Our People
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
Alexa Cacao Morton
Contact Information
Attorney
Ms. Cacao Morton practices in the areas of affordable housing and real estate transactions, community economic development, tax credits and syndication.
She represents developers and public agencies in all aspects of the real estate development transaction including, entity formation, the negotiation and drafting of loan documents, regulatory agreements, purchase and sale agreements, ground leases, and development agreements. Ms. Cacao Morton also assists with the firm’s litigation practice, as necessary.
Education
- J.D., cum laude, University of San Francisco, School of Law.
- B.A., with honors, College of Letters and Sciences – Distinction, University of California, Berkeley.
- Honors Leadership Program, McAuliffe Honors Society
- CALI Excellence Award for Legal Research & Writing
- CALI Excellence Award for Art Law.
Professional & Volunteer Affiliations
State Bar of California
Amy DeVaudreuil
Contact Information
Attorney
Amy DeVaudreuil practices in the areas of corporate, partnership, real estate and tax matters relating to affordable housing and tax credit syndications, as well as tax-exempt organizations. Ms. DeVaudreuil’s work encompasses Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, Historic Tax Credits, and New Markets Tax Credits. In addition, Ms. DeVaudreuil’s practice includes affordable housing and community economic development. Ms. DeVaudreuil represents a wide variety of nonprofit entities, public agencies, counties, cities and housing authorities in the development, financing and management of low-income housing. Ms. DeVaudreuil has extensive experience in the formation of nonprofit corporations and other entities, and the Federal and State tax exemption application process. Ms. DeVaudreuil also has particular expertise in the field of property tax exemption.
Ms. DeVaudreuil in her syndication practice advises clients on transactional structures using joint venture, limited partnership, and other pass-through vehicles. Her work also includes financial pro-forma analysis, advice on limited partnership creation and tax issues related to financing, issuing tax opinions to investors, and facilitating compliance with IRS tax requirements applicable to the syndication of tax credits.
Education
- B. A., highest honors, University of Rhode Island. Phi Beta Kappa
- J.D., University of California, Berkeley School of Law
- Diversity Editor, California Law Review
Professional and Volunteer Affiliations
- State Bar of California, Real Property and Taxation Sections
- American Bar Association, Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development Law
- San Diego Housing Federation, Education Committee
Andrea Mejia
Contact Information
Closing Coordinator
Ms. Mejia is a Closing Coordinator at Goldfarb & Lipman. She works in collaboration with attorneys, clients, and third parties in order to help facilitate a smooth transactional closing.
B.A., Political Science, University of California, Los Angeles
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
Contact Information
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
Brandon V. Stracener
Contact Information
Attorney
Brandon Stracener’s practice encompasses a range of civil litigation in state and federal courts. Mr. Stracener has experience representing public agencies, non-profits, and private entities in land use, real estate, and municipal law disputes.
Education
- B.A., University of California, Berkeley
- J.D., University of California Berkeley School of Law
Professional and Volunteer Affiliations
- State Bar of California
- Supreme Court of California
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Eastern, Central, and Southern Districts of California
- Member, East Bay Economic Development Alliance, Ad Hoc Legislative Committee since 2020
- Contra Costa County Bar Association – Appellate, Barristers, Business Law, and Litigation Sections; Practice Areas include Appellate-Civil, Corporation & Business, and Litigation
- California Lawyers Association, Litigation Section
Celia W. Lee
Contact Information
Attorney
Celia Lee is a partner in the firm with over twenty-five years of litigation experience. Her practice encompasses a broad range of civil litigation, investigations, and advice on behalf of public agencies, nonprofit, and private entities in municipal, real estate, housing, land use, and business law disputes.
Immediately prior to joining the firm, Ms. Lee served as a Deputy City Attorney in the Office of the City Attorney for the City and County of San Francisco for a decade. She was a member of both the Neighborhood and Resident Safety/Code Enforcement Team, representing the City and County and its departments and employees in its civil enforcement of state and local public safety and public nuisance laws and the intersection of those laws with land use concerns, and the Trial Team, where she litigated and tried to a jury a wide variety of matters for several City departments. From 1994 to 2004, she practiced commercial litigation and insurance litigation at two San Francisco law firms.
Ms. Lee has spoken on several panels for the California Lawyers’ Association, Real Property Law Section annual conferences on various topics, including the Housing Accountability Act and ethics in real estate transactions.
Ms. Lee actively engages in community service around the Bay Area.
In 2009, Ms. Lee was a recipient of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association’s (NAPABA) “Best Lawyers Under 40” Award.
Education
- B.A. University of California at Berkeley; magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa
- J.D., University of Michigan Law School
Previous Employment
- Goldfarb & Lipman LLP, Oakland, California, Jan. 2014 – present.
- Office of the City Attorney for the City and County of San Francisco.
