The Quarterly Newsletter for Commercial Real Estate Women | San Francisco
The Recovery is Underway
2nd Quarter 2011
Top Topics from the Title Trenches Julie A. Baird 1. Mechanic’s Liens: What’s all the recent fuss about mechanic’s liens? Hasn’t construction ever been an issue before? Good questions. Construction has always been a concern, but the reality is that the title industry has incurred (and continues to incur) considerable losses over the last few years because sufficient documentation was not obtained prior to closing or because the indemnities that were obtained proved to be worthless.
that lien could relate back to the date that the work commenced on the site. For example, if your client is funding a construction loan and the grading for the construction starts the day before the deed of trust records, ANY AND ALL mechanic’s liens arising out of that work of improvement as a whole may relate back to the day before the lender’s lien recorded, and therefore have priority over the mortgage.
In an effort to reduce these types of losses, the underwriting that is required on projects with construction – recent or on-going - has become much more involved. Now when you call the title company and open escrow, you will probably be asked: “Is there any work going on at the property?” Remember that the definition of “work” is very broad – tenant improvements, demolition, grading, construction, space build out, remodeling, re-paving, or even the delivery of a dumpster or construction supplies. To the title company, virtually any type of work can trigger the need to obtain additional information and conduct additional analysis. Why? Because in California and several other states, if a mechanic’s lien is recorded after closing, the priority of
Many different factors must be considered by a title company when it is underwriting mechanic’s lien risk. One of the most important factors is an analysis of the overall project. This analysis involves a thorough examination of the construction contract(s), the construction loan documentation, the economics of the project, and the strength and track record of the contractor and the developer. If the project appears to be viable, the title company might then review financial statements of the various entities involved in the project and require one or more indemnities. Underwriting the mechanic’s lien risk will also likely include two inspections of the property, one approximately ten days before close and another immediately before close.
As construction loan draws are made, the owner will be required to identify who has provided labor, services and materials, plus provide invoices and lien waivers for the entire amount of the construction that has been completed. Only then, and to that extent, will the title company provide mechanic’s lien coverage. This seems like a lot of paperwork and hassle – but in the end the more information that the title company has about the property, the better the protection it can provide for your client. Frankly, it is best if no construction starts prior to recording. (continued on page 2)
IN THIS ISSUE: TOP TOPICS FROM THE TITLE TRENCHES {P1} LOSING REDEVELOPMENT {P2} MIDSIZE IS NOW A FIT FOR SBA {P3} ADA ACCESSIBILITY AND THE WEB {P4} NEWS FROM CREW SF {P5} SPOTLIGHT ON MEMBERSHIP {P6} NEW CREW MEMBERS {P7} EVERYTHING EVENTS AND CALENDAR {P8} OUR SPONSORS {P9}
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(continued from page 1) 2. REO transactions: Grant Deed versus Quitclaim Deed: When a lender acquires real property by foreclosure, the real property is carried on the lender’s books as “real estate: owned,” or REO, until the property is sold. At times, lenders request that the title company rely upon a quitclaim deed rather than a grant deed to insure the transfer of bank-owned property to a third-party buyer. Lenders have determined that they do not want to give any representations or warranties regarding the REO properties they are transferring. However, in California, a grant deed is a special-warranty deed containing only two implied covenants of warranty, briefly: (1) that the grantor has not previously conveyed the property; and (2) that the grantor has not previously encumbered the property. (California Civil Code § 1113.) Because these covenants only apply to the acts of the grantor (here, the lender) and not to previous parties, the lender should feel relatively comfortable with these two covenants. If there is still some reluctance, lenders should consider one particular benefit of a grant deed called the doctrine of “after-acquired title” or “estoppel by deed.” This doctrine protects against a defect in the chain of title whereby the grantor (our lender) does not really have title prior to the deed transfer. Once that defect is corrected and title placed in the grantor, title flows through to the ultimate grantee, without having to reconstruct the rest of the chain. Without the benefit of after-acquired title, a defect earlier in the chain would mean the chain of title (from the defect forward) has to be reconstructed. From the lender’s point of view, once REO property is conveyed to a buyer, the lender is not going to want to be in the position of having to recreate its deed because its conveyance document (i.e., a quitclaim deed) did not include after-acquired title. 3. Survey Standards: The new ALTA/ ACSM 2011 Minimum Standard Detail Requirements for ALTA/ACSM surveys became effective on February 23, 2011.
