Six Coblentz partners and three practices have been recognized by Chambers & Partners in the Chambers USA 2021 Guide, adding newly recognized litigation partner Rees Morgan and Coblentz’s Northern California real estate practice to the list. Real estate and land use partners Pamela Duffy and Harry O’Brien are listed as leading lawyers in the Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use – California category, real estate partner Alan Gennis is listed as leading lawyers in the Real Estate – Northern California category, litigation partners Timothy Crudo and Rees Morgan are listed in the Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations – California category, and Employment partner Fred Alvarez is listed in the Labor & Employment – California category.

Independent and objective, Chambers USA is carefully researched and widely considered to be the most reputable law firm directory in the world. Ranking criteria include technical legal ability, client service, commercial vision and business understanding, diligence, depth of the team, value for money, and other qualities most valued by legal clients.

Real Estate & Land Use

Coblentz’s real estate and land use practice is again ranked by Chambers USA 2021 Guide in the top tier, Band 1, in the Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use category for California. Our land use practice has been continuously ranked by Chambers for many years and is now joined by the real estate practice, ranked by Chambers USA 2021 Guide in Band 3 in the Real Estate category for Northern California. Of our real estate and land use practices, one client notes “They are incredibly knowledgeable and detailed on the specifics,” and another added, “They are attentive and provide practical advice.” Three real estate and land use partners continued to receive individual rankings.

Pamela Duffy is again ranked as a Leading Lawyer in the top tier, Band 1, in the Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use – California category. Clients quoted by Chambers noted that “Pam is a fantastic practitioner,” and, “She is incredibly prominent.” Pam has been recognized by Chambers since 2003.

Harry O’Brien is also again ranked as a Leading Lawyer in Band 3 in the Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use – California category. When interviewed about Harry, one client remarked, “Harry is smart, articulate and knows the city very well – he has a long and deep experience of projects in San Francisco and is a great resource.” Harry has been recognized by Chambers since 2003.

Alan Gennis is ranked as a Leading Lawyer in Band 3, in the Real Estate – Northern California category. Clients remarked that “Alan is really knowledgeable, creative and very solution-oriented,” and “He is thoughtful, thorough and well-reasoned and has a really nice bedside manner with clients.” Alan has been recognized by Chambers since 2018.

Litigation

Coblentz’s white collar defense and investigations practice is newly ranked by Chambers USA 2021 Guide in Band 4 in the Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations category for California. Chambers notes that the practice is a “robust white-collar criminal defense group with strong credentials in defending SEC and DOJ investigations and enforcement actions.” Two litigation partners also received individual rankings in the category.

Timothy Crudo increased in rankings as a Leading Lawyer in Band 3 in the Litigation: White Collar Crime & Government Investigations category for California. A client noted, “He is a master of facts and a brilliant storyteller for his clients.” Tim has been recognized by Chambers since 2016.

Rees Morgan is newly ranked as a Leading Lawyer in Band 5 in the Litigation: White Collar Crime & Government Investigations category for California. Of Rees, one client noted he “is thorough and excellent at describing legal maneuvers and consequences in easy-to-understand terms,” and another mentioned, “He is highly intelligent, deeply analytical and has a real sense of what a case is worth.”

Employment

Employment partner Fred Alvarez is recognized as a Senior Statesperson in California in the Labor & Employment category. One client raved that Fred “is a fantastic lawyer. He is highly intelligent and strategically precise and has amazing insights.” Another noted, “He is very smart and pleasant to work with.”

To view the complete list of Coblentz rankings in Chambers USA 2021, please visit the publication’s website.

Additional Chambers Rankings: High Net Worth Guide

Coblentz Family Wealth practice and four Family Wealth partners, James Mitchell, Philip Feldman, Jaime Mannon, and Mitchell Edwards, are ranked in the Private Wealth Law category of the Chambers HNW (High Net Worth) guide for Northern California. Chambers HNW, also published by Chambers & Partners, ranks the top lawyers and law firms for international private wealth. When asked about the Coblentz Family Wealth practice, one source commented, “Besides knowing their subject matter well, they all have tremendous people skills from the litigation attorneys down to the legal secretaries and paralegals. Another strength is that they try and resolve an issue in a fair and sensible fashion. They seem to have respect for the other side, which in my opinion has helped solve matters sooner rather than later. As a whole, I find that everyone I have worked with has had very good mediation skills.” You can read more about our Chambers HNW rankings here.

Coblentz real estate and land use associate Ashley Weinstein-Carnes has been named as a Connect Media 2021 Next Generation Award winner for the California region. Connect Media’s annual Next Generation Awards recognize young leaders who are poised to continue to be influential in the commercial real estate industry — because of their talent, drive, and fresh ideas. The winners were chosen from nearly 500 nominations from all sectors of the commercial real estate industry, ranging from brokerage to development to real estate law and finance.

