Intro
Paul has been working with seniors housing and care providers since 1975. He is the author of the book Seniors' Housing and Care Facilities: Development, Business and Operations (Urban Land Institute, 1998) and has been called "godfather of senior housing" by the Chambers USA legal directory.
Paul's entire practice is devoted to representation of seniors housing, long-term care providers, and related organizations. This includes business transactions, regulatory compliance, risk management and dispute resolution, fair housing and ADA compliance and operations counseling. He litigates in federal and state courts, including court and jury trials and appellate work. He has been instrumental in drafting state and model national continuing care and assisted living facility legislation and the U.S. General Accountability Office consulted with him in preparation of its report to the Senate on Continuing Care Retirement Communities.
Given Paul's tenure and experience in the industry, he also serves as an expert witness on senior living communities in federal and state courts.
Paul is a highly sought-after speaker with an international reputation. He has addressed audiences at conferences sponsored by the Urban Land Institute, Harvard University, Boston University, China Real Estate Chamber of Commerce, Sun-Yat Sen University in Guangzhou, China, the American Bar Association, The Canada Forum, the World Research Group, the American Seniors Housing Association, LeadingAge, the National Investment Center, the American Society on Aging, the American Health Care Association, the National Real Estate Development Center, AIC Conferences, Ernst & Young, Coopers & Lybrand, Laventhol & Horwath, the Practicing Law Institute, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, and the American Health Law Association.
Paul has written or consulted on articles on retirement community development and operations published in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Consumer Reports, Urban Land Magazine, Seniors Housing Business, the National Real Estate Investor, Provider Magazine, Contemporary Long-Term Care, Multi Housing News, The Practical Real Estate Lawyer, and Retirement Housing Report.
Areas of Focus
Education
Admissions and Courts
Role
Senior Housing and Care Practice Leader
Americans Senior Housing Association (ASHA). Paul serves as General Counsel to the American Seniors Housing Association and is on their Executive Board.
Acquisitions, mergers and business reorganizations for numerous clients.
Defense of federal and state fair housing claims for numerous clients.
Expert witness testimony in business and injury litigation brought against senior living clients.
Counseling regarding risk management and dispute resolution activities arising from daily operations.
Bar Association of San Francisco, Former Board of Directors
American Bar Association, Former Chair, Housing for the Elderly Committee, Real Property Division
LeadingAge, CA
American and California Assisted Living Facility Associations
LeadingAge, Former Chair, Legal Committee
American Seniors Housing Association, General Counsel and Executive Board
"9th Circuit Upholds CCRC’s US Tax Court Victory," Hanson Bridgett Press Release (October 2024)
"Charge Nursing Homes More for Emergency Response? Park Ridge Leaders Table the Question," Chicago Tribune (May 2023)
"3 Senior Living Legal Issues to Watch in 2023 and Beyond," Senior Housing News (April 2023)
"After Pandemic Struggles, Senior Housing Makes A Comeback," Law360 (January 2023)
"A Time of Change," Seniors Housing Business (July 2022)
"Court Ruling Offers Hope, But Uncertainty Remains Over Senior Living Liability Protection," Senior Housing News (February 2021)
"Favorable Ruling for Sunrise, Welltower Rests on Complete PREP Act Immunity for Senior Living Providers," Senior Housing News (February 2021)
"Fight Intensifies Over Covid-19 Legal Immunity for Senior Living," Senior Housing News (June 2020)
"What Can Seniors Housing Operators Do to Limit the Threat of Lawsuits?," National Real Estate Investor (February 2019)
Best Lawyers (2016-2025)
Top Rated Lawyer in Northern California, ALM (2019)
Chambers and Partners USA, Healthcare
Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent™ (2016)
Top Rated Lawyer in Health Care, Martindale-Hubbell™ (2013)
Super Lawyers, Health Care (2006, 2010-2013)
"PREP Act Decision in Favor of Senior Living Communities Vacated by 9th Circuit Court of Appeals; Prep Act Case Favoring Plaintiffs Denied Review by U.S. Supreme Court," American Seniors Housing Association (December 2022)
"Complete Immunity for Senior Living COVID Responses", American Seniors Housing Association (February 2021)
"Tech Advances in the Senior Space: Adoption, Implementation and Risk Management," co-author, ASHA Special Issues Brief (Winter 2019)
