Overview
Adam Witt is a real estate and construction attorney who provides his clients with practical business advice and a wide range of transactional services. Adam regularly represents business owners, developers, investors, contractors, subcontractors, property owners, landlords, and tenants in complex real estate, construction, and business matters across California and the United States.
Adam’s practice focuses on the purchase, sale, development, leasing, and financing of commercial real property across many asset classes, including retail, restaurant, office, medical, industrial, multifamily residential, and mixed-use. He also has extensive experience with all types of construction contracts on both public and private projects, including prime contracts, design-build agreements, subcontracts, construction management agreements, material and equipment purchase agreements, and design professional agreements.
Adam is skilled in drafting and negotiating a wide range of agreements and, if needed, deftly resolving disputes. He has advised on real estate and construction related aspects of a number of renewable energy projects. Adam also has considerable experience guiding clients on business formation, operation, governance, and commercial transactions, and serves as an outside general counsel for many of his clients.
Before joining Stoel Rives, Adam headed the real estate and transactional department for a prominent firm in San Diego. While in law school, he was an extern with Justice Richard D. Huffman of the California Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division One. Prior to law school, Adam worked as a journeyman ironworker on bridge and commercial construction projects in Minnesota.
Education
University of San Diego School of Law, J.D., 2010, cum laude; Order of the Coif; Comments Editor, San Diego Law Review
University of Minnesota, B.A., History, double minor: Political Science/Sociology, 2004
Admissions
California
United States District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of California
California Court of Appeal for the Fourth District, Division One
California Supreme Court
Experience
- Represented general contractor in negotiation of prime contract for ground-up construction of $40M+ townhome and multi-family development in Carlsbad, California.
- Represented developer in the sale of a $23 million medical office building in Riverside County, California.
- Assisted global semiconductor equipment supplier with preparation of master construction agreement and RFP for $700 million expansion of R&D operations in Oregon.
- Represented a number of landlords in connection with the negotiation of retail leases with various national coffee chains, including Starbucks, Better Buzz, and Dutch Bros.
- Prepared comprehensive master service agreement for use with multiple contractors on $68 million tribal broadband expansion construction project in Alaska with federal funding requirements.
- Represented Southern California architectural firm in the acquisition of Bay Area design firm to expand the client’s footprint in Northern California.
- Represented real property investor in concurrent acquisitions of approximately $40 million of office building space in Orange County, California.
- Represented leading global renewable energy developer in negotiation of construction management agreements in connection with sale of 517 MW solar portfolio involving projects in three states.
- Represented developer in connection with various real estate transactions relating to development of restaurants and retail shopping centers across the Western United States.
- Represented owner in the sale of a $26 million medical office building in San Diego County, California.
- Drafted and negotiated hundreds of commercial leases on behalf of both landlord and tenant parties, including ground, office, medical, retail, restaurant, gas station, EV charging station, and warehouse/industrial.
- Analyzed and negotiated construction, permanent, and private financing documents on behalf of borrowers and contractors.
- Prepared full suite of subcontract and purchase order templates for national use by one of the largest public works infrastructure contractors in the United States.
- Regularly advised both large and small owners, developers, and contractors regarding construction issues, contracts, and resolutions.
Insights
Insights & Presentations
- "California Expands Residential Tenant Protections to Certain Small Commercial Tenants," (co-author), Stoel Rives Ahead of Schedule Blog, October 29, 2024
- Panelist, “Wealth Planning Panel,” AlphaCore Wealth Summit, La Jolla, California, September 14, 2023
- Speaker, “Critical Issues in Construction Contract Negotiations,” Associated General Contractors of America, San Diego Chapter, September 27, 2022
- Speaker, “The Top Ten Subcontract Issues Every Subcontractor Needs to Know,” Associated Builders and Contractors of California, San Diego Chapter, July 28, 2021
Recognition
- Listed among Rising Stars (Real Estate, Business & Corporate), California Super Lawyers®, 2019–2021
Affiliations
Professional
- NAIOP (Commercial Real Estate Development Association), San Diego Chapter, Member
- State Bar of California
- San Diego County Bar Association
- Business & Corporate Law section
- Real Property Law section
- Construction Law section