Mr. Van Atta focuses his practice on Real Estate (Property) Law, Land Use and Development Law, Real Estate Finance, and Community Association Law.
PRACTICE:
Mr. Van Atta has practiced as a real estate attorney for over thirty-nine years. Mr. Van Atta’s legal practice has involved all aspects of real property transactions, with a particular emphasis on real estate development, acquisition and finance. He has extensive experience with residential developments of all types and scale, community association formation and operations, as well as with resort and hotel projects and office buildings; land use and zoning matters; and real estate lending. Mr. Van Atta has represented several major high technology companies in Silicon Valley and San Francisco in land and building acquisition and leasing transactions. Mr. Van Atta has been an active practitioner in the field of common interest developments and community associations since 1970. He has prepared subdivision documentation for numerous master-planned residential developments and residential and commercial condominium projects and several mixed – use communities in Northern and Southern California. Mr. Van Atta is often called upon to represent developer clients with respect to subdivision and development matters with local government authorities and the State of California Bureau of Real Estate. He regularly advises community associations as to legal issues as to their operations and management.
Education
- J.D., University of California Hastings College of the Law, 1969
- A.B., University of California at Berkeley, 1966
Admissions
- California, 1970
Memberships
- The State Bar of California, Chairman, Condominium Cooperative Housing and Subdivision Committee, 1981-1983 and Vice Chair, Executive Committee, 1982-1986, Real Property Law Section.
- Bar Association of San Francisco
- American Bar Association (Member, Section of Real Property, Probate and Trust Law)
- Home Builders Association of Northern California (Past Chair, Bureau of Real Estate Committee; Board of Directors, Southern Division)
- Community Associations Institute
- Urban Land Institute (member, District Council Executive Committee; Chair, Program Committee)
- Lambda Alpha International Land Economics Society
- College of Community Association Lawyers
- American College of Real Estate Lawyers
- Anglo American Real Property Institute
Teaching Experience
- Law Lecturer, University of California Extension, 1976-2015
- Adjunct Professor, Real Property Secured Transactions, Golden Gate University School of Law, 1982-1983
For a list of Mr. Van Atta’s publications, please see the firm’s publications page.