Experience

Murphy Crossing Campus, Milpitas

Represented CBRE Global Investors in the sale of the nearly 368,000 square foot Murphy Crossing campus in Milpitas for $88 million.

Sherman Plaza East & West, Van Nuys, CA

Represented Embarcadero Capital Investors with its disposition of office property Sherman Plaza East & West in Van Nuys. The property was acquired by Majestic Investments for $49.5 million and houses tenants such as the State of California Franchise Tax Board, General Services Administration and North Los Angeles County Regional Center.

Chicago Fairmont Hotel

Represented The Swig Company in the negotiation of a long-term management agreement with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts at the Fairmont Chicago Hotel, and the subsequent sale of the asset to an international hotel investment company.

Prominent San Jose Office Development Acquisition

Represented Embarcadero Capital Partners’ third fund in its complex $46 million acquisition of one of downtown San Jose’s most prominent office developments, Almaden Financial Plaza.

345 California Street - Leasing & Property Management

At the heart of San Francisco’s Financial District, this property includes a world-class hotel, as well as a substantial office component and ground floor retail uses.  We assist the owner of the office and retail portions of this property in all aspects of its ownership of this premier property, including leasing and property management issues.

Greg's Representative Engagements

Acquisitions and Dispositions

Represented private partnership in the sale of Palo Alto office building to REIT for over $130 million and the negotiation of joint venture agreement pursuant to which one of the principals of the partnership maintained an investment in the building and continued to manage it.  At the time, the sale price represented the highest per square foot price ever achieved for an office building in the Bay Area.

Represented Sony in the buyout of its partner in the Metreon shopping and entertainment center, and the sale of the asset to a joint venture between Westfield and Forest City.

Represented Embarcadero Capital Partners in the acquisition, financing and disposition of over 40 office and R&D properties in the Western and Northeastern United States, including the recent sale of 100 Hamilton in Palo Alto, CA to RREEF for a price of over $900 per square foot.

Represented Levi Strauss & Co. in the disposition of eight manufacturing and distribution facilities in California, Texas, Arkansas, Kentucky, Georgia and Tennessee.

Represented East Bay developer in the sale a portfolio of office buildings in Berkeley and Oakland to Scanlan Kemper Bard.

Represented Balboa Funds (now Ridge Capital) in the acquisition of office, industrial and development projects in and around Sacramento, California and Reno, Nevada, including Southport Business Park, a 670 acre master planned development in West Sacramento.

Represented energy company in the acquisition, leasing, subdivision and sale of land in East Altamont, CA.

Joint Ventures

Represented Kinship Capital, the real estate investment arm of the Searle family, in a joint venture with SIMEON Commercial Properties to acquire buildings at 810 W. Maude Ave., 870 W. Maude Ave. and 470 Potrero Ave. in Sunnyvale, CA.

Represented Kinship Capital in a joint venture with The John Buck Company and Element Properties, in a land investment to redevelop the Sutherlands lumberyard site in Boulder, Colo. (S’PARK), in a $100 million mixed-use project.

Represented Embarcadero Capital Partners in a joint venture with True North Capital Partners for the acquisition and improvement of 601 McCarthy Boulevard in Milpitas, CA.

Represented Kinship Capital in a joint venture with Pearlmark Real Estate Partners and Insight Realty Company in connection with the acquisition of 5301 Patrick Henry Drive in Santa Clara, a property of approximately 7 acres with a vacant 127,000 square foot office and R&D facility.

Represented Embarcadero Capital Partners in a joint venture with Westbrook Partners for the acquisition and repositioning of 701 Aviation

Represented Southern California residential developer in negotiation of development agreement and joint venture agreements with financial partner for developments in Anaheim, Northridge and Santa Clarita, CA.

Represented Kinship Capital, in a joint venture with SIMEON Commercial Properties for a land investment designated for a mixed-use residential and retail building at the northwest corner of Post Street and North San Pedro Street in San Jose, CA.

Represented hotel developer in negotiation of joint venture agreement with institutional real estate fund for development of boutique hotel in the Napa Valley.

Represented lead investor in negotiation of joint venture for development of mixed use project in Maricopa, Arizona.

Assisted Bridge Housing in negotiations with its joint venture partner in connection with its development adjacent to the MacArthur BART Station.

Hospitality

Represented a private hotel investment company in the acquisition of the Hotel Mark Twain, a boutique hotel in the Union Square area of San Francisco.

Represented The Swig Company in the negotiation of a long-term management agreement with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts at the Fairmont Chicago Hotel, and the subsequent sale of the asset to international hotel investment company.

Represented Auberge Resorts in connection with the negotiation of management and related agreements for three luxury resorts: Encantado, outside Santa Fe, New Mexico; Calistoga Ranch, a resort and fractional ownership project in Napa Valley, CA; and The Inn at Palmetto Bluff, in the South Carolina Lowcountry.

