COLUMBUS, OHIO – February 25, 2026 – KJK is pleased to welcome Chris Macke as a partner in the firm’s Columbus office and Real Estate practice group. Chris brings more than a decade of senior in-house leadership experience overseeing complex real estate transactions and managing large national retail portfolios for publicly traded and national retail companies.
Before joining KJK, Chris served as Senior Vice President of Real Estate at Variety Wholesalers, Inc., where he led site selection, market research, lease administration, property management, construction, store planning, and real estate legal functions. He previously spent more than 12 years at a large publicly traded retailer, most recently as Vice President of Legal for real estate, leading the company’s real estate legal function.
Over the course of his career, Chris led and closed nearly $1.5 billion in real estate transactions, including ground-up distribution center developments, synthetic lease financings, sale-leaseback transactions, corporate headquarters projects, and large-scale portfolio dispositions. Several of those transactions exceeded $250 million, including a sale-leaseback valued at more than $700 million. He also managed a revolving lease portfolio spanning nearly 1,500 locations across the continental United States and directed real estate and property-related litigation, including matters that proceeded through trial and verdict.
At KJK, Chris advises developers, owners, investors, and operators on acquisitions, dispositions, leasing, financing, and strategic portfolio planning. His executive-level in-house experience provides clients with practical insight into how real estate decisions intersect with operations, reporting obligations, and long-term growth strategy.
“Chris strengthens our Columbus office in a meaningful way,” said Dave Campbell, Partner-in-Charge of KJK’s Columbus office. “He has managed large-scale, high-value real estate portfolios from inside a Fortune 500 company and understands the operational, financial, and legal pressures our clients face. His experience enhances our ability to guide developers, retailers, and investors through complex transactions with a business-minded approach.”
Chris is based in KJK’s Columbus office and can be reached at CMM@kjk.com or 614.427.5746.
About KJK
With offices in Cleveland and Columbus, KJK serves companies of all sizes and sectors, including Fortune 500 corporations, nonprofits, mid-market companies, small businesses, start-ups and other entrepreneurs. We are a full-service law firm built for business – and beyond. Our robust practice areas serve clients locally and nationally, with the combined experience of our skilled team of 50+ attorneys. For more information, visit kjk.com.