‎My philosophy is to provide effective, timely communication and advice based on each ‎client’s specific needs and demands.‎

How I represent clients at Schwabe

With over 20 years of practice, I help clients ‎lease, purchase, sell, and finance real property ‎throughout Oregon and Washington. I have handled ‎numerous large, complex real estate transactions and enjoy assisting start-ups and mom-and-pop companies ‎on smaller deals.‎

Leasing

My active leasing practice includes institutional and private real ‎property owners throughout the western United States and ‎businesses with locations throughout the country. My leasing focus ‎includes office, industrial, and retail projects. I understand that each ‎client has different priorities in lease negotiations and that some ‎clients prefer to focus on “big ticket” items while others strive to optimize every provision. Having drafted and negotiated ‎hundreds of leases, I bring this extensive experience to the table in ‎advising clients where they will get the most bang for their buck in ‎lease negotiations. This experience also helps maximize efficiency in ‎negotiating subordination, nondisturbance, and attornment ‎agreements, tenant estoppels, franchise addenda, and all other lease-‎related documents.‎

Real Property Acquisition and Disposition

I have experience buying and selling real property of various kinds, including office towers, shopping ‎centers, industrial and warehouse facilities, bare land, agricultural land, and ranches. As the need arises, I ‎draw upon the knowledge of other Schwabe lawyers focusing on land use, entitlements, and ‎environmental practice. I believe in proactive communication so that my clients are not confused about ‎the status of a transaction and the numerous deadlines they may face. As the former chair of one of Oregon’s largest real estate and land use departments, I am a team player who can draw on junior attorneys to ‎assist with aspects of transactions to deliver the best and most efficient results.‎

Real Property Finance and Opinion Practice

I began my legal career at the San Diego office of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, drafting and ‎negotiating loan documents for several lender clients. Upon moving to Portland to join Schwabe in 2003, I ‎built on that practice by representing borrowers on real estate loans large and small. I am a long-‎standing member of Schwabe’s Legal Opinion Committee and the former chair of Schwabe’s Real Estate & ‎Land Use practice group. ‎

Experience

  • Handle ongoing leasing of substantial retail and office portfolios for several large real estate investment companies.
  • Represented the Port of Vancouver in the development of the largest petroleum transloading facility in the country.
  • Represented a timberlands investment management organization in the acquisition of a 1.88-million-acre timberland portfolio.
  • Represented Concordia University in the development of a collaborative facility with Portland Public Schools that established the country’s first graduate program/elementary school campus.
  • Served as national real estate and operations counsel for four major cinema circuits.
  • Represented a major financial institution in the sale of its 40-story office complex in downtown Portland.

Education

  • University of San Diego, Law School, Juris Doctor degree, cum laude, Order of the Coif (2001)
  • University of California, San Diego, Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude (1991)

Admissions

  • California State Courts
  • Oregon State Courts
  • Washington State Courts

Memberships

Fellow in the American College of Mortgage Attorneys, serving as the State Chair for Oregon

Awards

  • Best Lawyers, “Law Firm of the Year” in Timber Law, Team Member (2015 and 2018)
  • Best Lawyers, National Tier 1 Firm in Timber Law, Team Member (2015-2018)

Additional Events

Law Seminars International

Construction Work Letters
The lawyer’s role; how to get accurate information and enough detail into the document
February, 2020

Community Activities

  • Make-a-Wish Foundation, Board of Directors (Present)
  • Clackamas Service Center, Board of Directors (Former)
  • Three Rivers Land Conservancy, Board of Directors (Former)

Outside Interests

When not roasting coffee, growing hops, playing drums, brewing beer or bowling, I enjoy narrowboating in the canals of England.

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