Attorneys

Sanford A. Berliner

Of Counsel

Real Estate Transactions; Arbitration/Mediation

Mr. Berliner practices in real estate and related business areas, with special emphasis on complex transactions involving finance, development, land use, construction, and environmental matters.

He has in-depth experience in the development and finance of projects consisting of hotels, retail centers, office buildings, and residential developments. Mr. Berliner participates in both the public and private sectors in redevelopment projects throughout California. He represents lenders, ground lessors, borrowers and tenants in the restructure of secured debt. He represents multi-tier partnerships from inception to dissolution, and has acted as facilitator in developing and implementing strategy for negotiation of complex real estate transactions and dispute resolutions. He has testified as an expert witness and consulted with litigation counsel in developing litigation and settlement strategies.

Mr. Berliner represented the Joint Powers Authority for the County of Santa Clara and later the City of San Jose in negotiations with the San Francisco Giants. He represented the San Jose Sharks in negotiations with the San Jose Redevelopment Agency and also represented the Oakland A’s in negotiation with the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority. He has also represented various clients in negotiations to obtain professional sports franchises.

For the past 25 years, Mr. Berliner has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America®.  In 2008 and 2009, he was recognized as a Northern California Super Lawyer by Law & Politics in Real Estate.

Education/Honors

  • University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law, J.D., 1961
  • University of California, Berkeley, B.S., Accounting, 1958
  • University of Virginia, JAGC, 1962

Representative Matters

  • Represents and on the advisory committee of a developer having a portfolio of approximately 7.5 million square feet of multi-family units and in excess of 8 million square feet of commercial properties
  • Represented a REIT in the acquisition, public approval process and development of a mixed use project consisting of 1,200 residential units, 650,000 square feet of retail space and a 250-room hotel
  • Represented a real estate developer in the acquisition and development of a downtown redevelopment project consisting of office, retail and hotel elements
  • Represented a residential developer in the acquisition, development and approval of numerous single-family development projects
  • Represented the developer in the building, financing and marketing of a design center in a major metropolitan area
  • Represented a major sports franchise in negotiating and developing a sports complex
  • Represented the developer of an entertainment facility including negotiation of approvals from the public entity, development of the project and negotiation of promoter and management agreement
  • Represented investors in the negotiation to obtain an NFL franchise

Professional Admissions

  • State Bar of California

Presentations

  • California Continuing Education of the Bar
  • University of Santa Clara Law School
  • Corporate Real Estate Conference
  • Association of South Bay Brokers
  • NAIOP, The Association for Commercial Real Estate
  • Shanghai International Business Institute, 1992 - 1994
  • Practicing Law Institute “ADR for Complex Commercial Disputes”
  • MIT Real Estate Association’s “Real Estate in China - Today and Tomorrow”
  • U.C. at Berkeley, Boalt Hall Mediation Course
  • State Bar of California, Section Education Institute, “Making the Most of Mediation”

Activities/Memberships

  • American Arbitration Association Panel of Arbitrators, Member, 1967 - present
  • American Arbitration Association's Large and Complex Case Program, Member
  • U.S. District Court's Alternative Dispute Resolution Program, mediation training

Personal

  • Born in San Francisco, California
  • Married with children