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.
Representative Work
Represented landlords, tenants, and financial institutions on a nation-wide basis, including acquisitions and dispositions of shopping centers, office buildings, mixed uses projects and R&D projects.
Negotiated leases across the country for landlords and tenants.
Represented national developers and other entities in acquiring, developing, leasing, and financing various projects.
Entity formation, including limited partnerships, general partnerships, limited liability companies (including single-purpose entities required by lenders), and corporations.
Presentations
"CEQA Litigation," Specialized Conference on Industry Litigation (SCIL) (April 2013)
“You Expect Me to Pay for What? Operating Expenses,” Georgetown Law Center Advanced Commercial Leasing Institute (April 2013)
"Land Use Law," panelist, University of San Francisco School of Law (February 2013)
"Common Area Maintenance Issues – Anything New?" co-speaker, Retail Leasing Symposium, ICSC California (February 2013)
"A Changing Economy: Changing Retail Space To Other Uses In Shopping Centers," co-speaker, Retail Leasing Symposium, ICSC California (February 2013)
"Office Leasing in an Ever Changing Market," 33rd Annual Recent Developments in Real Property Law, Continuing Education of the Bar (January 2013)
“California Environmental Quality Act Issues and Themes," 43rd Select Conference on Industry Litigation (November 2012)
"Are you Possessed? Issues on Delivery of Possession and Term Commencement," panelist, ICSC Law Conference (October 2012)
"Land Use Regulation and Development," moderator, Continuing Education of the Bar — California (September 2012)
"R U Possessed: Issues in Premises Delivery," panelist, Georgetown Advanced Commercial Leasing Institute (April 2012)
"So you want a rent reduction…?" panelist, ICSC California Retail Symposium (February 2012)
"Real Property Law Practice: 32nd Annual Recent Developments," moderator, Continuing Education of the Bar — California (January 2012)
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Honors
Northern California Super Lawyers (2004-2012)
Best Lawyers in America for Real Estate (1983-Present)
"Spirit of CEB" Award, Continuing Education of the Bar (2006)