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

  • Northern California Super Lawyers
  • The Best Lawyers in America, Real Estate Law (2021-2023)

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: Federal Tax Filing Deadlines and Penalties

Welcome to  EO Radio Show – Your Nonprofit Legal Resource . This episode focuses on the importance of meeting the federal tax filing deadlines that apply to charitable organizations. Most charitable organizations that are...

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Publication

Trends Guest Editorial: Wildfires and Wineries

Link to the article in Gradient's Trends  Spring 2023 newsletter. Recurring wildfires in the Napa and Sonoma Counties of California have created a set of niche problems for the surrounding wineries, on top of...

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Event

Bisnow: San Francisco State of the Market

At Bisnow's San Francisco State of the Market event, Ashley Breakfield will moderate the panel "Revitalizing San Francisco: Reconfiguring the city for a hybrid world, reimagining downtown, and uplifting the economy." Click  here  for more information and to...

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Publication

Uncorking Accessibility: How Winery Websites Can Meet ADA Compliance Standards

Vanessa Ing and Kelsey Mollura discuss "Uncorking Accessibility: How Winery Websites Can Meet ADA Compliance Standards." The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities...

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Publication

Nonprofit Basics: Meeting Minutes Best Practices

Welcome to  EO Radio Show – Your Nonprofit Legal Resource . This episode focuses on documenting decisions made at meetings of a nonprofit organization's board of directors or trustees. While everyone who attends a...

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News

Big Tech Breathes Sigh of Relief After Justices' Terror Rulings

Erik Olson spoke to Law360 for the article "Big Tech Breathes Sigh of Relief After Justices' Terror Rulings," covering the U.S. Supreme Court's decision not to review whether Section 230 insulates online platforms from...

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Publication

Office-to-Housing Conversion: State and Local Efforts to Revitalize the Downtown

Originally published in The Registry . As office vacancies soar in traditional downtown areas like San Francisco’s Financial District, state and local officials are moving quickly to adopt incentives they hope will bring people...

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News

Farella Braun + Martel Earns Mansfield Certification Plus Status

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News

Legal experts say Google, Twitter and other tech companies dodged a bullet at the Supreme Court

Erik Olson spoke to Silicon Valley Business Journal for the article "Legal experts say Google, Twitter and other tech companies dodged a bullet at the Supreme Court." The Supreme Court avoided taking a stand...

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News

Chambers USA 2023 Recognizes Farella Braun + Martel Lawyers, Practices

Farella Braun + Martel is pleased to announce that Chambers USA has recognized 16 lawyers and six practice areas in the legal directory’s 2023 edition. Individual California and Western U.S. Rankings: Sarah Bell &ndash...

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