Tony Barlow focuses on the business and transactional needs of private and public sector clients in the areas of commercial real estate of all types, business planning and operations, and finance.

Tony serves as chair of the firm’s Real Estate and Finance Department. While his primary location is in the Cincinnati office, Tony frequently meets clients in the firm’s Kentucky office for their convenience.

Tony’s real estate practice includes substantial work in real estate development (mixed use/retail/office/residential), multi-family housing, all areas of commercial leasing (office/retail/industrial) representing both landlords and tenants, commercial and residential condominium development and post-development work, title insurance and related analysis, 1031 like-kind exchanges (deferred, reverse, and construction), and real estate-related business entity planning and formations. The early phases of Tony’s financing experience included significant representation of lenders throughout the life cycle of mortgage loans (origination through foreclosure, workouts, and receiverships). While he continues to actively represent a number of lenders on a transactional basis, for many years Tony’s financing work has been concentrated on the borrower/developer side, including working with standard mortgage financing and more specialized areas such as tax credit and bond-based transactions, Tax Increment Financing (TIF), tax abatement projects, and mezzanine/investor structures.

Born and raised in Canada, Tony’s past ownership and management of multiple restaurant businesses adds a unique perspective to his abilities to advise business clients in a practical, bottom-line-oriented manner. As any business owner knows, real business experience provides an education not found in any classroom.

• “2009 is the Year to Review Your Business Location and Lease Terms” (Impact, Volume 11, Issue 1)
• Co-Author Anderson’s Ohio Probate Practice and Procedure, 7th Edition, Anderson Publishing Company

• The Best Lawyers in America® (2013-2025)
• Super Lawyers (2013-2015, 2021-2024)

• Ohio State Bar Association
• Cincinnati Bar Association
• Strauss Troy’s Real Estate and Finance Practice Group Chair
• Legal representation for nonprofit Montessori Preschool/Kindergarten
• Chair of Associate Development Committee

• Represented developer of $60MM high-end Florida apartment project and adjacent retail/hotel project
• Represented developer in multiple high-end Florida multi-family projects (new construction)
• Represented developer of $80MM mixed use (hotel/office/apartments/retail) Greater Cincinnati project
• Represented developer of numerous urban core residential/retail condominium projects in Cincinnati
• Represented developers in several commercial condominium projects
• Represented developer of multiple in-fill residential projects in Greater Cincinnati area
• Represented landlord in well over 100 office leases (2,000 to 100,000 sq. ft.) in multiple states
• Represented pet supply chain in landlord/tenant matters in over 40 stores in multiple states over 15 years
• Represented developer in development of 75 acre mixed-use shopping center in Cincinnati area
• Represented an Ohio municipality in development of mixed use residential and commercial project
• Represented buyer in acquisition and financing of more than 35 multi-family properties (HUD/HAP Contract; Section 8) in multiple states
• Represented public company in land assemblage and acquisition for new pharmaceutical packaging plant and offices
• Represented residential relocation company in negotiating service agreements for corporate and government relocation programs
• Represented multi-office surgical practice in sale of business to major hospital and negotiated employment agreements for Physicians
• Successful workout for owner of low income housing tax credit apartment project involving four lenders, receivership and sale of credits to new limited partner.
• Represented regional bank in multiple loan transactions and restructurings of troubled loans
• Represented owner of truck terminals in setting up and negotiating leases and sales of terminal properties