling of such transactions please click on "Representative Clients" on our home page.
Lew and each of the attorneys at Miller, Geyer, & Stewart pride themselves on their ability to work as part of a team to meet their client's needs on time and on budget. In many instances, we have been deeply involved in a development team structure and have provided assistance on all facets of development, while in other instances we have taken a more traditional outside counsel role and limited our involvement to specific issues. We also pride ourselves on our ability to negotiate forcefully, but fairly. If you are interested in our services, we encourage you to contact not just our clients, but opposing counsel as well.
Education
- University of Missouri (B.S., 1984)
- University of Utah (J.D., 1988)
- Order of the Coif
- American Jurisprudence Awards for Property I & II and Constitutional Law
- Associate Editor, Utah Law Review, 1987-1988
Personal
- Born in St. Louis, Missouri, November 27, 1961
Bar Admissions
Other Experience
- Associate - O'Melveny & Myers
- Senior Real Estate Counsel - American Stores Properties, Inc.
- Director of Real Estate - Einstein/Noah Bagel Co.
- Founder - Magellan's Wrap Co.
Memberships
- American Bar Association
- International Council of Shopping Centers