JACKSON TIDUS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Senior Counsel
- Member of the Firm 's Real
Andrew P. Bernstein is a member of the Firm's Real Estate Services Group. He has extensive experience in the acquisition, disposition, leasing and finance of residential, commercial, retail and industrial projects throughout the United States.
Mr. Bernstein's practice has included the representation of many publicly and privately held residential and commercial developers in land sales and acquisitions throughout California. He also has extensive experience in representing developers of master-planned communities in the structuring and documentation of builder land sale programs. He also regularly represents clients in negotiating limited liability company operating agreements for real estate development and investment, as well as restructuring troubled projects. He has extensive experience in the acquisition and disposition of hotels and multi-family residential projects, and in the representation of both landlords and tenants in ground leases and in office, retail and industrial leasing transactions.
Mr. Bernstein also has substantial expertise in the representation of both borrowers and lenders in commercial lending and workout trans actions. He has developed special expertise in matters involving the real estate aspects of military base redevelopment and privatization projects. He is a Member of the Board of Directors of the Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce, and a Lifetime Member of the Board of Directors of the Orange County Chapter of the Building Industry Association. Mr. Bernstein is rated as an "AV Preeminent" attorney by Martindale Hubbell.
Memberships:
State Bar of California
Member, Real Estate Section, State Bar of California
Orange County Bar Association, Real Estate Section
Member, Board of Directors, Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce (2018-Present)
Building Industry Association, Orange County Chapter (Member, Board of Directors 1999-Present; Member, Executive Committee 2002-2008)
Education:
University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law, J.D., 1980
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Shareholder in the Firm 's Land
Boyd L. Hill is a Shareholder in the Firm's Land Use Group, and focuses on real estate and land use entitlement matters. Mr. Hill has significant experience in commercial leasing, purchase and sale, title review, escrow and financing matters. He has worked on municipal organization (LAFCO), general and specific plan, use permit, variance, development fees and environmental (CEQA, RWQCB) matters. As a former municipal attorney, Mr. Hill is familiar with municipal authority, procedures, financing, contracting, code enforcement and other legal issues, including those under the Brown Act, Public Records Act, Claims Act, Eminent Domain Law and Political Reform Act. As a former water district attorney, he also has experience with water transfers, water rights, water management plans, groundwater recharge and storage, conjunctive use, water sales, water treatment, groundwater remediation, certificates of participation, financing, Clean Water Act and water fees. Mr. Hill has represented developers, entertainment companies, property owners, mobile home parks, waste haulers, retail supermarkets, trucking companies, private lakes, investors, hospital groups, cities, water agencies and other special districts. He has appeared and tried matters in California and federal courts and before State and City administrative hearings.
Memberships:
State Bar of California
Orange County Bar Association
Education:
University of Virginia, School of Law, J.D., 1988
Brigham Young University, Garden Grove, CA, B.A., 1985
Charles M. Clark is a trial attorney that practices in all areas of civil litigation, including contractual, real estate and commercial disputes, securities fraud, trade secret misappropriation and insurance defense. Mr. Clark has represented a variety of clients from large real estate developers and insurance companies to corporations of all sizes from the initiation of the dispute through trial or arbitration.
Mr. Clark's representative experience includes:
Represented Plaintiff in a real estate dispute with a Defendant seller who wanted to rescind the Purchase and Sale Agreement for a $3,600,000 parcel of undeveloped commercial property for Plaintiff's failure to close. The matter involved the enforcement of the Purchase and Sale Agreement to ensure the closing conditions were satisfied before Plaintiff was forced to close. After a three week bench trial, the judge issued a favorable verdict awarding Plaintiff its only requested legal remedy of Specific Performance of the Purchase and Sale Agreement.
Represented Respondent in a binding arbitration concerning the enforcement of a buy/sell agreement and the valuation of a decedent's ownership shares in a corporation. After a week-long binding arbitration, Plaintiff received a favorable arbitration decision enforcing the buy/sell agreement and setting the value of the shares at $3,000,000.
Represented Plaintiff in a trade secret and fraud matter in which the Defendant was the president of a corporation that Plaintiff acquired. Immediately prior to the acquisition, the president of the acquired corporation made numerous misrepresentations during the due diligence period and took the acquired company's trade secret customer list. After an eight week jury trial, the jury issued Plaintiff a favorable verdict awarding $1,600,000 in monetary damages.
