Brett focuses his practice on real estate and land use law, with expertise in condominium and planned developments and subdivision issues. Additionally, Brett represents investors and developers in land-use proceedings, with a particular emphasis on land use regulation and CEQA compliance with respect to residential and mixed use development.
Brett makes regular appearances before Bay Area Planning Commissions, City Councils, Board of Supervisors, Landmarks Boards and Redevelopment Agencies. He lectures on a variety of topics, including real estate legal issues generally, development entitlements, condominium law, and planned developments.
Representative Work
Represented a developer in entitlements for a 194 unit condominium building in San Francisco's Mission District and another in entitlements.
Obtained entitlements for a new 268,000 s.f. SF office building on Market Street.
Represented TopVision Development Company in the successful approval of a 463 unit residential building in San Francisco's Executive Park.
Represented the City's largest chain of small hotels, Joie de Vivre Co, in its joint development with the Emerald Fund of a 200-room waterfront hotel, Hotel Vitale, in front of the San Francisco Ferry Building on land ground-leased from San Francisco's Municipal Railway (along with co-counsel Steven Vettel, Esq.)
Represented owners of warehouse properties in their conversion to office multi-media facilities.
Represented the former owner of the Mission Armory in his planned development of 167 new units of housing within its walls (no longer proposed).
Represented a large San Francisco hotel company in the conversion of a tourist hotel to condominiums.
Represented one of the City's larger non-profit housing developers in acquiring the land and obtaining entitlements for the construction of 55 units of low and moderate income housing at the corner of Mission and Ceasar Chavez Streets.
Represented a large San Francisco hotel company in extending its rights to continue an expiring use of a 57-unit hotel in San Francisco’s Marina District.
Represented several developers of large new live/work (loft) projects in the South of Market and other industrial areas of San Francisco.
Represented Forest City Development and General Atlantic Properties in their capacity as owners of Bayside Village Apartments, a residential project of 862 units, in ongoing operational matters, including complying with affordable housing guidelines.
Assisted Federal Development Corporation in preparing its entry into a competition for a $1 Billion San Francisco’s mixed use development on San Francisco's Seawall Lot 337.
Publications
"Billboard Laws," The Recorder (April 2013)
"Letting the Air Out of Airbnb," San Francisco Apartment Association Magazine (February 2013)
"When Building, Plumbing and Electrical Permits Must be Obtained," San Francisco Apartment Association Magazine (April 1999)
"The Mechanics of Creating Condominiums and Planned Developments In California," California Real Property Journal, published by State Bar of California (Winter 1997)
"State Cuts Builders Some Slack: A Review of Recent Legislative Changes in the California Environmental Quality Act," California Builder (June/July 1994)
"Historic Buildings and Asset Preservation," The Recorder (October 1991)
"Conversion of Rental Units and Stock Cooperatives to Condominium Ownership in San Francisco," Fidelity National Title Insurance Company (1989)
"Allocation of Risk in the Construction Industry," Law & Contemporary Problems, vol. 46 (1983)
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Presentations
"What Attorneys Need to Know About the San Francisco Permit and Development Process," Bar Association of San Francisco (October 2003)
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Honors
Top Rated Lawyer in Land Use & Zoning, Martindale-Hubbell (2013)
Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent™ Rating