Advancing client interests through successful, cost-effective, well-documented transactions.

Since HCMP's founding in 1971, real estate has been a cornerstone of HCMP's practice. The lawyers in our Real Estate group have unsurpassed experience in planning, negotiating, documenting, and closing transactions involving real estate, whether large or small. With our clients, we regularly deal with every issue real property owners, developers, investors, and lenders face. We combine a thorough understanding of the legal considerations with a working knowledge of the practical realities involved in your real estate business.

Comprehensive or à la carte services - from pre-purchase through development and sale.

Our work includes everything from site targeting and selection through planning and formation of entities for the development, financing, and protection of real estate projects, negotiation of purchase and sale agreements, construction agreements and leases, addressing legal issues in the day-to-day management of real estate, and sale of completed projects. We also assist with planning for the federal and state taxes that parties to real estate transactions will face. (See Tax). We are available at every stage of your real estate project or transaction and at one time or another have encountered all of the issues that you might face with your projects.

Choosing the right entity for your real estate project or investment.

All too often in the rush to close the acquisition or financing of a parcel of real estate, the buyer does not do the advance planning necessary to determine the most advantageous way to own the property. We know the importance of this decision and the legal and practical considerations that determine the best choice of entity for your project. We will work closely with you to analyze and evaluate the legal and tax considerations that go into deciding whether to hold your project or investment as a sole proprietor, general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, S-corporation or C-corporation. We know the importance of this decision, the expense and unexpected consequences of making the decision incorrectly, and how to help you to make the proper choice.

Meeting the demands of a constantly changing legal environment.

In response to the increasingly complex real estate market, we have assembled a team with experience in a number of real estate and related areas:

• Residential and commercial condominium developments
• Community governance documents for master planned developments
• Public-private projects
• Commercial and retail leasing
• Structuring tax-free exchanges, including delayed and reverse exchanges
• Resolving environmental issues including those arising with landfills, transfer stations and other solid waste projects
• The hospitality industry
• Negotiating with federal, state, and local agencies exercising jurisdiction over a client's property
• Conservation easements

In addition, our real estate attorneys use a team approach with our other lawyers to address site development, zoning, permitting, and compliance concerns. We are experienced with the interaction between real estate transactions, land use approvals, and environmental compliance. See Feasibility Analysis & Strategic Planning, Permits & Entitlements and Environmental areas of expertise.

Loans, financing and capitalization services.

We represent both borrowers and lenders in real estate related financings and capitalizations. Our clients include borrowers in projects financed through bank loans, industrial development revenue and other types of bonds, as well as construction and permanent loans. Our work for lenders includes loan negotiation and documentation, loan restructuring and workout arrangements, judicial and nonjudicial foreclosures, and bankruptcy and related adversary proceedings. See Lender Services.

Conflict resolution and litigation.

We have earned a reputation for advancing our clients' interests within a framework of successful, cost-effective, carefully documented transactions. In instances where we become involved after a dispute has arisen or where litigation cannot be avoided, we offer our broad experience in real estate litigation at both the trial and appellate levels, including condemnation and takings cases, specific performance and damages actions under purchase and sale agreements, lease disputes, foreclosures, workouts and environmental damages and contribution actions. Our representation in such cases has often been on behalf of major companies such as Weyerhaeuser Company, CalPortland Company, and Northwest Steel Rolling Mills. See Real Estate & Land Use Litigation and Litigation.

Other major clients for whom we perform real estate work include: PACCAR Inc, Weyerhaeuser Real Estate Company, The Quadrant Corporation, Crown Pacific, Mitsubishi Corporation, Land Recovery, Inc., National Development Council, Wright-Wapato, Inc., Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. and Suncadia, LLC.