There are a number of changes, including the following:
Agencies remain on the chopping block in a climate of great uncertainty.
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Showing current recording information for adjoining parcels (in some cases);
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Requiring additional information regarding zoning, including setback requirements, height and floor space area restrictions;
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Location and character of vehicular, pedestrian and other access;
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Locating offsite improvements within easement areas benefitting the property;
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Optional professional liability insurance designation;
The Redevelopment Agency has been a major funder for small business development and job training in San Francisco, providing loans to small businesses and contracting with local nonprofits such as Urban Solutions, Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center, and the South of Market Employment Center, to deliver innovative programs. These organizations have had a tremendous impact, by spurring job creation, fostering the development of new businesses, and helping people overcome barriers to employment.
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Required standardization of the surveyor certification; and
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Wording changes to help with clarity and consistency within the survey.
As you obtain new surveys on your projects, you will want to take note of these new standards. About the Author Julie Baird is Vice President, National Underwriting Counsel for the National Commercial Services division of First American Title Company in San Francisco.
Losing Redevelopment: What’s at Stake for Low-Income Neighborhoods Jenny McNulty Shortly after his inauguration in January, Governor Brown proposed eliminating Redevelopment Agencies, estimating that $1.7 billion could be redirected to fill gaps in the state budget. In March, the Assembly narrowly defeated legislation to end the agencies, lacking only one vote to meet the 2/3 requirement for passage. Until the state has a balanced budget, Redevelopment
On Sixth Street in the South of Market, Urban Solutions’ business attraction and retention efforts have led to a reduction in the retail vacancy rate from 43% to 9%. Thirty new businesses have opened on Sixth Street over the last seven years. Businesses like Miss Saigon Restaurant and Mi Tierra Market are meeting the needs of neighborhood residents and turning the street into a destination for people who were formerly reluctant to set foot on Sixth Street. Urban Solutions has managed 103 façade and tenant improvement projects on 32 buildings, including Agency funded architectural services from the nonprofit Asian Neighborhood Design. Redevelopment’s investment of $1.4 million in grants has been a catalyst for $3.5 million in private investment. In the Bayview, from 2008-2010, Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center assisted residents in creating or retaining more than 200 jobs. In 2010, it served over 500 clients, five of whom opened new storefronts along the Third Street Corridor. Renaissance also founded a business
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(continued from page 2) incubator in the South of Market in 1995 with funding from Redevelopment, which has served 142 clients since inception, 86% of whom are successfully in business today. In 2010, Renaissance and Urban Solutions helped businesses create 62 jobs. The San Francisco Redevelopment Agency’s handling of certain urban renewal programs in the 1960s and 1970s had drastic consequences for the African-American community in the Western Addition and has been widely criticized. Since that time, the Agency has revised its practices and is now advised by diverse community committees, which review projects at the local level. The Redevelopment Agency of today is building extensive amounts of affordable housing, funding the rebuilding of the Transbay Terminal as a regional transit hub, helping to develop Mission Bay as a biotech hub, and supporting basic services like street cleaning and Community Guides in the South of Market. Plans are underway to create a Mid Market Project Area to direct funding and resources toward revitalizing central Market Street. Also slated for next year is the development of the Hugo Hotel, the building with furniture hanging out the windows at Sixth and Howard Streets, into affordable family housing. Governor Brown is now calling for the creation of a “Successor Entity” to carry out existing obligations and wind down redevelopment activity. In this scenario, a portion of tax-increment funding would return to the City and County and a portion could be provided to continue innovative neighborhood programs and small business development. Without continued funding to support critical economic development activities on Sixth Street and in the Bayview, progress will quickly unravel. It is in the interest of all San Franciscans to continue strengthening these two neighborhoods for the betterment of our entire City.
About the Author Jenny McNulty is the Executive Director of Urban Solutions, a non profit organization which helps small businesses succeed. Urban Solutions has led economic revitalization efforts on Sixth Street with funding from the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency.
