Family Wealth partner Jim Mitchell spoke on a panel of experts at the Fidelity Charitable Advisor Leadership Forum discussion titled Complex Assets as Charitable Gifts: An Overlooked Tax Strategy for UHNW Clients. The discussion explored the growing trend of contributing complex assets, such as private equity assets, privately-held C-and S-corp stock, limited partnership interests, and certain restricted stock, to public charities.
Bill Hutton and Misti Schmidt advised the developer, Emerald Fund, in “an innovative arrangement” that will convert the land at 333 Harrison St. into San Francisco’s newest park, Emerald Park. “The agreement, approved Tuesday night between the San Francisco Parks Alliance and the developers of Rincon Green Apartments, creates a conservation easement that bars future development on the site and requires that the owners keep and maintain the land as a public park.” Bill and Misti drafted and negotiated the conservation easement for Emerald Fund, leading to the opening of Emerald Park at no cost to the city or the people of San Francisco. “This is a smart, very special gift to the city,” said Mayor Ed Lee.
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After months of negotiations, the City and County of San Francisco (“City”) Board of Supervisors recently approved an ordinance amending local CEQA procedures, which are codified in Chapter 31 of the City Administrative Code. The ordinance is expected to be operative this month. This alert summarizes the main changes.
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Sept. 13, 2013 – Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass’ Litigation Group has been rated in the top 10 percent of all U.S. law firms for class actions. The ranking was featured in the recently released Litigation Outlook 2014 report by BTI Consulting Group, which annually provides in-depth analysis of the litigation market. BTI draws on direct feedback from interviews with corporate counsel at the world’s largest companies.
Coblentz has extensive experience defending class actions, including landmark cases representing cable giant Cox and Charter Communication and direct broadcast satellite leader DISH Network. Its litigators have also handled unfair business practice, real estate and environmental cases with notable client representations, such as Wells Fargo Bank, Bank of America, San Francisco 49ers and other Fortune 500 companies.
“Our Litigation Practice provides comparable skills and experience to large, international law firms, yet we provide focused client service and a creative approach to each case at a better value,” said name partner and cable, satellite and telecommunications litigation veteran, Richard Patch.
In addition to its Litigation Outlook 2014 ranking, Coblentz has also been named a ‘Go-To’ Law Firm for Litigation by Corporate Counsel magazine and Partner Jessica Grant was named to the Daily Journal’s Top 100 list for litigation.
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 4, 2013 – Coblentz welcomes Real Estate and Land Use Partner J. Gregg Miller, Jr. Gregg joins the firm from Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, where he was a partner. Prior to Pillsbury, he practiced at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.
Miller brings nearly 15 years of experience representing clients on a broad array of real estate transactions, including multi-property portfolio acquisitions and dispositions, complex land use matters, leasing and secured lending. Some of the notable projects Miller has worked on include the sale of the iconic John Hancock Center, the mortgage loan on the Presidio Landmark Apartments, a 100,000-square-foot lease in one of San Francisco’s marquee office buildings and the entitlements for an expansion of the San Francisco Columbarium, a designated historic landmark.
“Gregg adds tremendous depth to our firm and shares a like-minded focus on delivering superior client service,” said Coblentz Partner Harry O’Brien, a real estate and land use law veteran. “He also fits well into our ‘next generation’ team of leaders, both at the firm and in the industry. He will be working on some of our high profile projects, and I know that both our clients and his clients will benefit from our combined expertise and capabilities.”
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