Property Acquisition & Leasing
A fundamental component of our practice is assisting public agencies and private entities with the acquisition of real property. Our practice encompasses not just the negotiation of purchase agreements and other real estate documents, but understanding our clients’ desired use of the property and the steps necessary to make it a reality. We advise clients on how best to structure an acquisition to reach their objective, and, coupling our real estate finance expertise with our knowledge of the land use and development process, we also offer our clients all necessary legal services to acquire and develop property.
We are expert real estate attorneys, assisting our clients with acquisitions throughout California that have included small individual parcels; acquisition and assembly of numerous parcels from multiple owners; and unique real estate interests such as the purchase of air rights parcels, easements and other interests in real property. We are also expert at analyzing title to real property and understand the implications that title exceptions potentially can have on the overall project’s feasibility. Notably, we use our knowledge and expertise to structure each transaction so that the parties involved obtain their desired result and limit the likelihood of unnecessary, and unproductive, disputes. In addition to our attorneys, the firm’s project coordinators, some of whom are former title and escrow company officers, are experienced and skilled at coordinating the flow of documents, managing multiple parties, and tracking deadlines to insure that transactions proceed smoothly and on-time.
Our attorneys negotiate and draft lease agreements in both the commercial and residential context. On behalf of owners, we have prepared ground leases for shopping centers, office buildings, affordable housing developments, transit villages, hotels, mixed-use developments, and stadiums and other event centers that are publicly-owned or a result of public/private partnerships with municipal participation. Representing tenants, we have also negotiated, prepared, reviewed, and advised on numerous ground leases for affordable housing developments to satisfy the needs of multiple lenders. Representing both landlords and tenants, we have prepared commercial leases for restaurants, office and retail uses, social service uses, movie theaters, arenas and event centers, and various other uses. In addition, on behalf of affordable housing developers, we have prepared numerous residential leases that comply with the unique requirements of multiple funding sources, the oft-changing state landlord-tenant law as well as local rent control ordinances. We are also expert in the negotiation and preparation of other real estate documents such as options, property exchange agreements, and easement agreements, including reciprocal easement agreements among commercial property owners (either within the same building or among adjacent property owners), licenses, and all other real estate acquisition documents.
Related Attorneys
Aileen Nguyen
Contact Information
Attorney
Aileen Nguyen represents and advises nonprofit organizations and public agencies in the development, rehabilitation, and financing of affordable housing and mixed-use projects.
She represents developers and public agency lenders in low-income housing tax credit projects and represents housing authorities and their affiliates in transactions that utilize tax-exempt bonds, state and local funds, low-income housing tax credits, and funding from HUD programs, including Section 8 and the Rental Assistance Demonstration program. She has experience drafting and negotiating loan documents in secured transactions; drafting and negotiating leases and other real estate documents in transactions involving the acquisition and disposition of property; drafting formation and governance documents for corporations, limited liability companies, and limited partnerships; and advising clients in obtaining federal tax exemption, state tax exemption, and property tax exemption.
Education
- B.A., magna cum laude, Emory University
- J.D., Georgetown University Law Center
Professional and Volunteer Affiliations
- State Bar of California
Barbara E. Kautz
Contact Information
Attorney
Barbara E. Kautz practices in the areas of land use (especially housing-related land use), CEQA compliance, real estate, economic development, fair housing, and affordable housing. She has assisted public agency clients in a wide variety of matters including compliance with planning and zoning law, real estate transactions, redevelopment dissolution issues, loan and homebuyer documents for affordable housing, CEQA disputes, and compliance with the Fair Housing Act and Fair Employment and Housing Act. She represents nonprofit and for-profit developers regarding land use entitlements and real estate transactions.
Before becoming an attorney, Ms. Kautz worked for 30 years as a planner, planning director, community development director and assistant city manager, concluding her career as Community Development Director and Assistant City Manager for the City of San Mateo. During that period she served on the Board of Directors for the League of California Cities and on the Board of Directors for the American Planning Association, California Chapter.
Ms. Kautz is a frequent speaker at conferences, including those sponsored by the League of California Cities, American Planning Association, Housing California, and Nonprofit Housing Association for Northern California. She is the co-author of Local Government Financing Powers and Sources of Funding in the ABA Legal Guide to Affordable Housing(2005, update 2011) and author of In Defense of Inclusionary Zoning: Successfully Creating Affordable Housing, 36 U.S.F. Law Review 971 (2002).