Midsize Is Now a Fit for SBA* Barbara Morrison *Reprinted with permission from American Banker
Did you know that the U.S. Small Business Administration has changed how it defines a small business? Now a firm with up to $15 million in net worth, regardless of sales volume, and average after-tax earnings of up to $5 million for the past two years is considered “small” by the SBA. These newly eligible businesses can take advantage of attractive below-market, fixed rate loans for commercial real estate projects in excess of $20 million. Middle-market companies historically exceeded the size standards for SBA financing. But legislation passed by Congress in September changed that. In addition, the new legislation, called the Small Business Jobs Act, increased the size of commercial real estate projects that can be financed under the SBA 504 loan program. This means the SBA can finance larger commercial real estate projects for larger businesses. And this creates new opportunities for middle-market companies and lenders. Under the 504 program, borrowers have two loans: a first mortgage from a conventional lender, and a second mortgage
from a certified development company, or CDC. Though it varies, the breakdown is generally 50 percent from the lender; 40 percent from the CDC, which is backed by the SBA; and a 10 percent down payment from the borrower. The lender’s portion is a conventional real estate loan. The term must be a minimum of 10 years. Rates can be fixed or variable. The SBA portion is a below-market fixed rate and fully amortized for 20 years. The new legislation increased the maximum amount of the SBA portion. As a result, projects in excess of $20 million are now good candidates for the 504 program. Formerly capped at $2 million, the 40 percent second mortgage can now be as much as $5 million or $5.5 million. Manufacturers and green energy projects are eligible for the larger $5.5 million second mortgage. There is no limit to the amount of the bank’s first mortgage, nor is it limited to only 50 percent of the total project cost. Borrowers can also increase the percentage of their down payment. For middle-market lenders, this is an opportunity to offer more customers an attractive alternative to conventional real estate financing—one that allows the business owner to preserve cash by structuring a loan with only 10 percent down and locking in today’s historically low fixed rates. By helping these business owners tap into the resources of the 504 program, lenders can build lasting relationships that will create loyalty from existing customers as well as help attract new ones. Today many businesses face the daunting task of refinancing a property that has decreased in value. But one of the most innovative and exciting provisions of the new legislation relates to debt refinancing. For the first time ever, business owners will be able to use low-interest SBA-backed loans to refinance existing non-SBA commercial mortgages. This is a rare opportunity for businesses to restructure their commercial real estate debt. The program, which is structured (continued on page 4)
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(continued from page 3) like SBA’s traditional 504 program, ends on Sept. 27, 2012. It is expected that as many as 20,000 businesses may ultimately participate. For now, the SBA has opened the program to businesses with immediate need—those at risk of foreclosure because they face loan maturity or balloon payments before Dec. 31, 2012. It is possible that the program could be expanded to other businesses in the future. To qualify, applicants must demonstrate that their loans are current and that they have successfully made all required payments in the last year. A new, independent appraisal will be required for all projects. The SBA will perform full and thorough underwriting on all refinancing applications (so there are no “delegated” lenders). Initially, the first mortgage loans on existing 504 projects are ineligible and “cash out” refinancings are not permitted. Governmentguaranteed loans are excluded from the refinancing program as well. But the SBA may revisit these restrictions later. The funding for this pilot program is limited to $7.5 billion annually. So it is likely demand will exceed the funding. But by utilizing these new SBA options, banks and certified-development companies can help small and midsize businesses benefit from better access to credit.