Represented Defendant in a wrongful death and personal injury matter involving a van accident in which numerous passengers died and others were severely injured. Plaintiff requested an award in excess of $20,000,000. After a four week jury trial, the matter settled during deliberations for an amount substantially less than the demand.
Memberships:
State Bar of California
Bar Association of San Francisco
Orange County Bar Association, Resolutions Committee
Education:
University of California, San Francisco, Hastings College of the Law, J.D., 2006
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Member of the Firm 's Real
Christopher J. Green is a member of the Firm's Real Estate Services Group. His practice includes a broad range of transactional real estate matters, with a focus on property acquisition and disposition, development, finance and commercial leasing. His goal in each transaction is to provide the highest quality representation for his clients.
Prior to moving to California in 2004, Mr. Green practiced law in Boca Raton, Florida as a member of the commercial real estate practice group in one of the largest law firms in the state of Florida.
Mr. Green has over twenty years of experience representing clients in various complex projects and transactions comprising all major real estate asset classes throughout California and Florida.
Mr. Green's representative experience includes:
Represent several master-planned community developers in preparing and negotiating documentation for the sale of lots to merchant builders, as well as representing public companies and privately held merchant builders who acquire property in master-planned communities.
Draft, review and negotiate office, industrial and retail leases and ancillary documents on behalf of owners and tenants, including the following:
Drafted and negotiated industrial leases in various business parks located in California for one of the largest privately held developers, owners and managers of real estate on the West Coast;
Drafted and negotiated office leases for office building owners throughout California and South Florida;
Drafted and negotiated retail leases for major international retailer throughout the country; and
Drafted and negotiated leases and subleases for international developer for the redevelopment of former Air Force Base.
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Shareholder in the Firm 's Litigation
Edward A. Galloway is a Shareholder in the Firm's Litigation Services Group, and represents clients in both the prosecution and defense of civil litigation, with emphasis in the area of real estate and construction-related disputes. Mr. Galloway has substantial experience in insurance coverage matters related to construction including the acquisition of appropriate insurance coverage at the inception of projects, as well as claims during and after construction. Mr. Galloway has represented some of the largest commercial and residential property developers in California in construction and insurance-related disputes including liability insurance, builder's risk insurance, professional liability insurance, and environmental-pollution insurance. He has represented clients before Federal courts, State courts and administrative agencies. Mr. Galloway has also counseled clients concerning the drafting, negotiation and interpretation of purchase and sale agreements, subcontract agreements, design professional agreements, and disclosure statements, among others.
Mr. Galloway's litigation experience includes representation of clients involved in all types of business disputes, real property, and insurance coverage disputes in both Federal and State courts.
Memberships:
State Bar of California
State Bar of Texas
U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit
Orange County Bar Association, Construction Section
Building Industry Association
Construction Quality Committee
Risk Management and Insurance Task Force
Education:
Southern Methodist University, School of Law, J.D., 1982
University of Texas, B.A., 1978
Job Titles:
- Senior Attorney
- Member of the Firm 's Real
Elizabeth T. Hall is a member of the Firm's Real Estate Services Group, as well as the Business and Corporate Services Group. Ms. Hall has significant experience representing both commercial and residential real estate developers, including homebuilders, shopping center developers and hotel developers. Ms. Hall's practice includes negotiation and documentation of residential and commercial purchase and sale agreements and the financing for such transactions. She works with buyers and sellers in connection with the purchase and sale of both developed and undeveloped industrial, commercial and mixed-use sites, and with equity providers in the negotiation of joint venture transactions. Ms. Hall's real estate practice also commercial leasing.
Prior to joining Jackson Tidus, Ms. Hall was a partner with the law firm of Ross, Wolcott, Teinert & Prout LLP where she practiced both real estate and corporate law for over ten years. She was also an associate in the Business & Technology Group of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP where she specialized in mergers and acquisitions, venture capital financings (as well as other private equity and debt offerings), public offerings, public company compliance matters and general corporate law for nearly a decade. Fifth District Supervisor Patricia Bates appointed Ms. Hall to the Orange County Planning Commission in 2009 where she served for four years, including a year as Chairperson of the Commission.