Ashley is active in the commercial real estate community and is passionate about engaging her fellow younger generation of leaders. She is a member of several local CRE organizations and holds leadership positions with the Urban Land Institute and UC Berkeley’s Real Estate Alumni Association. Ashley is part of the next generation of land use and real estate attorneys guiding high-profile, complex developments in California. Her land use practice focuses on local administrative permitting, and she has successfully obtained land use approvals for large-scale projects, including mixed-use and multifamily residential developments, corporate R&D and office campuses, and industrial facilities. She also advises institutional investors, lenders, developers, landowners, and lessees and lessors with regard to existing land use restrictions and agreements, as well as strategies and requirements for the re-entitlement of property.

Coblentz real estate and land use partner Jeff Dodd was named to the North Bay Business Journal’s 2021 Forty Under 40 list, recognizing 40 young professionals making an impact in the North Bay.

Jeff specializes in land use, environmental, and water law. Born and raised in Napa Valley, Jeff’s work has had a wide-reaching impact on the North Bay business community. He assists entrepreneurs, small business owners, wineries, farmers, and non-profits seeking to own, develop, and add value to real property. Jeff takes pride in helping his clients understand the regulatory and political issues associated with their projects and working with local communities to develop environmentally-responsible and sustainable developments.

Read Jeff’s profile in the North Bay Business Journal here.

Coblentz real estate partner Gregg Miller has joined the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR), a leading Bay Area civic planning organization respected for its independent and holistic approach to urban issues. Gregg’s board membership continues Coblentz’s longstanding relationship with SPUR and its board over the years. The late Bill Coblentz was actively involved with the organization, and litigation partner Charmaine Yu most recently served on the Board of Directors.

Gregg brings a rare mix of broad real estate transactional experience and extensive land use experience to the matters he handles. He represents clients in acquisitions, dispositions and financings, while also helping clients navigate the complexities of land use approvals. He has extensive experience in public-private partnership deals and has also represented lenders and borrowers in complex work-outs on troubled assets.

In addition to serving on the Board of Directors of SPUR, Gregg is president of the board of directors of Community Housing Partnership (CHP). He is also a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), the Real Property Section of the San Francisco Bar Association, and the University of San Francisco Law Review.

San Francisco (April 1, 2021) – San Francisco-based law firm Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP is pleased to welcome Rosanna Marrero Neagle to the firm’s partnership.

Rosanna Neagle provides clients with business counseling and an in-house counsel perspective on corporate matters. With more than twenty years as a General Counsel and a senior legal advisor to global food and beverage and apparel companies including Nestlé USA, Clif Bar, and Levi-Strauss, Rosanna has extensive experience with marketing and advertising matters; intellectual property counseling; sales and distribution including antitrust, competition, and commercial transactions; employment advice and counseling; and litigation and mediation.

“We are thrilled to welcome Rosanna to the partnership,” said Sara Finigan, co-managing partner and co-chair of Coblentz’s corporate practice. “Her in-house perspective and 360-degree approach to client service, as well as her experience leading and developing legal teams is a great benefit to our clients.”

Rosanna serves on the Board of Centro Legal de la Raza, a legal services organization located in Oakland. Centro Legal provides direct legal services to low-income, immigrant, and Latino communities in the areas of housing, employment, and immigration, and works with low-income youth of color to help them attend and graduate from college. Rosanna’s professional affiliations also include the American Bar Association, the California Bar Association, the Minority Corporate Counsel Association, and the American Association of Corporate Counsel.

“Rosanna is playing a key role in shaping our diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at Coblentz,” said Danna Kozerski, co-managing partner of the firm.

“I am delighted to join the partnership at Coblentz,” said Rosanna Neagle. “I look forward to expanding upon my role at the firm to not only drive innovative and creative solutions for our clients, but also partner with colleagues across the firm on our diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.”

About Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP
Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP is a premier provider of innovative, results-oriented legal services, specializing in real estate, litigation, business, employment, tax, and family wealth. U.S. News & World Report recognizes Coblentz as one of the nation’s top law firms in the Best Law Firm list, with national and local rankings in 16 practice areas and six prestigious “Tier 1” rankings in the highly competitive San Francisco law firm category. Law360 named Coblentz a California Powerhouse firm. The National Law Journal named Coblentz to its prestigious, nationwide Midsize Hot List four times.  For more information: www.coblentzlaw.com.

San Francisco-based law firm Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP is pleased to welcome Frank Petrilli to the firm’s partnership. Frank joins Coblentz from Arent Fox.