About the Author Barbara Morrison is CEO and Founder of the Certified-Development Company TMC
Web Access: The ADA Goes Beyond Bricks and Mortar Elizabeth T. Erhardt, Esq. The Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) is a comprehensive civil rights law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability. An individual with a disability is a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, has a record of such an impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment. Among other things, the ADA requires public accommodations and commercial facilities that are newly constructed or newly altered to be readily accessible to individuals with disabilities. The architectural standards for accessibility in new construction and alterations are contained in the ADA Accessibility Guidelines issued by the federal Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, and incorporated in the final Department of Justice title III regulations. Places of public accommodation include private entities whose operations affect commerce. Over five million establishments fall within the twelve ADA categories of public accommodation, namely: lodging; restaurants; theaters; retail stores; service providers; health care facilities; recreational facilities; museums; libraries; parks; educational institutions; and day care centers. Commercial facilities are non-residential facilities, including office buildings, factories, and warehouses, whose operations affect commerce. Currently, commercial facilities are only required to satisfy accessibility requirements for new construction and alterations, whereas public accommodations have myriad additional ADA requirements due to the public use which is absent from commercial facilities. The Department of Justice is considering adopting regulations that expand the reach of the accessibility requirements of public accommodations to websites. In the twenty-first century, e-commerce has redefined the way we do business, and as such the Department of Justice has expanded application of ADA accessibility requirements to the World Wide Web. Individuals with disabilities often use assistive technology to enable them to access information on websites. However, many websites fail to incorporate features that allow these users to access all the site’s information or elements. For instance, individuals who are deaf are unable to access information in Web videos and other multimedia presentations that do not have captions, and individuals with low vision may be unable to read websites that do not allow the site’s font size or color contrast to be modified by the viewer. (continued on page 5)
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(continued from page 4) According to the DOJ, one of the most common barriers to website accessibility is images that lack corresponding descriptions. A screen reader or similar assistive technology cannot “read” an image, leaving individuals who are blind with no way of independently knowing what information the image conveys. Similarly, complex websites often lack navigational headings or links that would allow use of a screen reader, or may contain tables with header and row identifiers that display data, but fail to provide associated cells so the information can be interpreted by a screen reader. These barriers greatly impede the ability of individuals with disabilities to fully enjoy the goods, services, and programs offered by covered entities on the Web. The Department has been clear that the ADA applies to websites of private entities that meet the definition of “public accommodations.’’ However, the courts have been split on the issue of whether or not a website may, in and of itself, without a corresponding physical location, qualify as a place of public accommodation. Inconsistent court decisions, varying standards for determining Web accessibility, and repeated calls for Department action illustrate the substantial confusion and uncertainty as to the ADA’s applicability to websites of entities covered by title III. Consequently, the Department of Justice is promulgating ADA website accessibility regulations for places of public accommodation. The Department of Justice has expressly refrained from resolving the question of whether or not a commercial website may qualify as a place of public accommodation independent of any bricks-and- mortar physical presence. Until there is clarity from the courts or the legislature as to whether a website may qualify independently as a place of public accommodation, a commercial facility may wish to consider complying with the website accessibility standards to the extent that the commercial facility engages in commercial activities with the public through its website.
The six-month public comment period for new ADA accessibility standards for commercial websites closed in January of this year. The proposed new regulations, if implemented, would require public accommodations to comply, to the maximum extent possible, with the website accessibility guidelines with respect to all new and completely redesigned websites (as well as new pages of existing websites) which come on line six months after the effective date of the regulations. Existing websites and pages would have two years from the effective date of the final rule to comply. The proposed new regulations would not extend to content placed on social networking sites and other websites outside the stream of commerce, such as photo and video sharing websites. Additionally, the regulations would not extend to the informal or occasional trading, selling, or bartering of goods or services by private individuals in the context of an online marketplace. The proposed regulations incorporate voluntary international guidelines for Web accessibility created by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) detail how to make Web content accessible to individuals with disabilities. The most recent and updated version of the WCAG, the WCAG 2.0, was published in December 2008 and is available at http:// www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/. The WCAG 2.0 contains 12 guidelines addressing Web accessibility. Each guideline contains testable criteria for objectively determining if Web content satisfies the guideline. For a Web page to conform to the WCAG 2.0, the Web page must satisfy the criteria for all 12 guidelines under one of three conformance levels: A, AA, or AAA. The three levels of conformance combine accessibility and feasibility. Level A, which is the minimum level of conformance for access, contains criteria that provide basic Web accessibility and that are the most feasible for Web content developers.
Level AA, which is the intermediate level for access, contains enhanced criteria that provide more comprehensive Web accessibility and yet are still feasible for Web content developers. Level AAA, which is the maximum level of access, contains criteria that may be less feasible for Web content developers. ADA lawsuits regarding website accessibility began in 1999 and through the years have resulted in several businesses voluntarily complying with the WCAG 2.0 website accessibility guidelines, Level A. Those businesses include Apple (iTunes), MLB.com, CVS, Rite-Aid, RadioShack, Staples, Washington Mutual, Ramada Hotels, Priceline.com, Amazon.com, Hotels. com, Expedia and Hilton Worldwide, Inc. With new ADA website accessibility regulations on the horizon, businesses both large and small must expand their ADA compliance analysis beyond the physical aspects of their business.