Education
- A.B., Stanford University, cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa
- Masters in City Planning, University of California, Berkeley, Mellon Fellow
- J.D., University of San Francisco School of Law, summa cum laude, Articles Editor, USF Law Review
Professional and Volunteer Affiliations
- Fellow, American Institute of Certified Planners
- Municipal Law Handbook Committee, League of California Cities
- Urban Land Institute
- Association of Environmental Professionals
Published Appellate Opinions
- Latino Unidos del Valle de Napa y Solano v. County of Napa (2013) 217 Cal.App.4th 1160
- Haro v. City of Solana Beach (2011) 195 Cal.App.4th 542
- Trinity Park L.P. v. City of Sunnyvale (2011) 193 Cal.App.4th 1014
- St. Vincent’s School for Boys v. City of San Rafael (2008) 161 Cal.App.4th 989
Benjamin Funk
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Attorney
Mr. Funk focuses his practice on the development, operation and preservation of affordable housing development at all stages of the project life cycle, including: negotiation of development agreements; preparation of funding applications; closings on site acquisition, construction, and permanent financing; establishment and renewal of rental subsidy; LIHTC investor exits; and recapitalization.
Prior to joining the firm in 2020, Ben represented nonprofit and for-profit affordable housing developers and public housing authorities for several years at an affordable housing law practice in Washington, DC. He has counseled clients regarding aspects of federal low-income housing tax credits; tax-exempt bond financing; private construction financing; FHA-insured and risk-share loans; HOME, CDBG, and FHLB AHP programs; USDA Rural Development Section 515 and 538 loan programs; HUD Section 202 Direct Loan prepayment and refinancing; local and federal rental subsidy programs; public housing mixed-finance capital and operating funds; HUD Section 18 public housing demolition and disposition approval; and conversion of public housing under the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program.
Ben also previously worked as Assistant General Counsel for Housing at Volunteers of America, Inc., one of the nation’s largest nonprofit providers of affordable housing. He has experience in negotiation and collaboration with HUD, affordable housing operational and compliance issues, business entity structuring, nonprofit corporate governance, tax-exempt status, and property tax exemptions. He has handled, resolved or defended housing discrimination complaints, and has trained housing management staff on the civil rights and fair housing requirements applicable to affordable housing programs. Ben also has significant experience advising clients on operating agreements, partnership agreements, leases, and other negotiated contracts.
Education
- B.M., Vanderbilt University
- J.D., American University, Washington College of Law
- Certificate of Completion, Volunteers of America Executive Development Program at the University of Notre Dame
Previous Employment
- Assistant General Counsel for Housing, Volunteers of America, Inc.
Professional and Volunteer Affiliations
- State Bar of California
- California Bar Association
- American Bar Association
- The District of Columbia Bar
Colleen Wisel
Contact Information
Attorney
Colleen Wisel practices in the areas of affordable housing, real estate investments, syndication, and community economic development. She represents public agencies and developers in the development, syndication and management of low and moderate-income housing and related programs. Her practice involves representing clients in all phases of affordable housing development, including purchase and sale transactions, affordable housing finance and assisting the firm’s public agency clients in implementing a wide variety of community economic development programs.
Education
- B.A., University of California, Santa Cruz
- J.D., University of California, Irvine
- Staff Editor, UC Irvine Law Review
- Dean’s Award: Procedural Analysis, Lawyering Skills
Professional and Volunteer Affiliations
- State Bar of California
Dianne Jackson McLean
Contact Information
Attorney
Dianne Jackson McLean has over 30 years of community economic development, real estate, tax-exempt financing, relocation, land use, and housing experience. Her practice includes the representation of former redevelopment agencies, public housing authorities, and other public agencies in major economic development projects and housing developments, including but not limited to shopping centers, hotels, public-private public housing developments under various financing programs provided by local, state or federal government agencies. She serves as general counsel and special counsel to public housing authorities and local city and county agencies in on-going agency administration, open meetings and public records requirements, relocation issues and related matters. She has substantial experience in all aspects of complex real estate closings, including the drafting of and/or reviewing and negotiating purchase and sale agreements, land disposition and development agreements, lenders loan documents, tax-exempt bond documents; resolving title issues, environmental issues, including issues related to hazardous materials and related matters. She prepares public agencies’ loan documents for rental housing and ownership housing developments, including secondary resale documents.
Ms. Jackson McLean also represents nonprofit housing developers in the development and construction of low and moderate-income rental and ownership housing, including mobile home parks. She provides all necessary legal services to develop various projects, including negotiating contracts to acquire land, review and negotiate lender documents from both the private and public sectors, review and negotiate partnership documents in transactions involving low-income housing tax credits.
