The firm's real estate practice encompasses commercial, retail and industrial development, financing, leasing, purchases, sales and exchanges. We handle property management, brokerage and consulting contracts and related issues.

Gilchrist & Rutter conducts a broad real estate practice that includes transactions in the Southern California area, in the major urban areas of the Southwest, and across the United States. We work closely with developers, lenders, architects, contractors, engineers, brokers and consultants on all aspects of commercial, industrial, retail and residential properties.

Development

Our attorneys have in-depth expertise in all aspects of real estate development, ranging from site acquisition and pre-development work to construction, financing and leasing. We are experienced in the development of high-rise office complexes, suburban and campus office developments, retail shopping centers, marinas, and multi-use commercial, retail and hotel projects.

Acquisitions & Dispositions

Our firm structures, negotiates and documents the purchase, sale and exchange of office, retail, hotel, multi-family and industrial properties, as well as development sites.

Financing

We represent both borrowers and lenders in pre-development, construction, interim and permanent loan transactions, workouts and foreclosures. In the last year, our firm has successfully closed over $1.5 billion of real estate financing transactions. We have negotiated and documented many securitized CMBS facilities, portfolio loans, messanine loans and preferred equity deals.

Leasing

Our real estate attorneys represent both landlords and tenants on a variety of lease transactions, including commercial, retail, research and development and industrial properties. We are proficient in negotiating and preparing ground leases, office and retail space leases and sale and leaseback agreements. We have successfully negotiated and documented leases involving millions of square feet of space in both downtown and suburban markets across the country.

Entitlements/Land Use

We handle land use and development entitlement issues for our real estate clients. Such matters include the negotiation of development agreements with cities and redevelopment agencies vesting tentative tract maps, owner participation agreements and disposition and development agreements with local community redevelopment agencies. We also represent clients on various zoning and entitlement matters, including parcel and subdivision maps, lot line adjustments, conditional use permits, zoning variances, parking covenants and street vacations at the administrative level before both city and county agencies.

Manufactured Housing Estates Conversions

Our expertise includes extensive experience counseling clients with respect to the conversion of manufactured housing estates (mobile home parks) from rental to condominium resident ownership, to increase property value and rent control litigation issues. We also represent clients in non-conversion MHE matters, including acquisitions, financing, sales, tax-deferred sales and rent control litigation. As lead counsel, we have successfully prosecuted a ground-breaking California case involving conversions, an appeal establishing an important Proposition 8 principle on reductions in property values, and a claim for damages against a public entity for regulatory taking.

Tax Planning

We provide sophisticated tax planning addressing federal and state income tax and property tax issues for our clients in their real estate transactions.