"When Disaster Strikes: Disaster Preparedness in Seniors Housing," ASHA Special Issues Brief (Fall 2017)
"Home Care Aides in Senior Living: Risks and Responses," American Seniors Housing Association Special Issue Brief (Winter 2017)
"U.S. Department of Justice: Separation of Residents by Levels of Care Can Violate the Fair Housing Act," LeadingAge California (July 2015)
"Fair Housing Update: Recent HUD Conciliation Agreement," American Seniors Housing Association (November 2014)
"The Development, Operation, and Regulation of Continuing Care Retirement Communities," American Health Lawyers Association (2009)
"Seniors Housing and Care Facilities: Development, Business and Operations," 3rd ed., Urban Land Institute (1998)
"Understanding Website Accessibility Claims," The LeadingAge California BOLD Annual Conference & Expo (May 2024)
"Increase Move-ins with Trust-Building Content AND Balance Legal Risks," CALA's 2024 Fall Conference & Trade Show (November 2024)
"Shifting Standards of Care for Senior Living," AHLA’s Long Term and Post-Acute Care Law and Compliance (February 2024)
“Fair Housing Training for Active Adult and Independent Living Communities,” American Seniors Housing Association Webinar (June 2023)
“Senior Living After the Pandemic,” 8th Annual InterFace Seniors Housing West (February 2023)
“Tax Considerations When Moving to a Retirement Community,” Carmel Valley Manor Webinar (May 2022)
"Strategies for Resolving Resident Concerns,” co-presenter, LeadingAge Annual Conference (May 2022)
"Ethics and Operations " CALA Spring Conference and Trade Show (June 2022)
"Sexual Rights and Cognitive Impairment" CALA Spring Conference and Trade Show (June 2022)
“Liability and Immunity in the Age of COVID-19,” LeadingAge California (May 2021)
"Retirement Communities and Leasing: FHA Compliance, Age Verification, Reasonable Accommodations," co-presenter, Strafford Webinar (October 2020)
"CCRC Legal Update," co-presenter, LeadingAge California Public Policy Conference (February 2020)
"Provider Obstacles & Challenges For Providers and Provider & Regulatory Responses," Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit (June 2018)
"CCRC Class Actions: Prepare Yourself!" co-presenter, LeadingAge California Meeting (May 2018)
“Resident Transfers and Contract Terminations in Assisted Living and CCRC’s," co-speaker, AHLA is the American Health Lawyers’ Association (March 2018)
“Current Legal Issues for Life Plan Communities/CCRC’s," speaker, LeadingAge Policy and Leadership Summit (February 2018)
“Anatomy of an Affiliation,” speaker, LeadingAge Annual Meeting (November 2017)
“Developing a Not-For-Profit strategy for Acquiring Rental Properties,” co-speaker, LeadingAge Annual Meeting (October 2017)
"Anatomy of an Affiliation," speaker, LeadingAge California 56th Annual Conference and Exposition (May 2017)
“Developing a Structure for Modernizing Home Care,” co-presenter, Aging2.0 OPTIMIZE (October 2016)
"IC Federal Restrictions on Separating Levels of Care" and "Legal & Liability Issues for Pilot Projects," LeadingAge CA 2016 Annual Conference and Exposition (May 2016)
"Fair Housing in Senior Living Update," co-presenter, live webinar (April 2016)
"Integrating Tech Solutions into Senior Care," AHLA Long Term Care and the Law Conference (February 2016)
"Legal and Liability Issues for Pilot Projects," Aging 2.0 AgeTech Expo (November 2015)
"Integrating Tech Solutions in Senior Living," Urban Land Institute, Senior Housing Council (October 2015)
"2015 Department of Justice Consent Orders: Government Micro-Management of the Levels of Care," The Greystone Event (July 2015)
"Emergency Response in Senior Care Communities," co-speaker, American Health Lawyers' Association (February 2015)
"Resident Transfer and Review: A Play in 3 or 4 Acts," co-presenter, LeadingAge California Annual Conference (May 2014)
"CCRC Statute Revisions: Modernizing to Meet the New Realities," LeadingAge California – Policy and Leadership Summit (March 2014)
"American Senior Living Goes to China," AHLA Long Term Care and the Law Conference (February 2014)
"Applying Western Senior Care Models to China," panelist, International Association of Homes and Services for the Aging Conference (November 2013)
"Acuity Creep and Private Aides," LeadingAge of California (May 2013)
"Challenge the Experts," LeadingAge of California (May 2013)
"The Transformation of the IL Model: Temporary Shift or Permanent, Market-Driven Reality?" National Investment Center (March 2013)
"Hospital-to-Home Transition Programs," American Health Lawyers Association (February 2013)
"Shining in Distress: Communications, Legal and Regulatory Strategy," Erickson School: UMBC (February 2013)
"Legal Issues Roundtable," American Seniors Housing Association (January 2013)