In addition, Ms. Jackson McLean is a frequent lecturer and/or panel speaker at various conferences related to affordable housing, economic development, and ethics.
Education
- A.B., University of California, Berkeley
- Masters in City and Regional Planning, University of California, Berkeley
- J.D., University of California, College of the Law, San Francisco
Previous Employment
- City of Daly City, Community Development Block Grant Coordinator and Associate Planner, Department of Community Development
- City of Sacramento, Associate Planner, Planning Department
- City of Emeryville Redevelopment Agency, Urban Planner
Professional and Volunteer Affiliations
- Member, State Bar of California
- Member, United States District Court
- Member, United States Court of Appeals – 9th Circuit
- Member, American Bar Association
- Fellow, American Bar Foundation
- Member, National Bar Association
- Member, Charles Houston Bar Association
- Advisor, Real Property Law Section Executive Committee, California Association of Lawyers
- Member, Ethics Committee, California Association of Lawyers
- Chair, Legal Ethics Committee, Bar Association of San Francisco
- Board of Directors, Legislative Chair, California Association of Black Lawyers
Elizabeth Klueck
Contact Information
Attorney
Ms. Klueck advises clients on a range of issues relating to real estate transactions, financing, and syndication. She practices in the areas of affordable housing, Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC), tax-exempt entity law, and public finance.
Ms. Klueck represents nonprofit housing developers in the development, financing, and management of low-income housing developments, including year 15 dispositions. In addition, Ms. Klueck represents public agencies, philanthropic foundations, and housing authorities in the structuring and financing of housing and mixed-use developments and has extensive experience drafting and negotiating loan documents. Ms. Klueck has worked on transactions utilizing a variety of federal and state funding sources, including LIHTC, tax-exempt bond financing, the HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME), Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS Program (HOPWA), Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, Rental Assistance Demonstration Program (RAD), Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program (AHSC), as well as other federal and state programs.
Ms. Klueck represents both qualified active low-income community businesses (QALICBs) and community development entities (CDEs) in NMTC transactions financing a broad range of projects, including educational facilities, performing arts facilities, healthcare centers, event spaces, nonprofit commercial offices and programming spaces, and mixed-use buildings.
Ms. Klueck also serves as an advisor to nonprofit housing developers in the areas of landlord-tenant law, property management, and compliance with federal and state funding sources regulations.
In addition, Ms. Klueck has considerable experience in forming nonprofit corporations, limited partnerships, and limited liability companies, the federal and state tax exemption application process, and the state welfare exemption process.
Education
- B.A., cum laude, University of California, Berkeley
- J.D., University of California, Davis
- Recipient of Witkin Award (highest grade) for Academic Excellence
- The Order of Barristers. CEB/UC Award for Excellence in Legal Writing
- Competitions Chair, UC Davis Moot Court Board
- Executive Board of Directors, King Hall Legal Foundation
- American Inns of Court Scholarship Recipient
- Finalist, Martin Luther King, Jr. Public Service Award
Professional and Volunteer Affiliations
- State Bar of California
Erin Lapeyrolerie
Contact Information
Attorney
Erin Lapeyrolerie’s practice emphasizes affordable housing, land use, cooperative corporations, and real estate transactions. She represents numerous public agencies and nonprofit housing developers on subjects such as affordable housing requirements, real property transfers, land use entitlements, and compliance with federal and state fair housing laws. She further assists public agencies in complying with planning and land use laws, including new state housing laws. Ms. Lapeyrolerie advises housing cooperative corporations on compliance with the Davis-Stirling Act, the Corporations Code, and other laws and regulations impacting cooperatives.
Education
- B.A., New College of Florida – The Honors College of Florida
- M.C.P., University of California, Berkeley
- J.D., University of California, College of the Law, San Francisco
Professional and Volunteer Affiliations
- State Bar of California
- Real Property, Trust and Estates Liaison, American Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division
- Vice Chair of Hotels, Resorts, and Tourism, American Bar Association, Real Property, Trust and Estates Section
- Member, American Bar Association, Forum on Affordable Housing & Community Development Law
Gabrielle Janssens
Contact Information
Attorney
Ms. Janssens’ practice focuses on assisting clients with land use matters, development of public property, and general municipal and governmental law. She advises both nonprofit housing developers and public agencies on subjects such as affordable housing requirements, accessory dwelling units, land use entitlements, and the California Environmental Quality Act. Ms. Janssens additionally has experience in all aspects of municipal law, such as the Brown Act, Public Records Act, and conflicts of interest. She has worked on many public-private transactions, including redevelopment projects and affordable housing development, and has drafted disposition and development agreements, purchase and sale agreements, development agreements, loan agreements, and regulatory agreements. In her capacity as an agency attorney, Ms. Janssens has provided legal advice to Planning Commissions, City Councils and Boards of Supervisors.