Professional and Volunteer Affiliations
- State Bars of California and New York
- Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area (AABA), (President 2008-2009)
- AABA Law Foundation Board (2014-present)
- Chair, Board of Trustees for Chinese for Affirmative Action/Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality (CAA/AACRE), a civil rights organization based in San Francisco’s Chinatown that advocates for the Asian Pacific American community, 2009-present
- Member, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights for the San Francisco Bay Area, 2011-present
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
Dolores Bastian Dalton
Contact Information
Attorney
Dolores Bastian Dalton has more than twenty years’ experience litigating and mediating commercial, public entity and nonprofit issues on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants in state and federal trial courts, and on appeal. She has specialized expertise in summary judgment and appellate work. Ms. Dalton has been certified by the State Bar of California as a specialist in appellate law.
Ms. Dalton is also a trained mediator and a member of the mediation panels for the California Court of Appeal for the Third and Sixth Districts. She has successfully mediated numerous complex civil disputes.
Ms. Dalton is an Adjunct Professor at the University of San Francisco School of Law, where she teaches Practical Litigation Skills. She has also taught in the University of California Berkeley’s Fall Program for Freshmen.
Ms. Dalton is the former chair of the City of Albany Planning Commission. From 2009 to 2011, she was a member of California Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner’s A.D. 14 “Women of the Year” committee. She is also one of the founders and the former president of the Albany Music Fund, a nonprofit corporation formed to preserve the music program in the City of Albany’s public schools. She volunteers for Sonoma County’s Lawyers in the Library program.
Education
- B.A., Philosophy, University of California at Berkeley
- J.D., University of San Francisco School of Law
- Comments Editor of the Law Review.
Professional and Volunteer Affiliations
- State Bar of California
- Member, The Mediation Society
- Member, State Bar of California Litigation Section
- Member, Sonoma County Bar Association
- Member, The Berkeley Piano Club
Dori Kojima
Contact Information
Attorney
Dori Kojima’s practice focuses on transactions involving the development and preservation of affordable housing as well as compliance with ongoing federal, state, and local requirements. Ms. Kojima structures complex transactions involving multiple layers of financing, particularly those involving U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs, including the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD), HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), HOME-American Rescue Plan, Community Development Block Grant (CBDG), and the National Housing Trust Fund.
Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Kojima worked as an attorney-advisor in HUD’s Office of General Counsel in San Francisco and the Assisted Housing and Community Development Division at Headquarters in Washington, D.C. While at HUD, Ms. Kojima closed and serviced numerous transactions and served as program counsel for multiple HUD programs.
Before attending law school, Ms. Kojima served as the Director of Housing Development and Acting Executive Director of a Berkeley-based nonprofit housing provider and draws on her experience as a developer to help her clients anticipate and navigate the unique challenges of each transaction.
Education
- B.S., magna cum laude, Creighton University
- M.P.H., University of California Berkeley
- M.C.P., University of California, Berkeley
- J.D., University of California, Berkeley School of Law
- Prosser Award, Real Estate Transactions and Litigation
- Prosser Award, Mortgage Lending and Homeownership
Previous Employment
- Attorney-Advisor, Department of Housing and Urban Development
Professional and Volunteer Affiliations
- State Bar of California
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
Estrella Lucero
Contact Information
Attorney
Ms. Lucero practices in affordable housing development, land use regulation, and real estate transactions.
She represents developers and public agencies in all aspects of the real estate development process including the negotiation and drafting of loan documents, regulatory agreements, purchase and sale agreements, ground leases, and development agreements. Ms. Lucero has experience obtaining environmental review and land use approvals for real estate developments and utilizing federal, state, and local financing programs.
Education
B.A., magna cum laude, Occidental College
J.D., Yale Law School. Yale Law Women Student Excellence Award; Stephen J. Massey Prize for Clinical Work.
Professional & Community/Volunteer Affiliations
State Bar of California
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
Contact Information
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
James T. Diamond, Jr.
Contact Information
Attorney
James T. Diamond, Jr’s. practice emphasizes employment law litigation and counseling, municipal government advice and litigation, and commercial litigation. He has represented public entities, Fortune 50 corporations, small businesses and nonprofit entities. Mr. Diamond represents the firm’s clients in state and federal trial, appellate and bankruptcy courts, and in arbitrations, mediations and administrative hearings.
In his employment practice, Mr. Diamond has defended clients in state and federal courts throughout California in discrimination, sexual harassment, prevailing wage, whistleblower, retaliatory discharge claims and employment-related common-law tort and contract claims related to employment. He has represented clients in administrative proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing. Mr. Diamond provides employment law counseling to his clients in preventing litigation through properly documented disciplinary actions, handling Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and California Family Rights Act (CFRA) leave issues, pregnancy leave issues, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) reasonable accommodation issues, and wage and hour issues. He provides employment and labor counsel on issues including the duty to meet and confer under the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act, counseling on reasonable accommodation rights and duties under state and federal law, Skelly hearings, grievance resolution, interpretation of labor contract issues, and labor negotiations.
