Biography

Richard Shapiro has a diverse real estate-related practice, which includes land use and all aspects of real estate development, acquisitions and dispositions, entity formation, financing and venture workouts, leasing, land use, and construction. In addition to being an attorney, he is also a registered architect and has an inactive California contractor’s license.

His practice includes sophisticated financing strategies for nonprofit entities utilizing tax credits and tax exempt bond proceeds. For example, Dick recently represented a nonprofit affordable ”maker space” developer in the acquisition and financing of a makerspace using New Markets Tax Credits. In another, he represented a major resort in a sale utilizing an UPREIT transaction. He also recently represented a nonprofit college in the off-balance sheet tax-exempt bond financing of a new dormitory.

Dick's transactional real estate experience involves many types of property, including land for development, agriculture, residential subdivisions, apartment projects, corporate campus projects, industrial buildings and parks, hotels, marinas, shopping centers, mobile home parks, and suburban and high-rise office buildings. In addition to complex financing arrangements, his financing representation involves working with both lenders and borrowers in connection with construction and permanent financing, including participation arrangements for many property types, as well as loan restructuring. He also provides representation relating to operational issues, including reciprocal easement agreements, commercial condominium documents, and management and real estate brokerage agreements.

He represents clients in land use entitlement matters including CEQA compliance, general plan amendments, conditional use permits, development agreements and development and disposition agreements, wetlands mitigation, subdivision improvement, and reimbursement agreements. With respect to construction, Dick's experience includes representing owners, contractors, and design professionals in connection with a wide range of projects throughout the U.S. and abroad, with extensive experience in public and private design-build arrangements for publicly owned facilities, including office buildings, cultural facilities, courthouses, and rapid transit facilities.

Dick regularly lectures and conducts client seminars on construction and general real estate law issues. He authored a chapter in the ABA Forum Committee on the Construction Industry’s Fundamentals of Construction Law (Second Edition). Dick authored of "The Lease as an Operational Tool" in the ULI Shopping Center Development Handbook (Second Edition) and "Construction-Related Agreements" in California Easements and Boundaries, Law and Litigation, California Continuing Education of the Bar.

Dick serves on the board of Resources for Community Development, and is a former trustee of the Berkeley Repertory Theatre, the University of California Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, The Urban School of San Francisco and Legal Assistance for the Elderly. He is a California licensed architect and a member of Lambda Alpha, National Real Estate Honorary Society. He has been named to the "Northern California Super Lawyers" list and is listed in The Best Lawyers in America in the area of Real Estate Law.

Dick received his J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, where he was a member of the Hastings Law Journal. He earned his M. Arch from the University of California, Berkeley and his B.A. from Antioch College.

Distinctions

  • The Best Lawyers in America, Real Estate Law (2021-2024)
  • Legal 500 United States, Construction, Recommended Attorney (2023)
  • Northern California Super Lawyers

Memberships and Affiliations

  • Board Member, Resources for Community Development
  • Sustaining Advisor, Former Trustee, Berkeley Repertory Theatre
  • Former Trustee, University of California Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive
  • Former Trustee, The Urban School of San Francisco
  • Former Trustee, Legal Assistance for the Elderly
  • American Institute of Architects
  • Lambda Alpha (National Real Estate Honorary Society)

Firm Highlights

Publication

Nonprofit Basics: Unpacking Prudent Investments, PRIs and MRIs

Welcome to  EO Radio Show - Your Nonprofit Legal Resource . Episode 73 discusses frequently used terms in the nonprofit world pertaining to investment activities. Public charity and private foundation directors and officers need...

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Publication

Achieving Compatibility Between Solar Project Developers and Mineral Estate Holders

By Dirk R. Mueller , Alyssa Netto , and Will Russ Texas and California lead the country in terms of solar energy generating capacity while also maintaining major oil and gas production operations, which...

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Publication

California AI Proposal Rethinks Consumer Scope and Recordkeeping

The California Privacy Protection Agency will revisit its  draft  regulations for automated decision-making technology on March 8, including use of artificial intelligence to process personal information. Comment periods should be coming soon in 2024...

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Publication

Employment Law Update for Nonprofits With Holly Sutton

Welcome to  EO Radio Show - Your Nonprofit Legal Resource . Charities, foundations, and their founders often request help addressing employment practices and compliance questions. In this episode, host Cynthia Rowland is joined by Holly...

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Publication

Corporate Transparency Act: A Guide on Beneficial Ownership for Nonprofit Executives

The Corporate Transparency Act, enacted as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, represents a significant shift in regulatory requirements for entities across the United States. This act, set to...

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News

Farella Announces 2024 Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Pathfinders: Taylor Rottjakob and John Ugai

Farella Braun + Martel is proud to announce that senior associates  Taylor E. Rottjakob and John M. Ugai have been named 2024 Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) Pathfinders. Pathfinders have been identified as...

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News

Scraping Battles: Meta Loses Legal Effort to Halt Harvesting of Personal Profiles

Alex Reese spoke to Matt Fleischer-Black of  Cybersecurity Law Report about the Meta v. Bright Data decision and its impact on U.S. scraping case law. Read the article here (paywall or trial).

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News

Winston Liaw Named a Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Fellow

Northern California legal powerhouse Farella Braun + Martel is proud to announce that Winston Liaw has been named a Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) Fellow for 2024. Winston joins a select group of...

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News

Lawdragon Names 7 Farella Lawyers Among “Leaders in Environmental Law”

Northern California legal powerhouse Farella Braun + Martel is pleased to announce that seven lawyers were selected to The Lawdragon Green 500: 2024 Leaders in Environmental Law . Farella lawyers selected for inclusion: Sarah...

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Event

Legal and Insurance Issues Raised by Artificial Intelligence

Tyler Gerking is a speaker at the Bar Association of San Francisco's CLE program "Legal and Insurance Issues Raised by Artificial Intelligence." Session Overview:  2023 saw the adoption and use of AI products skyrocket resulting in increased...

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