Overview

Paul is co-chair of the firm's San Francisco San Francisco Real Estate Development and Renewable Energy Team.

He has a broad, diverse, 40-year background in real estate transactions and development law. His focus extends to real property acquisitions and dispositions (land, commercial, retail, and multi-family), common interest developments and condominiums, commercial finance, joint ventures, and real estate regulatory law. Paul's clients are developers of residential, commercial, and mixed-use properties, equity funds, pension funds, investment advisors, entrepreneurs, and other investors in office, retail, industrial, and multi-family properties.

He is well known for representing clients in the planning and development of master-planned communities and common interest developments.  He regularly advises clients on related regulatory issues, including California Bureau of Real Estate (formerly DRE) processing. Paul is also a regular speaker on various aspects of real estate law at both State Bar and industry events.

Experience

  • Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, San Francisco. Prepared governing documents for the seminal phase of the massive Hunters Point Naval Shipyard master planned community.

  • Candlestick Point, San Francisco. Prepared the initial master planned community documents for this major planning and redevelopment area of San Francisco.

  • Transbay Block 8, San Francisco. Prepared managing documents for this complex mixed-use high rise master community in the SOMA area of San Francisco, involving 13 vertical airspace components, including retail, two affordable housing blocks, luxury residential condominiums, subterranean parking and amenity floor.

  • 950 Market. Prepared managing documents, condominium sub-project documents, and consumer sales packages for this mixed-use master vertical airspace community on Market Street in San Francisco, involving hotel, retail, and residential condominium components, including subterranean parking.

  • Great Park Neighborhoods, Irvine, CA. Represented the developer in transportation demand management organization planning for this extensive master planned community.

  • Valencia Master Planned Community. Represented the developer in transportation demand management organization planning for this extensive master planned community.

  • Grand Avenue Phase 1, Los Angeles. Represented developer in the preparation of residential condominium component CC&Rs and managing documents for this mixed-use high-rise development in downtown Los Angeles.

  • Discovery Bay. Planned and prepared governing documents for master planned communities such as the Discovery Bay, Discovery Bay West, Lakeshore, and Lakes communities in Byron, California.

  • Capitol Station, Sacramento. Provided key legal assistance for the pension fund lender in connection with the ongoing structured finance of the infrastructure of this high profile, privately and publicly financed redevelopment of a key district of Sacramento, including negotiation of loan amendments, intercreditor provisions in public grant documents, and sale of key affordable housing components. Represented lender in foreclosure of the loan and sale of the development project as REO to new Sacramento development entity.

  • Rancho Mirage Professional Center. Represented a large pension fund in purchase of medical centers in Rancho Mirage, Huntington Beach, and Los Angeles County.

  • San Mateo Police Site Redevelopment. Represented MidPen Housing Corp., a non-profit affordable housing builder, in structuring and negotiating the terms of a joint development and use agreement for a podium apartment project in San Mateo, California.

  • Cedar Gateway, San Diego. Represented the private developer in the preparation of easement agreements and CC&R's for this public/private mixed-use podium development, including both city and privately owned vertical subdivision interests.

  • Santa Clara County Fairgrounds Redevelopment. Represented a major public/private housing authority in preparing CC&R's and joint development agreements for development of new affordable and for-profit housing within the former Santa Clara County Fairgrounds.

  • Sheraton Palace Hotel. Represented international hotel owner in retail leasing matters for the hotel, including comprehensive lease workouts and renegotiations in the course of the major renovation of the historic hotel.

  • One Montgomery Street. Formed and represented a multi-national joint venture in the acquisition and later disposition of this historic San Francisco office building and original San Francisco headquarters of Wells Fargo Bank.

  • Raymond Renaissance, Pasadena. Negotiated and closed the complex acquisition of the Raymond Renaissance, a high profile, distressed adaptive re-use condominium project in Pasadena, California, then in receivership.

  • Affordable Housing Condominium Projects. Provided planning/risk management counsel, constituent documents, and regulatory assistance to major non-profit builder for the development of affordable housing condominium projects in San Francisco and Oakland, including housing developments at Mission Walk (Berry Street) and 3rd & Armstrong in San Francisco and Mandela Parkway in Oakland.

  • 221 Warren Avenue. Represented a respected real estate owner/investor in eminent domain negotiations with the City of Fremont relating to the re-grading of Warren Avenue for a new rail underpass, resulting in a favorable pre-litigation settlement for the owner, where others similarly situated invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in litigation costs for the same result.

  • Bridgeport and Crossings at Eden Shores. Represented a national builder in the preparation and negotiation of all management and constituent documents, shepherding the DRE public report process, and negotiating affordable housing agreements with the City of Hayward for this multi-phased, mixed planned development and condominium project.

  • CityPlace, San Francisco. Successfully negotiated the joint venture, and later the financial workout, for the mid-Market Street development known as CityPlace, San Francisco.

Insights

Speaking Engagements

Publications

Awards & Affiliations

Honors & Recognitions

Best Lawyers in America, Real Estate Law, 2021, 2023-2024

Northern California Super Lawyers, 2005-2006, 2023

Professional Affiliations

Building Industry Association of the Bay Area, DRE Committee, Vice-Chair

California State Bar, Real Property Section, Former Member and Advisor of the Executive Committee

Practice Areas

Industries

Bar & Court Admissions

  • State Bar of California

Education

J.D., Santa Clara Law School, 1980

B.S., University of Santa Clara, 1977

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