About the Author Elizabeth T. Erhardt, Esq. is a Real Estate Litigation Partner, at Rutan & Tucker, LLP
NEWS from CREW SF Samantha Low Scholarships The CREW SF scholarship program is now open to current CREW SF members for tuition reimbursement for career advancement. Any active CREW SF member who has been a member for two years can apply. Priority will be given to those members who have been actively participating in making our chapter strong through committee involvement. Applicants will be expected to contribute some of their own funds toward the costs of the course or activity. To download an application or learn more about this program visit the CREW SF website. (continued on page 6)
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UCREW On April 6, 2011, CREW SF joined with CREW East Bay to host the second annual UCREW event at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. The event was very well attended, with almost 90 students from UC Berkeley, St. Mary’s, Golden Gate University and Mills College. UCREW is the university outreach program that showcases the strong involvement the CREW Cares Committee (East Bay CREW) and the Community Affairs Team (CREW SF) have with the colleges and universities in the greater Bay Area. Each year, it gives us the opportunity to reach out and inform the students about the intricacy of the manyfaceted real estate industry. Using a roundtable session format, each small group of students has three 30-minute sessions with two speakers from the same field in the real estate industry who share their experience and knowledge. This year, the covered fields were real estate investment trusts, finance, banking, urban development, architecture, construction, legal, environmental engineering, and brokerage. On behalf of East Bay CREW and CREW SF, we would like to extend our appreciation to the impressive array of leading professionals who volunteered their time and knowledge to coach the students. This year’s experts were: Marlies Bruning of Wells Fargo; Frances Choun of McCarthy Building Companies; Kimberly Havens of Wilson Meany Sullivan; Cheryl Hayes of California Bank & Trust; Deborah Han of AGI Capital; Sylvia Kwan of Kwan Henmi Architecture + Planning, Inc.; Samantha S. Low of Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Company; Janna Luce of
Spotlight on Membership Tara Monnig Hardesty Did you know that CREW Network has nearly 8,000 members in 74 chapters across North America? CREW Network provides business connections, training programs, and industry research. • More than 76% are CEOs, presidents, owners, partners, or senior managers • Members average 15 years of experience • 60% of members earn more than $100,000 • More than 72% have received or given a referral from or to another member in the last 12 months A Perspective on CREW SF Membership As professionals, we have an abundant number of choices when it comes to membership in local organizations. If you’re like me, you’ve participated in many throughout the course of your career and have found them to be valuable to varying degrees. I attended CREW SF functions for almost two years before joining. I was actively involved in three other organizations at the time but kept coming back to CREWSF for the informative programs, the
(Photo courtesy of East Bay CREW) CRESA Partners; John Mix of Grubb & Ellis; Constance B. Moore of BRE Properties, Inc.; Holly Neber of AEI Consultants; Kristin Paul of Prudential; Robin Pearson of Miller Starr Regalia; Deborah Perry of Grubb & Ellis; Rosanna Russell of Rimon Law Group; Elizabeth Swift of Mechanics Bank; Gayle P. Starr of AMB Property Corporation; Kathryn Sturgis-Bright of Sturgis Bright Valuation; Heidi A. Timken of Timken Johnson Hwang; Karen Wells of Jones Lang LaSalle; and Mary Wiese of CAC Group. Thank you all and we look forward to next year’s program!
About the Author Samantha S. Low, LEED AP is Project Manager at Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Company and is Chair of the CREW SF Community Affairs Team.
networking and most of all of the unassuming and personable experience I had with members. I found myself interacting regularly with a diverse collection of people. Diverse in their years in the industry as well as in their specialty and type of work they do. As I became more involved, I realized there was a significant difference in my experience with CREW SF. I found involvement to be twofold. I was gaining knowledge through the programs and events, and was consistently interacting with a wide range of people (locally and nationally) who were genuinely interested in understanding my business and whom I wanted to network/connect with. In short, I found a great potential to build meaningful relationships, which for many of us is the starting point to financial and personal success in our careers. To sum up one member’s insights, when joining CREW SF expect to expand more than your knowledge of the industry. Expect to dive in, get involved and build relationships and business connections that will stimulate your career.