Represented Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group in the sale of six of the company’s San Francisco hotels, including the historic Sir Francis Drake.

Represented a private ownership group in the negotiation of management and related agreements with Mandarin Oriental for a mixed use luxury development in St. Kitts.

Financing

Represented co-tenant owner in negotiation of original $45 million loan (and subsequent $75 million refinance) from Wachovia secured by shopping center in Salinas, CA.

Represented residential developer in initial negotiation of $87 million participating loan with Wells Fargo for development in Salinas, CA, and subsequent modification of loan.

Represented family partnership in negotiation of $10.5 million line of credit with Merrill Lynch secured by retail properties in seven states.

Represented South Bay opportunity fund in the financing and refinancing of over 30 office and R&D properties in the Western and Northeastern United States.

Leasing

Represented the owner of 345 California, one of San Francisco’s premier office buildings, in all of its office and retail leasing activity, including leases to Marsh, Inc. of over 106,000 rentable square feet, and to TPG Global LLC of over 120,000 rentable square feet.

Represented the owner of Silicon Valley R&D building in full building lease to Apple, Inc.

Represented Fahr, LLC (umbrella organization for Tom Steyer’s companies) in 13,000 square foot lease in downtown S.F. office building.

Negotiated lease for Paragon Restaurant in Portland’s Pearl District on behalf of Moana Restaurant Group.

Assisted accounting firm Burr Pilger Mayer in negotiation of 20,000 square foot lease in Walnut Creek, CA.

Assisted law firm Kaufman & Logan with 10,000 square foot lease in San Francisco Financial District high-rise.

Represented production company in negotiation of lease and option to purchase for production facility in San Francisco, CA.

Workouts and Restructuring

Assisted Central Valley homebuilder and its principals in working out series of loans and personal guaranties in excess of $75 million with Wells Fargo and Comerica banks.

Represented Central Coast residential developer in negotiations with Comerica Bank concerning workout of loans and personal guaranties in excess of $60 million.

Assisted opportunity fund in negotiation of extensions and restructuring of a portfolio of loans from Bank of America secured by office properties in California and Washington.

Firm Highlights

Publication

New PFAS Listing Under Superfund Will Lead to Major Expansion of Liability

On April 19, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) announced its final rule designating perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) as hazardous substances under Section 102(a) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation...

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Event

Unplugged: The Renewable Energy Speaker Series - The IRA's Environmental Justice Incentive Programs

Join Farella Braun + Martel and the Environmental Law Institute for the relaunch Unplugged: The Renewable Energy Speaker Series with Farella’s John Ugai and guest speakers Miana Campbell with U.S. Department of Energy, Maria Castillo with...

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News

EPA Designates PFOA and PFOS as Hazardous Substances

Don Sobelman provided expert commentary in the  Chemical & Engineering News article "EPA Designates PFOA and PFOS as Hazardous Substances." Excerpt from the article: Lawyers are warning anyone purchasing an industrial site where PFOA...

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Publication

New PFAS Federal Drinking Water Standards Create Major Liability and Litigation Risk

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has released a final regulation setting individual drinking water maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for five per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These MCLs are incredibly stringent due to EPA’s stated concerns...

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Publication

California Regulation of Charitable Fundraising Platforms Part 2 - Reporting Due Diligence, Recordkeeping, and Disclosure Rules

Welcome to  EO Radio Show - Your Nonprofit Legal Resource . This episode covers the provisions of California’s Charitable Fundraising Platforms law (Gov. Code, § 12599.9) relevant to all covered charitable fundraisers and fundraising...

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Event

AI and Privacy: What Every Company Needs to Do Today

Sushila Chanana and Benjamin Buchwalter will discuss "AI and Privacy: What Every Company Needs to Do Today' at the ACC 2024 Privacy Summit.  This session will introduce basics of AI governance, such as ownership...

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Publication

California’s Estrada Decision and Impact on Employers and PAGA Claims

Following Estrada v. Royalty Carpet Mills, Inc. , the California Supreme Court’s employee-friendly Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ruling earlier this year, employers must remain more diligent than ever to prevent and mitigate costly...

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News

Farella Awards 2024 Diversity Scholarships to Bay Area Law Students

Farella Braun + Martel’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion + Belonging Committee is pleased to announce the recipients of our 2024 Diversity Scholarship grants totaling $45,000 to Bay Area first-year law students Marcus Albino, Saamia Haqiq...

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News

Burdened by Debt, Savvy SF Office Owners Get Creative

Restructuring, insolvency, and creditors rights partner Gary Kaplan provided expert commentary in The San Francisco Standard article, "Burdened by Debt, Savvy SF Office Owners Get Creative." In the article, Gary explained that in most cases...

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News

Farella Braun + Martel Earns San Francisco Green Business Recertification

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