Frank Petrilli is a trusted advisor to his clients on all matters related to entitlement strategy, land use and land use litigation, and compliance under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). His recent projects include advising on Facebook’s headquarters expansion in Menlo Park, as well as working closely with Facebook’s public policy team in connection with its $1 billion housing investment in California; advising Kylli in connection with the Burlingame Point office campus project; as well as advising on a number of prominent multifamily, mixed-use, hospitality, office and life science projects throughout the Bay Area.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Frank to Coblentz,” said Matt Bove, partner and chair of Coblentz’s real estate and land use practice. “His geographic focus on the Mid-Peninsula, Silicon Valley and Santa Cruz enhances our team’s existing depth and breadth of expertise in these areas, and his particular experience with complex entitlement matters makes him a great addition to our deep bench of top-notch land use attorneys.”

Frank serves on the Board of Directors of the San Mateo County Economic Development Association (SAMCEDA) and the Bay Area Council. In 2020, he was named among the “Top 40 Under 40” attorneys in California by the Daily Journal and is a Legal 500 recommended Land Use & Zoning attorney (2017-2020), as well as a “Northern California Rising Star” by Super Lawyers every year since 2016.

“I was attracted to Coblentz by the depth and quality of the land use practice, as well as the firm’s collaborative culture, its values, and, of course, its people. My clients will undoubtedly benefit from having access to such a talented and committed team of lawyers,” said Frank Petrilli. “I am thrilled and privileged to join what I truly believe is the strongest real estate and land use practice in California.”

Coblentz’s real estate and land use practice has guided some of the largest commercial and residential development projects and transactions in California. These projects vary from major sports arenas including the San Francisco Giants’ Oracle® Park, San Francisco 49ers’ Levi’s® Stadium and the LA Clippers’ arena in Inglewood to major neighborhood-transforming projects such as the $1 billion 5M Project (one of the largest mixed-use projects in San Francisco), Catellus Development Corporation’s 300-acre Mission Bay project, redevelopment of the Vallco shopping mall in Cupertino (the first mixed-use, mixed-income project in the state to successfully use SB 35), and the 154-acre Napa Pipe residential redevelopment project in Napa County. Also included among our notable representations are renowned cultural institutions such as the California Academy of Sciences and the Exploratorium, world-class health care campuses including Sutter Health/California Pacific Medical Center hospital rebuilding projects in San Francisco and John Muir Health facilities throughout the East Bay, and the largest land use and conservation project in California history at Tejon Ranch. The Coblentz Real Estate and Land Use group is top ranked in Chambers USA and Legal 500 USA, and our attorneys and projects are continuously awarded by The Best Lawyers in America, The Daily Journal, and the San Francisco Business Times, among others.

The firm’s Unfamiliar Terrain blog provides insights into the complex Bay Area land use landscape.

About Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP

Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP is a premier provider of innovative, results-oriented legal services, specializing in real estate, litigation, business, employment, tax and family wealth. U.S. News & World Report recognizes Coblentz as one of the nation’s top law firms in the Best Law Firm list, with national and local rankings in 16 practice areas and six prestigious “Tier 1” rankings in the highly competitive San Francisco law firm category. Law360 named Coblentz a California Powerhouse firm. The National Law Journal named Coblentz to its prestigious, nationwide Midsize Hot List four times.  For more information: www.coblentzlaw.com.

Coblentz employment partner Fred Alvarez was awarded the Best Lawyers® 2021 Litigation – Labor & Employment “Lawyer of the Year” and real estate partner Danna Kozerski was awarded the Best Lawyers® 2021 Real Estate “Lawyer of the Year” in San Francisco by Best Lawyers in America® in its annual listing of the nation’s top legal talent. Fred is one of the preeminent employment lawyers in the United States. He combines a distinct blend of employment law experience, public service, and legal profession leadership and provides strategic and compliance advice to employers. Danna is a well-recognized real estate lawyer who specializes in public/private partnerships and the formation of joint ventures. She represents developers and companies in a range of commercial real estate transactions.

Twenty-eight Coblentz attorneys are also listed in the 2021 Best Lawyers in America® guide, including eight attorneys recognized for the first time this year as Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch. Congratulations to these attorneys for inclusion in the guide in the following categories in San Francisco:

