Overview of Services
Hanson Bridgett’s shopping center group offers comprehensive legal services to shopping center owners, managers, and developers. Because our clients own a wide range of properties, from neighborhood centers, to lifestyle centers, to super-regional malls, we have special expertise to handle the array of legal issues they confront. Our attorneys have a reputation for excellence in the industry, providing effective advocacy, skilled drafting, and careful attention to client service and objectives.
Hanson Bridgett competes in quality, capacity, and experience with the largest firms, while our smaller size allows us to provide proactive, cost-effective, and sophisticated legal work that is personalized and responsive.
Our attorneys provide a broad range of skill and expertise in the following areas:
Lease Litigation and Unlawful Detainers
We litigate breach of lease actions involving all types of obligations, from rent, additional charges and security deposit claims, common area maintenance disputes, to exclusivity and use rights disputes. We also have extensive expertise in unlawful detainer actions and understand the importance of obtaining possession quickly when tenants default.
Acquisition, Sales, Financing, and Leasing
We handle all aspects of commercial leasing, from negotiation through drafting and execution. We negotiate and draft letters of intent, purchase and sale agreements, as well as purchase money loans, construction loans, and other institutional lending arrangements. We assist with property inspections, title, and other due diligence, while our tax expertise includes handling reassessment issues, tax free exchanges, and other tax-driven transactions.
ADA and First Amendment Access Issues
Professional plaintiffs file ADA lawsuits daily that target shopping centers, and owners confront problems caused by solicitors at their centers. We advise shopping centers on ADA compliance, and have successfully defended numerous disability access claims. We also advise clients on first amendment access issues, and develop access rules and regulations to allow owners reasonable control over the use of their properties.
Creditor’s Rights and Tenant Bankruptcies
We represent commercial creditors and real estate owners and managers in bankruptcy cases. We provide strategic advice and advocacy when our clients encounter opposing parties in financial distress or insolvency proceedings – including cases under chapters 7, 11, and 13 of the Bankruptcy Code, and state court proceedings after an assignment for the benefit of creditors. We protect our clients’ rights to enforce lease obligations, recover post-petition rent, regain possession, and obtain maximum recovery when a lease is rejected.
Construction Contracts and Litigation
We represent owners in construction matters and litigation. We negotiate and prepare construction contracts, surety bonds, and construction financing documents. Our expertise includes all facets of construction litigation, such as mechanic’s lien litigation, impact and delay claims from new construction, project management and construction defect disputes, and claims concerning tenant improvements and mall expansions.
Land Use and Development
Our attorneys are deeply involved in our local communities, and we use our regional expertise to fashion pragmatic win-win solutions to development challenges. We obtain entitlements and other regulatory approvals, and have expertise in NEPA /CEQA compliance, general plan, zoning and map approvals, and development agreements for mixed use projects.
Environmental Issues
We coordinate environmental due diligence efforts and handle investigation and remediation of contamination caused by tenants that release hazardous substances, including dry cleaners and gas stations. We work with consultants and regulators to maximize accessibility during cleanups, and provide comprehensive services for acquisition and development of "brownfield" properties. We advise on common landlord-tenant issues involving asbestos, lead-based paint, and radon and mold contamination, including statutory notification requirements, abatement requirements, and responding to tenant concerns.
