Real Estate
Native American

California

Juris Doctor, University of Illinois College of Law, Champaign, Illinois
Bachelor of Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois

State Bar of California – Real Property Section
Los Angeles County Bar Association – Real Property Section
International Council of Shopping Centers U.S. Law Conference Program Committee
Lecturer – ICSC U.S. Law Conferences, ICSC California Retail Leasing Symposium, ICSC University of Shopping Centers, ALI-ABA, CEB and MUFSO real estate programs, Native American Finance Conferences and Tribal Wealth Management Conferences

Represented developers in connection with the acquisition and financing of “value-add” multi-family residential properties intended for renovation and long-term hold.
Represented developers in connection with the acquisition, construction or redevelopment, leasing and financing of shopping centers and other commercial properties intended for long-term hold.
Represented retail and professional tenants in the negotiation of commercial leases.
Represented private equity investors in connection with the multi-state acquisition and financing of existing long-term commercial “triple-net” leases.
Advised private equity investor as special counsel regarding American Indian Law matters in connection with the acquisition of the master lessees’ interests under a portfolio of long-term commercial and residential ground leases with American Indian allottees, as master lessors, covering American Indian-owned lands in Riverside County, California.
Acted as special counsel to borrowers in rendering California mortgage enforceability opinions to institutional or securitized debt holders in connection with multi-billion dollar multi-state, multi-property leveraged buy-out and/or recapitalization transactions
Represented owners in the negotiation of architectural agreements and construction contracts for the construction or renovation of multi-million dollar single family residences.

Richard S. Friedman

Of Counsel

Richard S. (“Rick”) Friedman is Of Counsel to the firm. For 25 years prior to joining the firm, he was a Senior Real Estate Partner and Chair of the West Coast Real Estate Practice Group for a prominent Wall Street-based international law firm.

Rick specializes in commercial real estate transactions, with particular emphasis on shopping center, hotel/casino, multi-family, office and mixed-use development, acquisitions and dispositions, leasing, financing, joint ventures (including partnerships and limited liability companies), syndications, cross-border transactions, work-outs and restructurings. His restructuring work includes the repositioning and recapitalization of outdated and/or underperforming commercial real estate projects. His clients include developers and operators, lenders and borrowers, landlords and tenants, institutional and private investors, retail chains and Indian tribes. In addition to conventional real estate projects, Mr. Friedman advises both tribal and non-tribal clients in connection with the development, leasing and financing of Native American casinos and commercial projects in American Indian Country and the participation by American Indian tribes in off-reservation commercial investments.

Rick has been ranked in Chambers USA as one of the leading real estate lawyers in the United States. He is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers U.S. Law Conference Program Committee and has been a frequent lecturer at ICSC U.S. Law Conferences, the ICSC California Retail Leasing Symposium and the ICSC University of Shopping Centers, at ALI-ABA, CEB and MUFSO real estate programs and at Native American Finance Conferences and Tribal Wealth Management Conferences. His presentations at the ICSC U.S. Law Conferences have covered a wide variety of commercial real estate-related topics, with particular emphasis on leasing, purchase and sale agreements, and financing.