Education
- B.A., University of California, Berkeley
- J.D., UC Davis School of Law
Previous Employment
- Deputy City Attorney, City of Livermore
- Associate County Counsel, Alameda County
- Deputy County Counsel, Santa Barbara County
Professional and Volunteer Affiliations
- State Bar of California
- League of Cities, Municipal Handbook Chapter Chair
- Mediator Training, 28 hours, Ventura Center for Dispute Settlement, January 2014, WSET Level II certificate
Heather Gould
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Attorney
Heather Gould is a partner in the firm, practicing in the areas of affordable housing, community economic development and real estate finance. Ms. Gould represents developers in the development, financing and management of affordable housing projects. She also represents numerous public agencies on real estate, land use, and community economic development issues. She has drafted and negotiated disposition and development agreements, joint development agreements, construction contracts, leases, and related acquisition and financing documents for complex affordable housing projects and commercial and mixed-use developments. Ms. Gould has special expertise on fair housing and is the co-author of Between the Lines, a Question and Answer Guide on Issues in Supportive Housing, which was updated in 2010.
Education
- B.A., magna cum laude, Carleton College
- J.D., University of California, Berkeley School of Law
Previous Employment
- State of Minnesota Attorney General’s Office, Legal Assistant
Professional and Volunteer Affiliations
- State Bar of California
- Former board member, Oakland’s Citywide Community Land Trust
Isabel L. Brown
Contact Information
Attorney
Ms. Brown practices in the areas of affordable housing, real estate development, and public finance.
Ms. Brown represents public agencies, including counties, cities and housing authorities, in the structuring and financing of housing and mixed-use developments. Ms. Brown has extensive experience in structuring fee and leasehold property dispositions and loan transactions, and preparing and negotiating disposition and development agreements, ground leases, loan agreements, homebuyer documents, and the ancillary documents necessary for such transactions. She also has comprehensive knowledge of the statutory requirements of federal and state housing funding programs, including the HOME Investment Partnerships Act program, the Neighborhood Stabilization program, the Community Development Block Grant program, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, the Project-Based Section 8 Voucher program, and the Rental Assistance Demonstration program.
Ms. Brown also represents affordable housing developers and public agencies in the development and management of housing and mixed-use developments. She has extensive experience in forming nonprofit corporations, limited partnerships, and limited liability companies; the federal and state tax exemption application process; loan closings; condominium development; drafting and negotiating construction contracts and professional services contracts; and fair housing compliance.
Ms. Brown has lectured on federal and state disabled persons accessibility requirements, condominium development requirements, construction contracts, and loan documents and closings.
Education
- B.S.E. Civil Engineering, cum laude, Princeton University
- Masters in Architecture, University of California, Berkeley
- J.D., University of California, Berkeley School of Law
- Articles Editor, Ecology Law Quarterly
- Sadie & Alvin Landis Prize in Local Government Law
Previous Employment
- Legislative Assistant, U.S. House of Representatives
- Assistant Architect, City of New York, Department of Housing, Preservation & Development
Professional and Volunteer Affiliations
- State Bar of California
Jeff Streiffer
Contact Information
Attorney
Jeff Streiffer’s practice emphasizes commercial and real estate transactions, secured lending, cooperative law, affordable housing, and community economic development. He has represented nonprofit and for-profit developers and public agencies in low-income housing tax credit transactions in several states. Mr. Streiffer also advises clients on issues related to financial assistance programs administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), including Rural Development’s Community Facilities program, housing programs under Sections 514, 515, 516, 521, and 538 of the Housing Act, programs for businesses and cooperatives, Water & Wastewater programs, and other funding mechanisms authorized under the various reauthorizations of the Farm Bill and related legislation.
Mr. Streiffer has worked on numerous transactions involving state and local governments, public and quasi- public agencies, nonprofits, cooperatives, homeowners associations, Native American tribes, tribal entities, and a variety of agencies of the federal government. In addition to closing deals, Mr. Streiffer has significant experience in servicing and workout situations, having practiced in the areas of alternative dispute resolution, administrative appeals, bankruptcy, and debtor-creditor relations.