Memberships:
State Bar of California
American Bar Association
Orange County Bar Association
Education:
University of Connecticut, Storrs, School of Law, J.D., 1992
Brown University, Providence, B.A. , magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa
F. Scott Jackson concentrates in real estate law and is a founding member of the Firm. He has chaired the Firm's Subdivisions Services Group, which has created over 3,000 residential, mixed-use and commercial owners associations for builders and land developers.
Mr. Jackson has authored several books and articles including two annually updated chapters in Forming California Common Interest Developments, published by the California State Bar. He assisted in drafting legislation passed by the California Legislature, including the Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act. He also co-authored the book entitled Condominiums and Cooperatives with the Assistant Attorney General of the State of New York, and he co-authored the textbook Business Condominiums published by the National Association of Home Builders. He also edited three chapters for the California State Bar in the book entitled, Advising California Common Interest Communities. Mr. Jackson has given expert testimony in cases involving common interest issues for more than 100 California law firms.
Mr. Jackson is a past president of the national Community Associations Institute, a fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers and a charter member of the Board of Governors of the College of Community Association Lawyers. He is also a member of the California Building Industry Association and a member of the CBIA Liaison Committee with the California Bureau of Real Estate. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Home(ful) Foundation, member of the United Way Housing Committee and director of the Orange County Affiliate of Habitat for Humanity. He is an "AV" (Martindale Hubbell) top-rated attorney, and has been named to the Southern California Super Lawyers® List every year since 2000, as chosen by his peers. Mr. Jackson was named to The International Who's Who of Real Estate Lawyers every year since 2013.
Mr. Jackson is described as "a leading commentator" by the California Court of Appeal, and his testimony or writings were cited with approval in Davert v. Larson, 163 Cal.App. 3d 407 (1985); Ruoff v. Harbor Creek Community Association, 10 Cal.App. 4th 1624 (1992); Bear Creek Master Association v. Southern California Investors, Inc., 18 Cal.App. 5th 809 (2018); City of West Hollywood v. Beverly Towers, 52 Cal. 3rd 1184 (1991); and by the California Supreme Court in Nahrstedt v. Lakeside Village Condominium Association, 8 Cal. 4th 361 (1994).
Memberships:
American Bar Association (1972-Present)
American Bar Foundation Fellow (2020-Present)
American College of Real Estate Lawyers (Fellow, 1985-Present)
College of Community Association Lawyers (Founding Director. Fellow, 1994-Present)
Community Associations Institute (National President, 1982-1983)
Orange and Los Angeles County Bar Associations (1972-Present)
Urban Land Institute (Governor and Council Member, 1998-Present)
California State Bar (Since January, 1972)
Education:
University of Denver, College of Law, J.D., 1971, cum laude
United States Air Force Academy, B.S., 1967
Job Titles:
- Chief Operating Officer
- Shareholder
Gregory P. Powers is the Chief Operating Officer of Jackson Tidus, and currently serves on the firm's Executive Committee and Board of Directors. He is a Shareholder in the Firm's Land Use Development Services Group. Mr. Powers represents landowner and developer clients in all aspects of land use and entitlements for residential, industrial, and commercial projects across California. His practice focuses on land use planning and development entitlements, environmental laws and regulatory matters, and governmental affairs. He advises landowners and developers with residential, commercial, industrial, and mixed-use land development projects, including due diligence, acquisitions, dispositions, permitting, and compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA"). Mr. Powers represents private and public clients in administrative hearings, and in all aspects of litigation before State and Federal courts.
Prior to joining the Firm, Mr. Powers was Regional Land Use Counsel for one of the largest private master developers in the western United States. He was responsible for environmental review, entitlement processing, utilities and infrastructure planning, and permitting for a multitude of residential and mixed-use projects across California.
Mr. Powers has also served as a City Attorney for several cities, and as General Counsel and Special Counsel for various school districts, water districts, resource conservation agencies, non-profits, and joint powers authorities in California. He advises agency clients on governmental laws, including the Ralph M. Brown Act, the Political Reform Act, the Mitigation Fee Act, and public construction and bidding laws.
Memberships:
State Bar of California
Education:
Gonzaga University School of Law, J.D., 1999
Pepperdine University, B.A., 1993
Gregory P. Regier is a trial and land use lawyer who is the managing partner of the Firm's Westlake Village office. Mr. Regier counsels project applicants, developers, and land owners while working with public agencies in connection with the land use entitlement and permitting process. In addition to those clients he has helped stay out of litigation, he has also successfully resolved numerous cases involving the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Subdivision Map Act, and the Planning & Zoning Law.
