# CASTO Case Study. Lease Drafting in Under 30 Minutes

Published February 12, 2025Customer since 2015

![CASTO](/_next/image?url=%2Fcustomers%2Fcasto.jpg&w=384&q=75&dpl=dpl_2umEzFMLLmFZHhmrz8MoJu6VB8Uh)

# How CASTO Drafts Leases in <30 Minutes and Eliminated Outside Counsel

CASTO is a full-service commercial real estate company based in Columbus, Ohio, managing approximately 23 million square feet across more than 100 shopping centers in 7 states. Founded in 1926, CASTO has been a leader in real estate development and management for nearly a century.

First draft:<30 minLOI to delivery:1 dayOutside counsel:$0

The Challenge

## 20 lease forms were slowing everything down.

CASTO's lean legal team was under pressure to accelerate lease timelines while managing 100+ shopping centers across 7 states.

20 lease forms

Different templates creating complexity and inconsistency

Hours per draft

Labor-intensive language library searches and manual formatting

Outside counsel costs

Overflow work required expensive external legal help

Quality control gaps

Outsourcing reduced oversight and consistency

The Decision

## Why CASTO chose LeasePilot.

“Our group handles all tasks related to litigation, HR issues, risk management and leasing of all commercial shopping centers. We needed a tool that could keep pace with our lean team.”

C.H. Waterman, Director

The Solution

## LeasePilot unified 20 forms into one platform.

LeasePilot unified CASTO's lease forms into a single automated platform, enabling faster drafting with less oversight and zero reliance on outside counsel.

Under 30 min

First draft preparation for simple deals

1-day turnaround

Lease delivered to tenant within a day of LOI

Non-legal drafting

Staff can draft with confidence and minimal oversight

$0 outside counsel

Eliminated overflow work to external firms

Deep Dive

## The transformation in detail.

Before

Prior to LeasePilot, we were managing 20 different lease forms with labor-intensive language library searches and manual formatting.

The bottlenecks often required expensive outside counsel, and outsourcing work meant a loss of quality control. Our team of 5 attorneys and paralegals was stretched thin across litigation, HR, risk management, and leasing for all commercial shopping centers.

After

LeasePilot integrated our existing lease forms and language into one intuitive platform. First drafts now take under 30 minutes for simple deals, and we can deliver leases to tenants within a day of LOI receipt.

Non-legal staff now participate in lease drafting with reduced oversight, freeing our attorneys to focus on high-value analysis and negotiation.

Original Story · CASTO

> “I have been using LeasePilot for almost 10 years. I cannot imagine going back to drafting leases where all fields, exhibits, and signature blocks must be inserted manually. This tool has been a game changer.”

Julia F.

VP & Assistant General Counsel, CASTO

The Results

## What changed for CASTO.

§ 01

### Dramatically faster turnaround

From hours of manual drafting to under 30 minutes, with leases delivered within a day of LOI receipt.

§ 02

### Eliminated outside counsel

No more costly overflow work, everything is handled in-house with complete quality control.

§ 03

### Freed legal team for strategic work

Attorneys redirected from manual drafting to high-value analysis, negotiation, and litigation.

Pleasant Surprise

## An unexpected benefit.

“The ability for non-legal staff to handle lease drafting with confidence was an unexpected benefit that transformed how our entire team operates.”

C.H. Waterman, Director

> “For any CRE company managing a large portfolio with a lean legal team, LeasePilot is transformative.”

C.H. Waterman, Director

## Your first draft could take 30 minutes

CASTO hasn't used outside counsel in years. Let's talk about what changes for your team.

[Schedule a Demo](/demo)