In the cooperative realm, Mr. Streiffer has over 30 years of experience working with cooperatives and credit unions and has provided training and education for staff, board members, and their attorney counsel on strategic planning, governance, operations, compliance, supervisory, and audit issues.
Education
- B.A. Honors, Phi Beta Kappa, Earlham College
- J.D., magna cum laude, Hamline-Mitchell School of Law
Previous Employment
- Senior Counsel, USDA Office of the General Counsel, Pacific Regional Office
- Attorney Advisor, USDA Office of the General Counsel, Central Region, St. Paul Office
- Associate Attorney, Educational Credit Management Corporation
- Judicial Law Clerk, Minnesota Court of Appeals
Professional and Volunteer Affiliations
- State Bar of California
- State Bar of Minnesota
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
- United States Supreme Court
- California Lawyers Association (Real Property Section; Business Law Section)
- American Bar Association (Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development; Business Law Section; Real Property, Trusts, and Estates Section)
Jhaila R. Brown
Contact Information
Attorney
Ms. Brown practices in the areas of real estate, affordable housing, land use, and municipal law. Ms. Brown represents clients in all phases of the development process, including property acquisition, entitlement and administrative approvals, fair housing compliance, negotiating real estate disputes, financing and management of affordable housing projects and programs.
Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Brown was a Deputy County Counsel for the County of Riverside where she represented the Economic Development Agency, Housing Authority and its nonprofit affiliates, the Successor Agency to the Redeployment Agency and the Aviation Division.
Education
- B.A., University of California, Berkeley
- J.D., University of San Francisco School of Law
Previous Employment
- Deputy County Counsel IV, County of Riverside, Office of County Counsel
- Deputy City Attorney, Green, de Bortnowsky & Quintanilla (Calabasas, CA)
- Associate, Kane, Ballmer & Berkman (Los Angeles, CA)
- Planning Commissioner, City of Monrovia (Monrovia, CA)
Professional and Volunteer Affiliations
- State Bar of California
- Housing and Development Law Institute
- County Counsels’ Association of California
Jocelyn Portales
Contact Information
Attorney
Jocelyn Portales assists clients with a range of issues relating to real estate transactions. She practices in the areas of affordable housing, municipal law, land use, tax exempt entity law, and environmental law. Ms. Portales represents numerous public agencies and nonprofit housing developers in all aspects of affordable housing projects, including the development, financing, and management of affordable housing projects and programs.
Education
- B.A., University of California, San Diego
- J.D., University of La Verne, College of Law
Professional and Volunteer Affiliations
- State Bar of California
- Member, Beverly Hills Bar Association
- Member, Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles
Joshua J. Mason
Contact Information
Attorney
Mr. Mason’s practice focuses on representing owners in the development, finance and preservation of multifamily housing and healthcare facilities, with an emphasis on HUD-insured loans, low-income housing tax credits, and other state and federal assistance. Mr. Mason also represents public agencies, including housing authorities, cities and counties, in the development, financing and management of low and moderate-income housing programs.
Mr. Mason previously worked as an attorney-advisor in HUD’s San Francisco and Los Angeles offices, and has worked closely with HUD’s Special Applications Center and Offices of Multifamily Housing, Healthcare Programs, Public Housing, Recapitalization, Community Planning and Development, and General Counsel, both locally and in Washington, D.C. During his tenure with HUD, Mr. Mason closed and helped service numerous transactions involving the acquisition, development, rehabilitation and preservation of new and at-risk affordable housing. Mr. Mason has experience in forming nonprofit corporations, limited partnerships and limited liability companies; the federal and state tax-exemption application process; loan and grant closings; public housing dispositions; RAD transactions; and federal/state relocation compliance. Mr. Mason also has comprehensive knowledge of the statutory requirements of HUD’s Section 232 program, including Lean closing protocols, accounts receivable financing, master leases and transfers of physical assets.
Education
- B.A., University of California, Los Angeles, cum laude
- M.C.P., University of California, Berkeley
- J.D., University of California College of the Law, San Francisco
Previous Employment
- Attorney-Advisor, U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, Office of General Counsel, 2007-2015
Professional and Volunteer Affiliations
- State Bar of California
Karen M. Tiedemann
Contact Information
Attorney
Karen Tiedemann practices in the areas of real estate transactions, affordable housing, nonprofit organization, and environmental law.