About the Author Tara Monnig Hardesty, CMD, ICSC is Director of Membership for CREW SF and Principal of The Marketing Method Group.
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MEET OUR NEW CREW MEMBERS CREWSF is growing; we’ve added over 20 new members in 2011 and look forward to welcoming many more. We want you to get to know our new members and reach out to them when you see them at meetings. Here’s a look at a few new faces to CREWSF:
Kyla
Brennan Associate Project Manager The CRE Group, LLC
Brandy
Megan
Famulener Real Estate Manager CB Richard Ellis
Christensen Attorney Shartsis Friese LLP
Rita
Hernandez VP, Property Management JMA Ventures, LLC
Michael
McAlister Division Manager San Francisco Sprig Electric
Kyla Brennan is a tenant improvement project manager, providing owner and landlord representation throughout the Bay Area. Rita Hernandez, CPM has been with JMA for 24 years and is now offering third party commercial property management services. Michael McAlister, LEED AP leads Sprig Electric’s San Francisco Division, which offers services in electrical design, electrical construction, electrical service, tele/data, fire alarm, security, renewable energy, and energy conservation solutions.
Jeanne
Madden VP of Operations Mission Bay Development Group, LLC
Amy
Higuera Attorney Buchalter Nemer
Jackie
Emmy
Mezeul Sales & Marketing Manager Alliance Environmental Group
So Project Manager, RN Field Construction
Brandy E. Christensen, Esq. advises clients on a broad range of commercial real estate matters including property acquisitions and dispositions, financing and other facilities related matters.
Megan Famulener acts as a liaison between asset owners and tenants. She handles all facets of property management, including sustainability, tenant retention, and project profitability.
Amy R. Higuera is a member of the firm’s Real Estate Practice Group and her practice focuses on land use and environmental law.
Jeanne Madden is responsible for the financial operations of the master developer of Mission Bay, including administration of public and private financings, financial reporting, and information technology.
Jackie Mezeul’s company offers residential, industrial and commercial air duct cleaning, bio-hazard (asbestos, lead, and mold) abatement, and restaurant kitchen hood cleaning.
With an emphasis on design, Emmy So focuses on pre-construction planning, estimating, and project management.
Why Join? CREW Network is the industry's premier business networking organization dedicated to influencing the success of the commercial real estate industry by advancing the achievements of women. Our members represent nearly all disciplines within the industry and we are located in 74 major markets across North America.
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EVERYTHING EVENTS July 13, 2011 RECOLOGY TOUR
exist in highly competitive environments. The stakes in real estate, as in poker, can be high, and even a “winning” hand can be out-bluffed. You can lose everything, not unlike a risky real estate venture gone bad. Take a seat at the table and learn when to “Hold Em” and when to “Fold Em.”
Real Estate Tour
August 18, 2011 GOLF TOURNAMENT
CREW Network PresidentElect Diane Butler
August 10, 2011 POKER NIGHT
Artist in Residency Program July 13, 2011 | 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM Recology, 501 Tunnel Ave, SF
New Member Luncheon July 21, 2011
July 26, 2011
Poker Night
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REW SF will be hosting a tour of the Artist in Residence Program at Recology. This program was established in 1990 at the same time curbside recycling was being implemented in San Francisco. Conceived by artist Jo Hanson, it was an innovative component of an outreach program to educate people about recycling. It has grown to include an Environmental Learning Center, an extensive tour program, a three-acre sculpture garden, and offsite exhibitions. It has been nationally recognized and awarded as the only program of its kind in the country.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Joint Event with East Bay CREW August 10, 2011 1 Sansome St, SF
Golf Tournament August 18, 2011 Harding Park
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rab your golf clubs and come to Harding Park for our annual Golf Tournament and Fundraiser. This signature event is a great opportunity to network, improve your swing through one of the golf clinics, and to get in a round of golf while supporting our scholarship program. This program is put on through the efforts of the Community Affairs Team and volunteers are always welcome. Check out the CREW SF website for information on how to register, volunteer, or to learn about the many sponsorship opportunities.
