80 Attorneys • 45 Practice Areas • 5 Locations

Commercial Real Estate Attorneys

Weintraub Tobin’s Commercial Real Estate attorneys have played a critical role in the growth and development of the greater Sacramento Region and communities throughout the state, representing clients in many of the largest and most complex real estate transactions and related financing structures to date. Whether these matters have involved the birth of a project, early-stage development, asset management, financing or disposition, or active disputes in arbitration and before the state and federal courts, our attorneys excel in providing reasoned, tactful guidance to help achieve client goals and minimize risk throughout the process. Our clients include developers, investors, financial institutions, homebuilders, property managers, brokers, contractors, construction companies, public entities, and high-wealth individuals. Our real estate attorneys practice throughout California, assisting in matters involving a wide variety of industries and asset classes and ranging from small to multi-million dollar transactions.

Of the diverse collection of matters in which our real estate team provides legal services, we have extensive expertise in the following:

The acquisition and disposition of real estate often involve significant risk, requiring experienced advisors who can highlight potential exposure areas and provide creative, time-tested solutions. Our attorneys provide counsel through the sales process, including the drafting and negotiation of purchase and sale agreements, due diligence, title and environmental issues, and facilitation of the financing and escrow process. We assist clients with sales, acquisitions and exchanges of land, office, residential, retail, hotel, industrial, mixed-use, and other properties.

From idea to groundbreaking to occupancy, our attorneys represent developers in the acquisition and development of land and real estate projects, including design, construction and builder contracts, ground leases, easement agreements, CC&Rs, licensing and regulatory compliance including environmental compliance agreements, construction and permanent financing, and related development documentation. We also work with large-scale community developments to create, manage, and enforce governing documents. In partnership with our tax practice, we offer counsel on Opportunity Zone developments and Qualified Opportunity Fund investments.

Even the most straightforward lease transactions present exposure issues for landlords and tenants alike. We represent landlords and tenants in negotiating leases, subleases, and assignments across all relevant industry sectors, including industrial, office, and retail properties. This includes crafting letters of intent to frame the key lease terms, overseeing commencement and tenant improvements, and advising on complex lease interpretation issues. Our attorneys also assist with lease enforcement, guiding landlords and tenants through default issues and ensuring that the unlawful detainer process is completed in accordance with applicable law and the parties’ agreement. Where desirable, we help structure creative lease settlements to minimize risk to the owner’s property while preserving the tenant’s interest in it.

The success of a real estate project is typically driven by the strategic acquisition, deployment and management of capital. We advise both borrowers and lenders in secured and unsecured credit transactions, including construction, bridge, and permanent financing and related lines of credit or operating capital. Our lawyers assist clients with all aspects of the loan process, participating in the structuring, negotiating, documenting, closing, and administering of loans and the restructuring and workouts of troublesome financing structures. With experience representing both borrowers and lenders, our attorneys can provide a unique perspective on the interests of both parties, helping minimize unnecessary delays.

The structure of a real estate transaction is critical to preserving the expectations and interests of all parties involved, from developers to equity investors or owners. We offer a wide range of services in this area, such as assistance in structuring development and investment entities, drafting business plans, and completing fundamental business formations. We have extensive experience with the considerable array of entity choices, including joint ventures, limited partnerships, limited liability companies, and corporations. Each of these entities has many variations to manage distinct financial, operational, and tax goals that must be carefully considered to avoid future disputes.

In the event that an investment, project, or partnership goes sideways, our team offers extensive experience in both transactional and insolvency/restructuring matters, including negotiation and pre-litigation counseling, as well as assertion of debtors’ and creditors’ rights or resultant bankruptcies. We provide the best strategies for our clients while maintaining flexibility should litigation or insolvency prove necessary.

Our real estate team has experience and expertise with solar, wind, and battery energy storage system projects. We have successfully represented clients in multiple aspects of renewable energy project development and ownership. Our clients include a broad scope of parties, including landowners, project developers, owners, investors, and contractors. The scope of services that we provide includes all of the primary aspects of development and ownership, from site acquisition, project development, tax counseling, and financing, to the purchase and sale of completed projects and project-owning entities.