In his litigation practice, Mr. Regier has also handled business and civil litigation cases in State and Federal courts across California, and in federal court in Texas, and has also represented corporate and individual clients in arbitrations and mediations. Mr. Regier also has experience advising clients in probate, estate and trust administration.
Mr. Regier has been a partner of the Firm since 2005. Before joining the Firm, he worked with the City Attorneys' office in Thousand Oaks. However, perhaps his most interesting work experiences came in the mail room at the Endeavor Talent Agency.
Mr. Regier has been listed as a Rising Star in Los Angeles magazine's Southern California Super Lawyers - Rising Stars Edition; was named by the Pacific Coast Business Times as one of the top 40 Under 40 business leaders in the Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo County areas; and has been repeatedly recognized by the Times in its Who's Who in Professional Services.
Memberships:
State Bar of California
Ventura County Bar Association
Education:
Pepperdine University School of Law, J.D., 1997
Pepperdine University, B.A., Economics, 1992
Heather K. Weir concentrates her practice in common interest subdivision matters. Ms. Weir represents homebuilders in the creation of master planned communities, planned developments and condominium projects.
Memberships:
State Bar of California
Orange County Bar Association
Education:
University of California, Hastings College of the Law, J.D., 2003
University of California, Berkeley, B.A.,1999
James R. DeMarco handles a broad spectrum of construction, commercial, business, banking and real estate-related litigation.
Mr. DeMarco was a founding Shareholder of Jackson Tidus and has served as President of the Firm. Mr. DeMarco also has acquired substantial practical experience in the construction industry by acting as managing general partner of limited partnerships engaged in the construction, ownership and management of several commercial projects in Southern California.
Memberships:
State Bar of California
Orange County Bar Association
Education:
Georgetown University Law Center, J.D., 1965
Boston College, B.S., Business Administration, 1962
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Shareholder in the Firm 's Business
Jason R. Wisniewski is a Shareholder in the Firm's Business and Corporate Services Group. Mr. Wisniewski has expertise in representing small closely-held companies as well as emerging, high growth startup companies. Jason's clients range from pre-revenue startups to mature revenue generating companies in all industries, but with particular expertise in the technology, life-science and consumer product industries.
As counsel to these companies, Jason not only acts as general legal counsel for routine legal matters, but he also advises them through all stages from formation and startup, through multiple rounds of private equity and debt financings, strategic acquisitions of assets and intellectual property, to successful public offerings and sale transactions. Such transactional experience includes selection of entity type, "friends and family" financings, angle investment, seed financings, preferred stock financings, private placements of debt and equity, secured and unsecured credit facilities, venture debt, issuance of convertible securities, employee equity incentive plans and executive compensation, mergers and acquisitions, for both acquirers and sellers, tax deferred reorganizations, shareholder agreements, licensing of intellectual property and strategic joint ventures.
In addition to his transactional experience, Jason regularly advises Boards of Directors, officers and shareholders in connection with such matters as to their fiduciary duties and other obligations or potential conflicts of interest.
Memberships:
State Bar of California
Education:
Georgetown University Law Center (LL.M., Securities and Financial Regulation, 2004), with distinction
University of San Diego School of Law (J.D., 2003), magna cum laude; Order of the Coif; Executive Editor, San Diego Law Review
University of California, Irvine (B.A., Economics, 2000), magna cum laude
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Shareholder in the Irvine
John M. Leverett is a Shareholder in the Irvine office and co-chair of the firm's Subdivision Department. He represents domestic and overseas developers of complex mixed-use developments incorporating hospitality, residential, retail, and office components and large master-planned developments. With more than twenty-five years of experience with complicated developments, developers and lenders have relied on Mr. Leverett's advice on a variety of difficult issues including:
Josh J. Anderson is Senior Counsel in the firm's Irvine Office. He is a seasoned litigator whose diverse practice and experience afford him a unique and well-rounded perspective. His practice focuses on complex litigation.
Josh's civil litigation practice runs the gamut of a business' life, from issues with starting and forming a business through "business divorces." That practice includes all aspects of issues faced by businesses, with representative matters including successfully representing clients regarding breaches of contract, contract interpretation, business torts (such as interference with contract, negligence, fraud, and strict liability), breaches of fiduciary duty, unfair competition, misappropriation of trade secrets, alter ego liability, partnership disputes, and other related claims. In his practice, Josh has also represented multiple Fortune 500 companies in defending against consumer finance litigation matters across the country, successfully resolving matters for a fraction of the damages sought.