Mr. Diamond has litigated commercial and business matters on behalf of his clients in contract disputes, common law tort matters including claims of fraud, whistleblower and False Claim Act cases under state and federal law, intellectual property, and trade secrets.
Education
- B.A., cum laude, University of San Francisco
- J.D., University of California College of the Law, San Francisco
Professional and Volunteer Affiliations
- State Bar of California
- American Bar Association, Employment Law Section
- Alameda County Bar Association Labor & Employment Law Section, Executive Committee Member
- Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce
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)
Professional and Volunteer Affiliations
- State Bar of California
- Housing and Development Law Institute
- County Counsels’ Association of California
- Planning Commissioner, City of Monrovia (Monrovia, CA
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
- Board Member, University of California, San Diego, Alumni Board of Directors
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
Joshua Lim
Contact Information
Project Coordinator
Mr. Lim coordinates closings for affordable housing and tax credit syndication transactions. He works directly with firm attorneys, clients, lenders, investors, and title companies to assist the firm’s clients in the development, construction, and management of affordable housing transactions.
Education
- B.A., Mass Communications, University of California, Berkeley
Julie Tseng
Contact Information
Litigation Paralegal
Julie Tseng is a litigation paralegal at the firm.
Coming soon…
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
Kate Schmidt
Contact Information
Project Coordinator
Ms. Schmidt facilitates the closings of real estate transactions, particularly affordable housing developments and tax credit syndication projects. She works closely with numerous parties throughout the life of the transaction, from assisting with the development of an organizational structure to coordinating title and escrow requirements, and ultimately ushering the parties along the winding road to closing.
B.A., Economics, University of Vermont
B.A., Spanish, University of Vermont
Katie Dahlinghaus
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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
Kim LeSung
Contact Information
Project Coordinator and Marketing Director
Ms. LeSung facilitates the closings of real estate transactions with a focus on affordable housing and tax credit syndication projects. She works closely with various parties at all stages of a project, from assisting with the organizational structure, to title issues, and ultimately shepherding different financing vehicles through to the completion of the transactions.
Ms. LeSung also directs and implements the marketing initiatives for the firm.
Education
- B.A., Philosophy, University of California, Irvine
- B.A., Criminology, Law & Society, University of California at Irvine
- Master of Advanced Studies, Criminology, Law and Society, University of California at Irvine
Lynn Hutchins
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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
- Member, American Bar Association, Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development Law
- Member, Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area (AABA)
- Former Board Member/Secretary, 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
Mey Saeteurn
Contact Information
Project Coordinator
Mey is a transactional project coordinator. Her work involves facilitating and guiding complex real estate transactions from inception to closing.
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
Rye P. Murphy
Contact Information
Attorney
Rye Murphy is an associate in the firm’s litigation practice. He works with the firm’s private and public entity clients in state and federal litigation matters. While he regularly represents parties in large-scale matters, like challenges to municipal land use decisions, complex, multi-party litigation, and corporate disputes, Rye also has experience with jury trials and smaller-scale lawsuits, including unlawful detainers and personal injury actions. Rye takes a keen interest in civil procedure and while attending law school he interned at California’s Judicial Council and has published on the history of the class action.
Before entering law school, Rye studied Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies at the American University of Beirut.
Education
- B.A., University of Oregon
- J.D., University of California College of the Law, San Francisco
Professional and Volunteer Affiliations
- State Bar of California
Susan Buechel
Contact Information
Managing Director
Ms. Buechel received an AB degree with distinction from the University of California at Berkeley. She holds an MSc (Econs) in Urban & Regional Planning from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Ms. Buechel has responsibility for strategic and functional aspects of firm administration and operations. She espouses the herding cats theory of law firm management. Prior to her current position, Ms. Buechel worked in the planning and program areas of affordable housing and redevelopment within the firm.
Education
- AB degree with distinction from the University of California at Berkeley
- MSc (Econs) in Urban & Regional Planning from the London School of Economics and Political Science
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
Meet the Staff
Phillip Habegger
Hadiyah Henry
Jerome Tapier
Dave Kong
Administration
Susan Buechel
Mina Santiago-Boyer
Bobbie Bednar
Phuong Lam
Sabrina Baxter
Nancy Clancy (Not Pictured)
Jennifer Lagandaon (Not Pictured)
Clifford Trammell (not pictured)
Secretary/Assistants
Charde King
Saskshi Srivastav
Season Shimizu
Teale Feeler
Mey Saeteurn
Andrea Mejia
Joshua Lim
Kim LeSung
Kate Schmidt
Julie Tseng