Ms. Tiedemann advises public agencies and nonprofit housing developers on affordable housing matters. She represents numerous agencies and nonprofit corporations on the development, financing and management of low- and moderate-income projects and programs. Her affordable housing work includes advising clients on compliance with fair housing laws. Ms. Tiedemann is a frequent speaker on relocation and fair housing issues. She is also a co-author of Between the Lines, a Question and Answer Guide on Fair Housing in Supportive Housing, which was updated in 2010.
Ms. Tiedemann represents numerous housing cooperatives, providing advice on compliance with Davis-Stirling, the limited equity cooperative law, HUD financing, Department of Real Estate regulations, and other laws and regulations impacting cooperatives. She has also formed numerous limited equity cooperatives. Ms. Tiedemann is a frequent speaker on the formation and management of cooperatives.
Ms. Tiedemann has negotiated and drafted transaction documents for complex developments involving multiple uses, including transactions that involved the acquisition of numerous properties and the relocation of business and residential tenants. She also advises clients on compliance with environmental laws, including shepherding developments through CEQA.
Additionally, as general or special counsel to several public agencies, Ms. Tiedemann provides advice on compliance with the Brown Act, the Fair Political Practices Act and Public Records Act, as well as general law questions.
Education
- A.B., University of California, Berkeley
- Masters in City Planning, University of California, Berkeley
- J.D., University of California, Berkeley School of Law, Order of the Coif honors
- Associate Editor, Ecology Law Quarterly
Professional and Volunteer Affiliations
- State Bar of California
- California Center for Cooperative Development, Board Member
Katie Dahlinghaus
Contact Information
Attorney
Katie Dahlinghaus practices in the areas of affordable housing development, real estate transactions, and non-profit governance.
Ms. Dahlinghaus represents nonprofit clients, housing authorities, and public agencies in all aspects of the real estate development process including the negotiation and drafting of loan documents, easement agreements, purchase and sale agreements, ground leases, construction contracts, and service agreements. She has experience working on real estate developments utilizing funding from tax-exempt bonds, low-income housing tax credits, state and local financing programs, and HUD and USDA programs. In addition, Ms. Dahlinghaus advises clients on matters pertaining to corporate formation and governance, and federal and state tax exemption issues.
Education
- A.B., cum laude, Harvard University
- J.D., University of California, Berkeley, School of Law
Professional and Volunteer Affiliations
- State Bar of California
- American Bar Association Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Economic Development
- Nonprofit Housing Association of Northern California Emerging Leaders Peer Network
Lynn Hutchins
Contact Information
Attorney
Lynn Hutchins has over 35 years of experience in the areas of community economic development, affordable housing, environmental law, and real estate finance. Ms. Hutchins represents developers and public agencies in the development, financing and management of low and moderate income housing and community development projects. Her experience includes all phases of the development process, including developer selection, formation of special-purpose entities, land use entitlements, acquisition and disposition of property, loan and equity investments closings, advice relating to hazardous materials, CEQA, NEPA and land use issues, and syndication of housing and community development projects.
She regularly counsels developers and public entities regarding the intricacies of affordable housing and community development program requirements. Ms. Hutchins has structured and negotiated numerous transactions with public agencies and housing and commercial developers involving disposition and development agreements, owner participation agreements, ground leases, loan and grant agreements and similar development and financing documents. She frequently advises and lectures on labor issues related to housing and community development projects.
Ms. Hutchins is a co-author of A Legal Guide to California Redevelopment (Third Edition).
Education
- B.A., Stanford University
- J.D., University of California, Davis, Order of the Coif honors
Professional and Volunteer Affiliations
- State Bar of California
- American Bar Association, Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development Law
- Member, Board of Governors, California Housing Consortium
M David Kroot
Contact Information
Attorney
M David Kroot has more than 30 years of extensive experience in complex real estate transactions and affordable housing. He has represented developers, nonprofits and housing authorities on projects involving tax-exempt bond financing, HOME funds, public housing funds, Section 8 assistance, low-income housing tax credits, HOPE I and VI, and Mortgage Credit Certificates.
His practice includes nonprofit entity formation and tax exemption, housing finance and development, government-assisted housing programs, and tax-exempt financing. In addition, Mr. Kroot advises many nonprofit and public agencies on property development transactions involving multiple forms of development, including mixed-use developments.