Josh's career has also seen him litigate highly-complex family law matters that include financial and custody issues. His diverse background allows him to handle every case with focus, creative problem solving, and sensitivity to the client's needs. His family law practice includes serving as the lead attorney in numerous contentiously litigated matters that resulted in successful outcomes for his clients concerning issues such as business valuations, transfers of ownership, ownership disputes, and evaluations of cash flow.
Josh has also been the lead drafter on multiple successful appellate matters in California courts.
With his experience representing clients in matters of all sizes, Josh is able to offer effective legal strategies tailored to suit the needs of each client and situation.
Kathryn M. Casey has extensive administrative and litigation experience involving CEQA, NEPA, air quality and water-related issues, and land use matters.
Ms. Casey has represented clients before city councils, county boards of supervisors, planning commissions, hearing boards and other local agencies and special districts in defending air quality and permit violation notices, complying with habitat conservation plans, and obtaining variances, conditional use and grading permits, and other development approvals and entitlements.
Ms. Casey has also counseled clients regarding environmental mitigation and regulatory compliance, and has represented clients in the state and federal courts, courts of appeal, and before the office of administrative hearings in litigation matters related to CEQA, NEPA, the Clean Air Act, Political Reform Act, Outdoor Advertising Act, and other environmental, real estate and municipal law issues.
Ms. Casey currently represents Imperial County Air Pollution Control District in air quality and mitigation efforts related to the Quantification Settlement Agreement, which involves transfers of Colorado River water and environmental impacts at the Salton Sea. Ms. Casey also represents the Port of Los Angeles on air quality issues and North County Transit District on environmental matters. She also represented the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power with respect to air quality mitigation at Owens Lake.
Memberships:
State Bar of California
Orange County Bar Association, Environmental Law Section
Harbor Association of Industry and Commerce
Alumni Association, Chapman University School of Law
Education:
Lewis and Clark College Northwestern School of Law, LL.M., Environmental and Natural Resources Law, 2004
Chapman University, School of Law, J.D., 2003
Laura Hood - Chief Legal Officer
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Board
- Shareholder
M. Alim Malik is the Chairman of the Board of Jackson Tidus, having served as the firm's President for more than a decade. He is also Chair of it's Litigation and Environmental Services Group. He has extensive experience in litigating complex business cases before federal and state courts, as well as before administrative agencies. Mr. Malik has handled numerous real estate suits relating to large scale developments including partnership, accounting, complex homeowner associations disputes and environmental matters. Mr. Malik has significant experience in advising on environmental compliance matters.
Mr. Malik's representative experience includes:
• Represented Plaintiff, a 1031 Exchange Company, in real property action against a bank regarding an improper lien recordation that affected a multi-million dollar loan. Case was settled favorably for client after ten months of intensive litigation.
Mark Sellers has 20 years of municipal law experience as the former City Attorney of Thousand Oaks, and primarily focuses his practice on all aspects of land use and development, as well as CEQA compliance, eminent domain/inverse condemnation, affordable housing, redevelopment and transactional real estate matters. He was named to the Pacific Coast Business Times most influential attorneys list in 2010 and 2011.
Mr. Sellers has attended more than 400 hundred public meetings, advocating his client's interests on a vast variety of land use and public law issues. He understands how politically sensitive public decisions by an elected governing body can be, and knows that, frequently, it is not the message but how you deliver it. He understands how local government works, observing that many times a property owner is talking with the wrong staff person.
He has helped direct the successful creation of a number of large master planned communities. He has negotiated and drafted many Development Agreements, Redevelopment Agency Development and Disposition Agreements, Conservation Easements, agreements on the Transfer of Land Development Rights (involving thousands of acres and residential units and commercial retail centers), and also the more traditional contracts on raw land acquisition for development, sale of improved real property, and commercial and office leases.
In his CEQA practice, he has reviewed and advised on many Initial Studies, Negative Declarations, MNDs and EIRs, successfully challenging and defending CEQA documents.
He is familiar with the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act and water quality issues of the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board and its enforcement process, having successfully obtained drastic reductions in proposed Administrative Civil Liability actions on unauthorized discharges.
