Experience in Action
Our real estate practice is broad and covers transactions and litigation of real property disputes.
Real Estate and Construction Litigation
Our team represents large real developers, financial institutions and institutional investors in high-stakes litigation. Our firm’s outstanding trial lawyers have amassed some of the largest real estate damage judgments and settlements in California. Representative cases include the following:
San Mateo County Transportation District vs. Tanforan Park LLC
We represented the owner of a large shopping center that lost a large portion of its available parking when the BART SFO extension was built. After a six-month jury trial, the case resulted in a judgment of $33,000,000 in our client’s favor, which was then the largest civil verdict in San Mateo County.
Clear Channel Communications (dba Bill Graham Presents) vs. City of Mountain View
We represented the City against claims for breach of a ground lease, fraud and inverse condemnation and obtained summary judgment in our client’s favor. The case went to trial on the City’s cross-complaint for breach of ground lease, fraud and RICO violations and resulted in a favorable settlement during trial valued at $50,000,000.
Colonies Partners L.P. vs. San Bernardino Flood Control District
We represented the landowners in concurrent quiet title and inverse condemnation actions. Following a successful trial of the quiet title actions, the county Board of Supervisors approved a $102,000,000 payment to resolve our client’s inverse condemnation claims.
N.V. Heathorn vs. Alameda County
Thomas Whitelaw represented N.V. Heathorn, a San Leandro-based construction company engaged by Alameda County to upgrade and retrofit facilities at Highland Hospital. The County later refused payment to the company and the case went to trial in the Alameda County Superior Court. Thomas Whitelaw’s client received a favorable verdict from the jury, which found that the County wrongfully terminated Heathorn from the Project and rejected the County’s claims that Heathorn presented a false for payment.
Real Estate Transactions
The firm has represented clients in a wide variety of real estate transactions, including representation of buyers and sellers in the acquisition, disposition and financing of commercial, retail and industrial real property, and representation of landlords and tenants in office, industrial, retail and ground leases. The firm also has deep experience representing lenders and borrowers in secured and unsecured commercial lending transactions, including loans secured by real estate and other corporate assets and securities, unsecured loans, multi-phase residential projects, and representation of agent banks in syndicated loans.