Real Estate

We are also experts at handling variety of real estate transactions and financing options. Whether you're a real estate broker, a developer, or a landowner, we can advise you regarding the entitlement process or suggest specific financing instruments best suited to your particular situation. We will competently represent you before government agencies or city councils.

Real Estate

The firm provides legal services to developers, lenders, investors, landlords, tenants and others involved in real estate acquisitions, financing, development and management. These services include:

Real Estate Brokers and Listing Agreements

Negotiation of broker agreements to provide maximum service and value to the owner and ensuring payment is required only after specific goals are achieved.

Financing

Negotiation, documentation and review of acquisition, development and construction loans for raw land, entitled land and improved property using conventional and specialized financial instruments such as conduit loans, mezzanine financing, participation (joint venture) loans, pledges of direct and indirect ownership interests as security, and other legal and financial instruments.

Syndication of Investors

The creation of legal entities, legal instruments and appropriate private placement memorandums for "project specific" or "blind pool" investments, the creation of private real estate investment trusts, private equity groups and other investment tools to raise capital.

Real Estate Transactions

Legal guidance, documentation and representation for purchase and sale agreements, subordination of debt financing, examination of existing property conditions including leasing, environmental and zoning concerns and other, myriad issues related to the purchase and sale of real estate.

Land Use and Environmental Concerns

All aspects of the entitlement process, including environmental review and litigation, if required, subdivision of property, permits, plan review, local resistance to affordable housing development and strategies to overcome it. Representation before city councils and boards of supervisors, planning commissions, coastal commission, school districts, historic preservation commissions, architectural review boards, water districts, and other government agencies and the litigation of claims resulting from the unlawful denial of permits.

Commercial and Ground Leasing

Negotiation and documentation of office, retail, industrial and ground leases for landlords and tenants including a review of such leases in connection with lending operations.

Litigation

Litigation, while rarely desirable, is sometimes unavoidable and necessary to resolve disputes or entitlement issues. When this occurs, we provide a prompt evaluation of our clients' legal position, make a recommendation for an appropriate course of action and provide an estimate of costs so that an informed business decision can be made. We thereafter work to efficiently steer the process to favorably position our client's case and persuasively present that case at mediation, arbitration or trial.