In addition, he handles municipal law questions, including conflict of interest, referendum/initiative/elections, public bidding, prevailing wage, Brown Act compliance, and local taxes.
Memberships:
State Bar of California
Real Property Section, State Bar of California
Public Law Section, State Bar of California (former Executive Committee Member)
Ventura County Economic Development Association Board Member
Board Member on Thousand Oaks Boulevard Association (whose members are owners of commercial properties along that major commercial corridor)
ProVisors
American Bar Association, Urban Law Division
Ventura County Bar Association (Former Member, Board of Directors)
Education:
Southwestern University School of Law, J.D., 1975
University of Arizona, B.A., 1971
Ronald Kohut is a senior trial attorney with more than forty years of trial experience. He regularly appears for clients in federal and state court proceedings throughout the United States. Mr. Kohut routinely assists clients with the resolution of complex business disputes being handled by the American Arbitration Association, JAMS and the advertising dispute resolution arm of the Better Business Bureau. Mr. Kohut also coordinates the resolution of disputes for his clients in many different countries. When working outside of California, Mr. Kohut's services are provided in conjunction with the services of attorneys properly licensed to appear in the target state or country.
Mr. Kohut's practice is concentrated on the resolution of complex business disputes involving unfair competition and other intellectual property issues, the relationship between manufacturers and their distributors and dealers, and the relationship between management and its company's investors. Much of this work has been done in the medical device, telecommunication and retail industries. Mr. Kohut also has extensive experience in the resolution of real estate disputes and disputes involving public agencies. As a winery owner and former winemaker, Mr. Kohut regularly represents several large Sonoma and Napa county wineries in the resolution of wine production and other winery related disputes.
Memberships:
State Bar of California
Sally Enriquez represents owners, investors and developers in the acquisition, disposition and financing of office, industrial and other commercial properties as well as entitlement and land sales for master planned residential and commercial common-interest developments. Ms. Enriquez also has worked extensively with both lenders and borrowers, advising them in the origination and restructuring of real property secured loans as well as enforcement of remedies upon default thereof.
Acquisition and Disposition of Commercial Properties Ms. Enriquez has extensive experience in negotiation and drafting of agreements for purchase, sale and equity investment transactions involving a broad range of commercial properties and land sales. Her work in this area also encompasses entity formation relating to joint ventures and other forms of equity investments as well as due diligence investigations to confirm value of potential acquisitions.
Real Property Finance Ms. Enriquez has represented owners and investors in self-storage projects, office and apartment portfolios in negotiating financing agreements for both secured loans and equity investments. Ms. Enriquez has also represented a wide range of institutional lenders, from insurance companies to CMBS conduit lenders, in the origination of commercial mortgages on multi-family, hotel and resort, warehouse/industrial and office properties as well as acquisition, securitization and sale of large commercial mortgage portfolios. Ms. Enriquez's practice also includes advising lenders and special servicers in the enforcement of remedies on securitized loans.
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Shareholder in the Firm 's Land Use Development
Sarah Kleinberg is a Shareholder in the Firm's Land Use Development Services and Environmental Groups. Ms. Kleinberg represents private and public entities in a variety of land use and real estate development matters, with a focus on securing entitlements for residential (single and multi-family), commercial and mixed-use projects. Ms. Kleinberg advises clients on planning and zoning laws, affordable housing, environmental and regulatory compliance and governmental coordination from the pre-acquisition due diligence stage through project approval and implementation. Ms. Kleinberg's experience includes development agreements, affordable housing agreements, purchase and sale agreements and disposition and development agreements. Ms. Kleinberg is well versed in the California Environmental Quality Act, Housing Accountability Act, Subdivision Map Act, Mitigation Fee Act, federal and state environmental resources laws and local open meeting and government laws, including the Ralph M. Brown Act, the Political Reform Act and public construction and bidding laws.
Prior to joining the Firm, Ms. Kleinberg served as deputy city attorney and agency counsel for cities, housing authorities and redevelopment agencies throughout California.
Memberships:
State Bar of California
UCLA Ziman Real Estate Alumni Group
Camp 4 Kids
Education:
University of California, Hastings, J.D., 2007
University of California, Los Angeles, B.A., 2003
Sheri is a shareholder in Jackson Tidus' Orange County office, where she serves as Chief Financial Officer and board member. Sheri is also a leading member of Jackson Tidus' Subdivisions Services Group.
