Robert Pearman, Robinson & Pearman: Attorney & Arbitrator

real estate and housing

I represent the Pasadena Blue Line Authority in design/build and joint development. I helped in environmental due diligence analyses and reports for sites the Authority owned, and in a study on a select number of land use alternatives for assessment of the sites physical, legal and social constraints. This effort led to the successful sale to private developers of a number of properties along the rail line and around station sites for joint development, with our firm providing legal services on a number of dispositions and construction documents: Purchase and sale agreement, grant deed, interim parking licenses, permanently reserved easement for parking spaces for transit riders, remediation agreements, recorded environmental restrictions, parking development agreement, and security documents such as a guarantee and subordinated deed of trust.

For the Asset Management Department of Bank of America, and the Resolution Trust Corporation/Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation this Firm provided legal services with respect to the sale of certain REO real property. My services include drafting and negotiating the terms of a Purchase and Sale Agreement, drafting of hazardous material and environmental agreements, review of Escrow Instructions, contracts of agency, indemnity agreements.

My collective services to a variety of institutional owners and lenders with respect to property management, leases, evictions and other legal actions, and general legal opinions and analysis on real estate issues are a repetitive theme of our activities as legal counsel. I provided advice, documentation, and litigation services to Travelers Insurance Company, the Prudential Insurance Company, and Economic Resources Corporation with respect to leasing matters related to a variety of commercial, industrial park and residential developments in Southern California.

I provided real estate opinions in connection with San Diego Gas & Electric's $100/$300 Million series of mortgage bonds under a longstanding mortgage trust indenture. I performed extensive due diligence in connection with the SEC-registered offering, including review of utility franchises, detailed review of title records, examination of trust indentures, acquisition documents, personal property liens and securities documents. The properties involved include a wide range of power generation and commercial operations, from nuclear plants to transmission line rights-of-way to office buildings.

Case Studies

community redevelopment agency of l.a.

Assisted the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles in its role as a lender in affordable housing projects. For example, we assisted in the acquisition, construction and permanent financing of 26 units, which included four lenders [$1.4 million in LACRA financing], a tax credit partner as well as an allocation of City housing tax-exempt bond funds, and included the ground lease of land by the Agency to the non-profit developer. I counseled the Agency in connection with partnership and loan restructuring for Agency housing loans, including analysis of real estate, partnership and revenue bond issues.

A recent engagement was to assist LACRA in the construction and development of a major arts and educational facility in the downtown redevelopment district. This is a potential $80 million project. I've been assigned to represent the Agency in the disposition and development agreement, long-term ground lease and related documents.