Mr. Kroot acts as corporate counsel for nonprofit organizations regarding corporate governance, tax exemption issues, contracts, fair housing and employment issues. He has developed loan documents for homeownership programs financed by public agencies, provided advice regarding requirements for HOME and CDBG programs, and represented nonprofits in the use of various funding sources for housing.
Education
- B. A., University of Michigan
- J.D., University of Chicago Law School
Previous Employment
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Area Counsel, San Francisco, California, Attorney
Professional and Volunteer Affiliations
- State Bar of California
- American Bar Association, Forum on Affordable Housing & Community Development Law
M. Hickey
Contact Information
Attorney
Ms. Hickey supports several practice areas of Goldfarb & Lipman LLP, including affordable housing development, real estate transactions, property management, landlord-tenant law, community economic development and tax-exempt financing, entity formation, land use, state and municipal law, and serves as a secondary support to the firm’s litigation team. She represents public agencies, nonprofit entities, and both private and nonprofit affordable housing developers.
Education
- B.A., University of California, Berkeley
- J.D., University of California, Davis School of Law
Professional Volunteer and Affiliations
- State Bar of California
- Board Member, East Bay Sanctuary Covenant
Margaret F. Jung
Contact Information
Attorney
Margaret Jung practices in the areas of real estate tax matters and syndications. Ms. Jung represents nonprofit corporations and public agencies in the development, financing and management of low- and moderate-income projects and programs.
Ms. Jung’s work encompasses Low Income Housing Tax Credits, Historic Tax Credits, Renewable Energy Credits, and New Markets Tax Credits.
Ms. Jung’s practice includes structuring syndications using for-profit/nonprofit joint ventures, limited partnerships and other pass-through entities, the formation of limited partnerships, analyzing financial projections for tax credit investments, providing tax advice on the structuring of financing, issuing tax opinions to investors, and assisting clients in complying with all federal tax requirements for tax credit syndications.
Education
- B.A., magna cum laude, University of California, Los Angeles Phi Beta Kappa
- J.D., University of California, Berkeley School of Law
Previous Employment
- Public Accountant, Ernst & Young, LLP
Professional and Volunteer Affiliations
- State Bar of California
- Member, American Bar Association, Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development Law
- Member, National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development
- Former Board Member, Chinatown Community Development Center
- Certified Public Accountant (inactive), California Board of Accountancy
Matthew S. Heaton
Contact Information
Attorney
Matt Heaton practices in the areas of affordable housing development, commercial and real estate transactions, and public finance.
Mr. Heaton represents public agencies and nonprofit developers and has experience with all phases of the real estate development process, including the negotiation and drafting of loan agreements, disposition and development agreements, construction contracts, leases, and related ancillary documents. His practice includes advising clients on matters relating to entity formation and governance. Mr. Heaton also supports his clients by providing guidance relating to legislative and regulatory updates in his areas of practice.
Education
- B.A., University of Pennsylvania
- J.D., St. John’s University School of Law
Professional & Community / Volunteer Affiliations
- State Bar of California and New York
- California Lawyer’s Association – Real Property Section
Nazanin Salehi
Contact Information
Attorney
Ms. Salehi practices in the areas of real estate, affordable housing, and land use. Ms. Salehi represents clients in all phases of the development process including property acquisition, entitlement and administrative approvals, CEQA compliance, fair housing compliance, and negotiating real estate disputes.
Education
- B.A., University of California, Berkeley
- J.D., The George Washington University Law School
Professional and Volunteer Affiliations
- State Bar of California
Rafael Yaquian
Contact Information
Attorney
Mr. Yaquian practices in the areas of community economic development, affordable housing, tax credit syndication and real estate finance. His practice includes advising a variety of developers, nonprofit entities, housing authorities, municipalities and other public agencies in the development, financing, disposition, and management of affordable housing and economic development projects.
Mr. Yaquian assists clients in structuring, negotiating and drafting acquisition and financing documents for complex affordable housing projects, tax credit transactions and other commercial and mixed-use developments. He has experience with the formation of special purpose entities, analyzing financial projections for tax credit investments, and assisting clients in complying with all federal and state regulatory requirements.
Mr. Yaquian also has extensive experience assisting clients in interpreting and implementing the redevelopment dissolution and unwind statues.