Sonia Lister represents a broad spectrum of clients in connection with the financing, acquisition, disposition, development, construction and leasing of real estate assets. Ms. Lister's longstanding commitment to community and volunteer services has been an important part of her growth and development as a lawyer.
Ms. Lister's strength lies in her ability to deliver high quality and personalized service to her clients. Since 1992, Ms. Lister has represented banks and other financial institutions in structuring, negotiating and documenting a broad variety of lending transactions, including conventional commercial mortgage loans, development and construction loans, bridge loans, permanent loans and mezzanine loans, as well as participations or assignments of such loans. Ms. Lister also has particular experience with distressed real estate assets and loans, including the acquisition or sale of REO properties and loan portfolios and restructuring of debt or equity. She counsels clients in large-scale acquisitions and dispositions, joint ventures, ground and occupancy leases, and project financing. She regularly represents both landlords and tenants in negotiating major leases of retail, industrial and office space in California. Ms. Lister advises national and local development and construction companies in connection with the negotiation and documentation of construction contracts and the resolution of construction disputes for retail, office, mixed-use and university housing developments.
In addition to her legal work, Ms. Lister is involved in various community service organizations and activities, including HomeAid Orange County, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending homelessness in Orange County through development, advocacy and community service. Sonia has dedicated herself to HomeAid as a board member and volunteer for the last 25 years. In 2008, Sonia was part of the group that received President Bush's Gold Volunteer Service Award in recognition of her outstanding service to HomeAid. Sonia was elected as the President of HomeAid from 2010-2012, the first and only woman to hold that position, and she currently serves on its Board of Directors. Sonia was instrumental in procuring the financing, purchase and development of the first emergency homeless shelter for families in Orange County owned by HomeAid, called the "Family CareCenter", which opened in the City of Orange in April 2017. This much-needed facility provides 56 beds and serves 10-15 very needy families per day. Sonia is also a volunteer organizer for HomeAid Essentials, which partners with the real estate industry to help collect donations of baby products and diapers for homeless mothers and their babies. Last year, over 1,500,000 essential baby products and diapers were collected through this program.
Memberships:
State Bar of California
American Bar Association
Member, Real Property Law Section, State Bar of California
Orange County Bar Association, Real Estate Section
Building Industry Association, Orange County Chapter
Education:
University of California, Davis, School of Law, J.D., 1992
University of California, Irvine, B.A., Philosophy, 1988
Steven Dettmann is a real estate transactional, community development, and commercial/industrial subdivision attorney with broad experience in complex real property transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, financing, development, construction and leasing.
Mr. Dettmann has represented all levels of individual and institutional clients in acquiring, subdividing, developing and selling residential, commercial, retail, industrial, hospitality, resort, and golf course properties, and represents community and land developer clients throughout California in subdivision and disposition of buildings and building sites in mixed-use master-planned communities.
Mr. Dettmann joined Jackson Tidus in 2008 from the legal department of Playa Vista, where he was Vice President/Assistant General Counsel, and where he served as in-house counsel for over six years. While with Playa Vista, he was principally responsible for the legal aspects of the master developer's disposition of building sites to merchant builders, the formation and administration of joint ventures, negotiating and closing the company's pre-development and working capital financing and infrastructure construction loans, drafting and negotiating contracts with contactors and consultants, negotiating and administrating commercial and retail leases, overseeing property owners associations and community service organization start-up operations, and administering the owner-controlled insurance program.
Prior to Playa Vista, Mr. Dettmann practiced for six years in Downtown Los Angeles in the real estate practice group of a large multi-national law firm, where Mr. Dettmann represented clients in acquiring, developing and disposing of real property and related assets in transactions ranging up to $800,000,000, including commercial retail centers and office buildings, residential, industrial and hospitality properties (including the Four Seasons Biltmore in Santa Barbara and the Mission Hills Resort in Rancho Mirage). A substantial portion of Mr. Dettmann's practice included representing banks and commercial lenders in originating construction and permanent loans, mezzanine financings and other credit facilities (in amounts up to $350,000,000) secured by interests in commercial, retail, office, hospitality and multi-family residential property. Mr. Dettmann also represented banks and institutional investors in acquiring and selling performing and distressed loan portfolios.
Memberships:
State Bar of California
Orange County Bar Association
Education:
Loyola Law School, J.D., 1995
University of California, Los Angeles, B.A., Economics and Political Science, 1990