Robert Pearman, Robinson & Pearman: Attorney & Arbitrator

REAL ESTATE AND HOUSING

Represented the Pasadena Blue Line Authority in design/build and joint development wherein 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, and legal services on a number of dispositions and construction documents: Purchase and sale agreement, interim parking licenses, permanently reserved easement for parking, remediation agreements, recorded environmental restrictions, parking development agreement, and security documents.

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

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. 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.

Assisted the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles in the acquisition, sale, finance and construction of the affordable housing projects involving $$$millions and 100s of units. Project elements included ground leases; Sale-Leasebacks; negotiation of inter-creditor construction agreements; utilization of City Housing Tax Exempt Bond funds; syndication of tax credits.

Legal representation of nonprofit youth services provider in a real estate joint venture – to acquire real property, demolish the existing improvements, and develop new building for over 100 apartment units serving low and moderate income households and over 10,000 square feet corporate headquarters and services space.

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: nuclear plants to transmission line rights-of-way to office buildings.

Case Studies

Metro Headquarters (Union Station Gateway Center)

Part of the counsel team representing the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, in a very complicated land exchange, and joint development of a mixed-use transportation, retail and office complex (Union Station Gateway). The representation initially involved assisting the public agency client in analyzing various responses for a joint development proposal for a transit agency headquarters building. Once a single developer was selected, detailed and complicated agreements such as exclusive right to negotiate, development agreement, reciprocal easement and operating agreement, access and easement agreements, grant deeds, hazardous substance indemnity, master construction contract, and property management and construction management agreements, among others, were drafted and negotiated with our substantial involvement.

This $250 million complex, including the 28-story, 627,000 square feet headquarters tower and multi-modal transportation facility, was constructed and opened ahead of schedule.