Stoel Rives Creates Real Estate Powerhouse with Addition of Leading Real Estate Group in Seattle

Lateral hiring of real estate and construction group from Foster Pepper PLLC substantially strengthens Stoel Rives’ top-rated national real estate practice

SEATTLE — Stoel Rives LLP is pleased to announce that 13 experienced attorneys from Foster Pepper PLLC have agreed to join Stoel Rives in its Seattle office, in the real estate and land use practice groups. The addition of the new attorneys to Stoel’s already top-ranked real estate and environmental, natural resources and land use practice groups enhances the firm’s ability to provide sophisticated legal advice to clients with a wide variety of legal needs.

Rated by Chambers USA as “the first choice in Seattle for handling real estate transactions,” the group that will join Stoel Rives includes partners Beth A. Clark, Joe Delaney, John A. Fandel, Michael Kuntz, Colm Nelson, Chris Osborn, John Santa Lucia, and Sabina L. Shapiro. Together, they have more than 200 years of combined legal experience representing regional, national and international real estate investors, owners and developers in acquisitions, dispositions, development, leasing, and financing of commercial, retail, and multifamily building and real estate projects nationwide.

Also agreeing to join Stoel Rives are five associate and of counsel attorneys: land use of counsel attorney Alexandra Kleeman; real estate of counsel attorneys W. Adam Coady and Nathan Luce; and real estate associates Hunter Jeffers and Emily Kelly.

“We are very pleased to welcome these talented attorneys, who already have a long history of collaboration with one other, to Stoel Rives,” said Vanessa Soriano Power, Managing Partner of Stoel Rives’ Seattle office. “Their deep knowledge and experience in real estate, construction and related land use matters will be invaluable to clients in a wide range of industries and professions.”

“The real estate industry is a vital driver of the national and global economy, and real estate-related legal issues increasingly demand innovative solutions,” said Tami Boeck, chair of Stoel Rives’ Real Estate and Construction Development Group. “We are excited to work together as one team to expand the legal abilities and solutions that we are able to offer to clients across the country and around the globe.”

The new attorneys are expected to start with Stoel Rives on Feb. 1. They chose to take their practices to Stoel Rives in order to provide expanded legal services to their clients, many of which are the country’s and the region’s top companies.

“Businesses today face a wide range of sophisticated legal matters,” said attorney Chris Osborn. “Real estate deals regularly have implications for corporate, finance, tax, IP, and construction law, as well as high-stakes litigation. We are pleased to be able to offer our clients the depth and breadth of legal solutions backed by the power and presence of Stoel Rives’ team of more than 350 attorneys in 10 offices nationwide.”

The attorneys joining Stoel Rives are:

Partners

Beth A. Clark has more than 30 years’ experience counseling public and private real estate owners, developers and investors, as well as public and private utility and transportation clients. She has been recognized by Chambers USA as a leader in real estate law and has been honored among Washington Super Lawyers and the Best Lawyers in America. She holds a bachelor’s degree from University of Washington and a law degree from University of Washington School of Law.

Joe Delaney has more than 30 years’ experience focused on commercial real estate sales, leasing, and financing transactions of commercial office, residential, and mixed-use projects. He has represented buyers and sellers in $4.5 billion worth of commercial real estate transactions since 2012. He has been recognized by Chambers USA as a leader in real estate law and has been honored among the Best Lawyers in America. He holds a bachelor’s degree from University of Vermont and a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

John A. Fandel has more than 25 years of commercial leasing experience, including work with local, national and international companies. He represents institutional and telecommunications industry clients as well as owners and developers of mixed-use real estate projects. He is a distinguished graduate of the U. S. Air Force Academy and holds a law degree from Stanford University Law School.

Michael Kuntz has more than 30 years’ experience in handling commercial and residential development and finance transactions, along with significant experience in affordable housing/tax credit development and financing. He has been recognized by Chambers USA as a leader in real estate law and has been honored among the Best Lawyers in America. He holds a bachelor’s degree from University of Puget Sound and a law degree from University of Washington School of Law.

Colm Nelson has more than 10 years of construction industry experience representing public and private owners and developers in a wide variety of construction transactions, litigation, procurement and real estate matters. He has additional experience handling procurement for public, quasi-public and private entities regarding construction services and goods. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Western Washington University and a law degree from Indiana University School of Law.

Chris Osborn has more than 30 years of experience in handling real estate transactions and dispute resolution, with an emphasis on the representation of multiple listing services and real estate brokerages, as well as buyers, sellers and developers of real property. He has been named among Washington Super Lawyers and the Best Lawyers in America for real estate law. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Duke University and a law degree from University of Puget Sound School of Law.

John Santa Lucia has more than 30 years of experience representing national and international developers and investors with an emphasis on acquisitions, dispositions, development, and financing of multifamily residential projects, as well as office and commercial facilities, including some of the nation’s largest public REITs. He has been recognized by Chambers Global and Chambers USA as a leader in investment fund and REIT law. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and a law degree from Northwestern University School of Law.

Sabina L. Shapiro has more than 15 years’ experience representing real estate buyers, sellers and borrowers in acquisitions, dispositions, development, leasing and financing of commercial, retail and multifamily projects across the country. She has been named a Washington Rising Star as part of the Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers program. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University and a law degree from University of Washington School of Law.

Of Counsel

W. Adam Coady represents property owners, developers, investors, lenders, and tenants throughout the Pacific Northwest. He focuses his practice on commercial real estate transactions and leasing and has experience working in-house to manage legal matters related to real estate holdings for a large healthcare company. He holds a bachelor’s degree from University of Washington and a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

Alexandra Kleeman provides counsel to real estate developers regarding potential environmental issues related to land acquisition and development. She assists developers with environmental and regulatory matters including cleanup of contaminated property, disputes over liability for cleanup costs, and insurance recovery. In 2018, she was honored as a Washington Rising Star by the Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers program. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School.

Nathan Luce represents buyers, sellers, and lenders in real estate acquisition, disposition, development, and financing of commercial, retail and multifamily development projects. He also represents landlords and tenants in the drafting and review of property leases for a wide variety of commercial projects, such as office buildings and shopping centers. He holds a bachelor’s degree from University of Washington and a law degree from University of Virginia School of Law.

Associates

Hunter Jeffers represents real estate brokerages, multiple listing services, homeowners’ associations, developers and principals in real estate transactions and dispute resolution. He also has experience in the formation, reorganization and acquisition of all types of business entities. He holds a bachelor’s degree from University of Washington and a law degree from Washington School of Law.

Emily Kelly focuses represents buyers, sellers, and lenders in acquisitions, dispositions, development and financing of commercial, retail and multifamily projects. She also represents landlords and tenants in the drafting and review of property leases for a wide variety of commercial projects. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Tufts University and a law degree from Boston College Law School.