California Real Estate, Construction & Business Law

Real estate is at the center of our practice.

From our office in Davis, Lowenthal represents property owners, buyers and sellers, investors, landlords, private lenders, contractors, real estate professionals, and businesses throughout Yolo, Solano, and Sacramento Counties. Our work spans real estate transactions, contracts, ownership and title matters, leasing, financing, construction, and related business matters.

Our construction and business practices complement that focus. Real estate frequently overlaps with business ownership, financing, development, construction, and commercial relationships, and our experience across these areas allows us to approach a matter with the bigger picture in mind.

Real Estate Law

Our real estate practice covers a broad range of California transactional, ownership, title, financing, leasing, and dispute-related matters. We work with clients at every stage of property ownership, from structuring and documenting a transaction to addressing problems that arise years later.

Real Estate Transactions

We represent buyers, sellers, investors, and property owners in residential and commercial real estate transactions, including private and for-sale-by-owner sales.

Our work includes purchase and sale agreements, letters of intent and offers, seller disclosures, due diligence, seller financing, lease-options, private transactions, and other agreements relating to the acquisition or sale of real property. We regularly work with C.A.R., A.I.R. CRE, and other established industry forms, while preparing custom agreements when the transaction calls for something more.

Commercial & Residential Leasing

We assist landlords and tenants with commercial and residential leasing matters, including the preparation and review of leases, lease-options, amendments, assignments, and related agreements.

For relatively straightforward transactions, we can prepare established C.A.R. or A.I.R. commercial lease forms to keep the process efficient and costs predictable. For more specialized transactions, such as restaurant leasing, we can prepare comprehensive agreements tailored to the property, intended use, and particular transaction.

Co-Ownership & Property Agreements

Shared ownership works best when everyone's rights and responsibilities are clearly established from the beginning.

We prepare tenancy-in-common agreements, co-owner buyout agreements, easement and maintenance agreements, licenses, and other agreements governing the ownership, use, maintenance, financing, and transfer of California real property.

We also assist with partition and other co-ownership matters when the parties need to separate their interests or resolve disagreements concerning jointly owned property.

Title, Easements & Property Rights

We handle matters involving title defects and clouds on title, easements, access rights, boundaries and encroachments, adverse possession, disputed ownership, forged or improper deeds, licenses, restrictions, and other interests affecting California real property.

Where property owners have reached an agreement, we can often document their respective rights and responsibilities without unnecessary conflict. When a disagreement already exists, we help clients evaluate their rights and pursue an appropriate path toward resolution.

Private Lending & Real Estate Finance

Our office represents private lenders, borrowers, sellers, and property owners in real estate financing matters.

Our work includes private lending and secured real estate transactions, seller financing, loan documentation, loan modifications and workouts, deeds in lieu of foreclosure, and related financing agreements.

Real Estate Disputes & Resolution

Real estate disputes remain an important part of our practice, particularly when they involve ownership, title, disclosures, or significant property rights.

Our experience includes seller nondisclosure, misrepresentation and concealment matters; title and ownership disputes; partition actions; easement, access and boundary disputes; real estate fraud and forgery; and other controversies involving California real property.

We place particular emphasis on practical and cost-effective resolution. When appropriate, we use negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and other alternatives to prolonged litigation to move matters toward a resolution.

Construction Law

Construction and real estate naturally overlap, and our construction practice focuses on the legal relationships and documentation surrounding the improvement of California property.

We work with contractors, property owners, and other construction participants on home improvement contracts, construction agreements, change orders, payment rights, mechanics liens and releases, and other contract and compliance matters arising from residential and commercial construction.

Much of this work is preventative. A properly structured contract and good project documentation can clarify expectations, preserve important rights, and place a client in a much stronger position if a project does not go as planned.

Business Law

Our business practice focuses primarily on transactional and organizational matters, particularly those that complement our real estate and construction work.

We assist California business owners, investors, professionals, and closely held companies with entity formation, LLC operating agreements, shareholders' agreements, ownership arrangements, buyouts, contracts, and related business transactions.

Rather than trying to cover every area of business law, our business practice is particularly well suited to closely held businesses, real estate ventures, contractors, investors, property owners, and professional service businesses.