CREW Network Convention September 14-17 Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, Washington, D.C
Leadership Breakfast September 22 | 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM RIM Architects, 140 2nd St, SF
Luncheon October 12 | 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM The City Club, 155 Sansome St, SF
Membership Madness October 26, 2011 | 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Annual Economic Forecast Luncheon
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ome join CREW SF and East Bay CREW for a joint networking event as we learn the basic rules of poker, what makes a winning hand, the art of the bluff, and how to spot a “tell.” As we learned at the CREW Network Convention last year, there are many similarities between poker and real estate. Both involve risk and uncertainty and
November 9 | 11:30 AM- 1:30 PM The City Club, 155 Sansome St, SF
New Member Luncheon November 17 | 12:00 PM- 1:00 PM
Annual Holiday Luncheon and Business Meeting December 14 | 11:30 AM- 1:30 PM The City Club, 155 Sansome St, SF
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A WORD FROM OUR SPONSORS
SILVER
Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory Natsis LLP ATC Associates BCCI Construction Deloitte Grosvenor Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Company Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP SSL Law Firm LLP S.C.O. The Swig Company Swinerton
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THE CREW SF COMMUNICATIONS TEAM PUBLISHES THE VIEW QUARTERLY AND IS LOOKING FOR:
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Authors, editors, photographers
FRIENDS OF CREW SF
Member Success Stories (Promotion, job change, awards, designations)
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MEDIA SPONSORS
The Registry San Francisco Business Times
Industry Articles (Architecture, Development, Law, Brokerage, Title Insurance, Finance- anything affecting commercial real estate, market trends, and the way we use space) Technology- Applications, programs, and tools that affect the workplace CREWbiz to Biz Success Stories
Leena Rege Rachel Manuel Matteo-Boehm Martinez
Meryl Macklin serves on the firm’s Executive Committee and chairs the Litigation Department. She is a Northern California Super lawyer and listed in the Top 75 California Women Litigators. Rachel Matteo-Boehm is a media and content lawyer. She is a Northern California Super Lawyer and was named a 2010 California Lawyer of the Year. Susan von Herrmann is a frequent author and speaker on the topic of estate planning, particularly in the context of nontraditional and blended families. She serves on the Board of Regents for Point Foundation. Dena Cruz is a real estate litigator and transactional lawyer. She is a Northern California Super Lawyer, Chair of the California State Bar’s International Section and past President of CREW. Cathy Meulemans frequently speaks and authors articles on business and real estate litigation issues. Katherine Keating is a Northern California Rising Star and frequent author on media, copyright and trademark matters. Leila Knox is a Northern California Rising Star, author on media topics and former news reporter. Leena Rege is a real estate litigator and transactional lawyer and member of CREW. Freeda Lugo is a Board Member of the Filipino Bar Association of Northern California and a fourth degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. www.hro.com
Cathy Meulmans
Our Women Lawyers. At HRO San Francisco, over 40% of the lawyers are women.
Meryl Macklin Freeda Lugo
Leila Knox
Insight from all angles
Susan Larry Theis von Herrmann
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Diversity and Inclusiveness. HRO is a leader in the legal and business community on diversity and inclusiveness. HRO is one of the original signatories to the Colorado Pledge to Diversity, first signed in 1993. HRO is also a corporate member of the California Minority Counsel Program. Manuel Martinez, a partner, was selected as the Businessman of the Year by the Denver Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and former firm Chair, Larry Theis, was recognized by the Center for Legal Inclusiveness with the organization’s Leadership Award.
Katherine Keating
HRO San Francisco. The San Francisco office of Holme Roberts & Owen LLP, an Am Law 200 firm with offices throughout the western U.S. and in Europe, is a proud sponsor of CREW.
Dena Cruz
PLATINUM
THE VIEW EDITORIAL STAFF: Please send all ideas and articles, along with your name and contact information, to The View editorial staff at news@crewsf.org. Editor Valerie Concello Editor Mary Hedley Content Rita Hernandez Content Michelle Fraedrich Editorial Review Julie Frankel Editorial Review Tara Monnig Hardesty Design & Layout Megan Cottrell
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