Education
- B.S. in Community and Regional Development, University of California, Davis
- Jesse Marvin Unruh Assembly Fellow, California State University of Sacramento Center for California Studies
- Masters in Urban Planning, University of California, Los Angeles School of Public Affairs
- J.D., University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy
Professional and Volunteer Affiliations
- State Bar of California, Real Property and Taxation Sections
- American Bar Association
- Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development Law
Robert C. Mills
Contact Information
Attorney
Robert C. Mills’s practice emphasizes transactional real estate involving the development and preservation of affordable housing. Mr. Mills’s focus is on structuring complex transactions involving multiple layers of financing, especially those with some type of federal assistance, including, for example, tax credits, FHA mortgage assistance, and Section 8 rental subsidies.
Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Mills worked as an attorney at HUD. In that capacity, Mr. Mills participated in numerous loan closings, negotiated the sale of properties from HUD’s multifamily portfolio, and enforced the federal Fair Housing Act.
Mr. Mills worked as a newspaper reporter in Los Angeles, California and Sydney, Australia before abandoning all creative thought processes and attending law school. For fun, Mr. Mills occasionally sports odd facial hair, to the deep embarrassment of his two daughters. When that ceases to provide enjoyment, Mr. Mills likes to run, read, and tend to the backyard garden.
Education
- B.A., cum laude, California State University, Northridge
- J.D., University of California College of the Law, San Francisco
- Associate Articles Editor, Communications and Entertainment Law Journal
Previous Employment
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Counsel, Pacific/Hawaii Area, Staff Attorney
Professional and Volunteer Affiliations
- State Bar of California
Thomas H. Webber
Contact Information
Attorney
Thomas Webber’s practice is focused on community economic development, real estate, affordable housing, nonprofit and municipal law.
Mr. Webber represents numerous public agencies and nonprofit developers on mixed-use and commercial projects. He has negotiated and drafted disposition and development agreements, loan documents, and ground leases for complex mixed-use developments, including finance documents for new markets tax credit transactions. Mr. Webber’s work in this area involves structuring complex development transactions involving public and private partnerships, advising clients on public and private financing structures and all aspects of development issues, including CEQA-related and real property security issues.
Mr. Webber represented the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles on various aspects in the development of Staples Center, the Marriott Convention Center Hotel, and the new Broad Museum. He represents the City of Santa Clara in development of the new stadium to be home to the San Francisco 49ers, providing advice on financing, construction and operation issues related to the stadium.
He also represents public agencies and nonprofit organizations on the development, financing and management of affordable housing and mixed-use projects and programs that utilize state assistance, including MHP and MHSA financing, and federal assistance, including, tax credits and CDBG, NSP and HOME financing.
Mr. Webber also works with a wide variety of nonprofit entities, including school districts, affordable housing developers, and other charitable organizations providing legal guidance regarding nonprofit operations and administration, tax issues, as well as matters related to property, real estate, and other corporate and organizational matters.
Education
- B.A., University of Massachusetts, Amherst
- J.D., Golden Gate University School of Law
Previous Employment
- Assistant to the City Attorney, Office of City Attorney, City of Oakland
- Planner, Office of Economic Development and Employment, City of Oakland
Professional and Volunteer Affiliations
- State Bar of California
Thomas J. Levendosky
Contact Information
Attorney
Thomas Levendosky practices in the areas of real estate transactions, affordable housing, community economic development, tax credits and syndication. His practice involves representing clients in all phases of affordable housing development, including purchase and sale transactions, affordable housing finance and assisting the firm’s public agency clients in implementing a wide variety of community economic development programs.
Education
- B.A., Cum Laude, Fordham University
- J.D., University of California, Davis School of Law
Professional and Volunteer Affiliations
- State Bar of California
William DiCamillo
Contact Information
Attorney
William DiCamillo practices in the areas of community economic development, affordable housing, and real estate finance. Mr. DiCamillo represents developers in the development, financing and operation of affordable housing projects. In addition, he also represents numerous public agencies on real estate and community economic development issues. He has drafted and negotiated disposition and development agreements, joint development agreements, construction contracts, long-term leases, and related acquisition and financing documents for complex affordable housing projects and commercial and mixed-use developments, including publicly owned stadiums, event centers and theaters. In addition, William has extensive experience in advising public agencies throughout all phases of the development process, such as issues related to developer selection, project construction and development, contract disputes, and the workout and restructuring of publicly supported projects.
Prior to attending law school William worked at a social services organization providing direct services to the homeless in downtown Oakland.
Education
- B.A., magna cum laude, State University of New York, Buffalo. Phi Beta Kappa
- J.D., University of California, Los Angeles
Previous Employment
- Travelers Aid Society of Alameda County, Case Manager
Professional and Volunteer Affiliations
- State Bar of California
- State Bar of New York
- The District of Columbia Bar