David Creeggan Presents on Commercial Real Estate Legal and Legislative Updates For NAIOP

On May 22nd, Weintraub shareholder David Creeggan will speak at a Legal and Legislative Update Luncheon, hosted by the National Association for Industrial and Office Parks (NAIOP.) He, along with two other guest speakers, will discuss legal changes that are shaping the commercial real estate landscape and help attendees get…

  • When: May 22, 2025 11:00 am PDT – 01:00 pm PDT
  • Where: Milagro Event Center | 6241 Fair Oaks Blvd, Carmichael, CA 95608

California’s Commercial Tenant Protection Act (SB 1103): What Property Owners, Managers & Brokers Need to Know

California’s Commercial Tenant Protection Act (SB 1103) now provides commercial tenants who operate small businesses with new legal protections of which property owners, managers and brokers must be aware. Failure to comply with this new law can expose commercial property owners to liability or impact their ability to enforce leases.    Please…

  • When: May 20, 2025 12:00 pm PDT – 01:00 pm PDT
  • Where: Webinar

Alison Geddes Presents for BOMA Sacramento

On Wednesday, March 12, 2025, shareholder Alison Geddes presented at The Building Owners & Managers Association of Sacramento and the Central Valley (BOMA Sacramento) March Brunch-N-Learn. She presented on the topic of, SB 1103: What You Need to Know, with an overview of the new legislation and key requirements for…

  • When: Mar 12, 2025 10:00 am PDT – 12:00 pm PDT
  • Where: 980 9th Street, Sacramento 95814

Alison Geddes Joins Board of Directors for BOMA California

Weintraub Tobin is pleased to announce that Alison Geddes has been elected to the 2025 Board of Directors for Building Owners and Managers Association of California (BOMA California). Alison is a shareholder at Weintraub and member of the Firm’s Real Estate practice group. Her practice focuses on commercial leasing and…

Dave Creeggan Named 2024 ACRE Sacramento Board President

Weintraub Tobin is pleased to announce that David W. Creeggan has been elected President of the ACRE Sacramento 2024 Board of Directors. Dave is a Shareholder at Weintraub Tobin and member of the Firm’s Real Estate practice group, where he assists a wide range of clients, from family-owned businesses to…

Alison Geddes Joins the Board of Directors for BOMA Sacramento

Weintraub Tobin is pleased to announce that Alison E. Geddes has been appointed to the 2024 Board of Directors for Building Owners & Managers Association of Sacramento and the Central Valley (BOMA Sacramento). She will serve as Chair of the Government Affairs Committee. Alison is a shareholder at Weintraub Tobin…

Weintraub Tobin Welcomes Katherine E. McComic

Weintraub Tobin is pleased to welcome Katherine E. McComic as an associate in the Firm’s Real Estate practice group, where her practice focuses on advising and representing purchasers, sellers, lenders, and borrowers in real estate sales, leasing, and financing transactions.

Weintraub Participates in the 2023 Make-A-Wish® Poker Tournament

Weintraub Shareholder Mark Ellinghouse (seated, right) with all his chips. On August 12th, the Northeastern & Central California and Northern Nevada Chapter of Make-A-Wish hosted its 2023 Make-A-Wish® Poker Tournament, celebrating 40 years of granting wishes for children with critical illnesses. This year’s event raised more than $135,000 to support…

Commercial Property Owners, Brokers and Property Managers Beware: California’s Commercial Tenant Protection Act Goes Into Effect January 1st!

by Alison E. Geddes
Real Estate Legal Updates

California law has long treated commercial and residential tenancies differently. Consumer protection-focused regulations enacted to protect residential tenants were legally considered inapplicable to business tenants which were considered to have a higher level of sophistication.  This is all about to change in California. As we prepare to usher in 2025,…

CRE Update: Pending Legislation Could Cause Significant Disruption to Commercial Real Estate Sector

by Alison E. Geddes
Real Estate Legal Updates

It is rare for the commercial real estate industry to be the target of legislative reform.  Even for a progressive state like California, real estate-focused initiatives tend to focus on promoting housing policies, residential tenant rights, and environmental protections.  This year, however, there are three pending bills which could significantly…

Highlights from the 2024 ULI Technical Advisory Panel’s Recommendations for Downtown Sacramento

by Mark E. Ellinghouse
Real Estate Legal Updates

The Downtown Sacramento Partnership (DSP) and the Urban Land Institute (ULI) recently convened a Technical Advisory Panel (TAP) of distinguished third-party analysts from around the country to analyze and recommend growth opportunities for downtown Sacramento. The TAP’s recommendations were made public this month. As a member of ULI Sacramento’s Executive…