Partner

Stephen focuses his practice on real estate and land use law. He has also served as an expert witness in real estate and land use litigation, including loan transactions, escrow and title practices, purchase and sale transactions, lease interpretation and practice, and land use matters. Stephen has expertise across the entire spectrum of real estate transactional work. He has a thorough understanding of the business of real estate, thus enabling him in his transactional practice to achieve the business goals and objectives of his clients in an effective and knowledgeable manner.

Stephen's land use and environmental law practice focuses on all areas of land use and environmental law. His acumen and understanding of the business goals and objectives of his clients through his transactional real estate practice enable him to shape the land use process to obtain approvals which meet those goals and objectives. His practice includes general plan preparation and analysis; specific plan preparation and analysis; rezoning; amendments to general plans, specific plans, and zoning; conditional use permits; design review, and all other aspects of land use and environmental law. He assists private clients through all stages of the land use approval process, including attaining entitlements to develop or expand shopping centers of all sizes, stand-alone retail facilities, mixed-use projects, hospitals, hotels, residential developments, entertainment businesses, and quarries. He also assists governmental entities, such as cities and counties, in the land use approval process, negotiating development agreements, redevelopment agreements, and advising on and drafting general plans, specific plans, and zoning ordinances. Stephen's practice spans redevelopment, development agreements, the Subdivision Map Act, annexation, historic resources, the Coastal Commission, air quality regulations, water supply, climate change regulation, transportation planning, eminent domain, inverse condemnation, and compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. Stephen also litigates land use matters (including the California Environmental Quality Act) for both public and private clients.

Publications

See All Publications

Presentations

See All Presentations

Honors

Northern California Super Lawyers (2004-2011)

Best Lawyers in America for Real Estate (1983-Present)

"Spirit of CEB" Award, Continuing Education of the Bar (2006)