• Fred Alvarez: Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment
• Jon Bass: Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Land Use and Zoning, Litigation – Real Estate
• Jeff Bernstein: Litigation and Controversy – Tax, Tax Law
• Tim Crudo: Criminal Defense: White-Collar
• Pam Duffy: Environmental Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, Litigation – Environmental, Litigation – Land Use and Zoning, Real Estate Law
• Phil Feldman: Litigation – Trusts and Estates, Trusts and Estates Law
• Gregg Ficks: Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation – Bankruptcy
• Karen Frank: Copyright Law, Litigation – Intellectual Property
• Alan Gennis: Real Estate Law
• David Gold: Land Use and Zoning Law
• Jeff Knowles: Commercial Litigation
• Danna Kozerski: Real Estate Law
• Stephen Lanctot: Employment Law – Management
• Barbara Milanovich: Real Estate Law
• Jim Mitchell: Trusts and Estates Law
• Harry O’Brien: Land Use and Zoning Law, Real Estate Law
• Richard Patch: Litigation – Antitrust
• Doug Sands: Real Estate Law
• Lawrence Siskind: Litigation – Intellectual Property
• Tay Via: Land Use and Zoning Law, Litigation – Land Use and Zoning, Real Estate Law

The following attorneys are listed on the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch list for 2021:

• Caitlyn Chacon: Litigation – Antitrust
• Kadeidra Honey: Trusts and Estates
• Tamara Lam-Plattes: Real Estate Law
• Seth Pardee: Tax Law
• Ben Pulliam: Commercial Litigation
• Kyle Recker: Real Estate Law
• Joy Spezeski: Real Estate Law
• Christopher Wiener: Litigation – Intellectual Property

Best Lawyers lists are based entirely on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation. The 2021 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America is based on more than 8 million evaluations and recognizes just over 65,000 attorneys, the top six percent of private practicing attorneys in the US.

Coblentz Family Wealth partners James Mitchell, Philip Feldman, and Jaime Mannon are again listed as Leading Lawyers in the Private Wealth Law category of the 2020 Chambers HNW (High Net Worth) guide for Northern California. They are joined in Chambers’ rankings this year by partner Mitchell Edwards, listed among only four Up & Coming attorneys in the category. Chambers High Net Worth, published by Chambers & Partners, ranks the top lawyers and law firms for international private wealth.

Jim Mitchell is again ranked as a Leading Lawyer in Band 2. Jim advises high net worth clients on tax planning and trust and estate administration. Chambers noted his “wealth of experience,” and one source says, “He is good at complicated trust administration.” Another reports, “He is someone who is very good at explaining concepts in a simple manner. He puts people at ease and has a good demeanor.”

Phil Feldman is again ranked as a Leading Lawyer in Band 2. Phil assists wealthy individuals and families with income, gift and estate tax planning, as well as philanthropic planning. One source enthused that “his competency is off the charts – if he’s not the most experienced in San Francisco, he is damn near it.” A referral source describes him as “very responsive, which I appreciate, as do my clients. I enjoy working with him.”

Jaime Mannon is again ranked as a Leading Lawyer in Band 3. Jaime offers affluent individuals and families assistance with estate and gift tax planning and cross-border tax planning. One source says, “She is extremely knowledgeable in her field of expertise, very professional, and appears to me to stay on top of new developments.” Another commented, “She is very smart. I think she has high emotional intelligence, she reads the room well and understands her audience.”

Mitch Edwards is listed in the Chambers HNW Up & Coming category. Mitch assists high net worth clients with estate planning, administration matters, and litigation. A source notes that he “is always responsive and always invested in the client. He can crank through work quickly and efficiently. I enjoy working with him.” Another adds that he “is good for younger tech-related clients, he has a really strong practice for this. He is very approachable and knowledgeable about tech issues.”

The Coblentz Family Wealth practice is also listed by Chambers HNW in Band 2 for Private Wealth Law, Northern California. One source commented, “Besides knowing their subject matter well, they all have tremendous people skills from the litigation attorneys down to the legal secretaries and paralegals. Another strength is that they try and resolve an issue in a fair and sensible fashion. They seem to have respect for the other side, which in my opinion has helped solve matters sooner rather than later. As a whole, I find that everyone I have worked with has had very good mediation skills.”

Independent and objective, Chambers USA and Chambers HNW are carefully researched and widely considered to be one of the most reputable law firm directories in the world. Ranking criteria include technical legal ability, professional conduct, client service, commercial astuteness, diligence, commitment, and other qualities most valued by legal clients.

Recent events have reminded us once again that the ideals of our country have yet to be achieved, and that the impacts of our failures continue to fall most harshly on Black Americans. In this time of personal isolation and anxiety, problems so deeply rooted in our country’s history can seem ineradicable.

But we cannot be indifferent to the fact that the benefits and protections of our society are more available to some of us than to others, and that this unfairness permeates so many aspects of people’s lives — undermining community safety, distorting the justice system, placing barriers in the paths of our fellow citizens (and our fellow non-citizens), and leaving far too many people with the bitter conviction that nothing will ever change. We must, at the very least, strive to ensure that our firm is a place where all individuals are valued and included equally, and we will continue to work with our community partners in the collective fight for fundamental rights.

You can read more about our ongoing commitment to diversity and racial justice initiatives here.