October 2017 Real Estate Law Newsletter

Farming and agriculture have played a significant role in the advancement of civilizations throughout history. Many cultures and religions around the world have festivals to celebrate the end of the harvest season and to mark the beginning of winter. As the heat of the summer subsides and crops produce their yield, the transition provides a congenial setting for reflecting and celebrating the past season with friends and family.

The end of October has come far too swiftly, and Thanksgiving is right around the corner. In this month’s newsletter, we take a quick pause to celebrate and reflect on a bountiful month full of friends, new connections, and success — plus a wedding and an Oktoberfest celebration!

We wish you and your family and wonderful & safe Halloween!

Highlights in this month’s issue:

—Register for our November 14th webinar about disclosure requirements & non-disclosure disputes, presented by Adam L. Pedersen

—Check out highlights from our 2017 Oktoberfest Celebration

—Meet the newest real estate attorney to our team, Adam L. Pedersen

—Read about our recent community activities: sponsoring the Chinese American Real Estate Association (CAREA) dinner and participating in the American Cancer Society “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” walk

—Join us in congratulating attorney Ashlee D. Adkins on her marriage to Raymond Gonzales, and view pictures from their beautiful wedding

—Hear the podcast of Simon Offord’s recent appearance on the Brian Copeland radio show

—Catch up on updates from the firm, including victories, settlements, leadership positions, high school reunions, trips, and more

We hope you enjoy reading the October edition of our newsletter!

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Non-disclosure disputes are the most common real estate legal disputes in California. Thus, it’s imperative for the real estate community to understand disclosure laws, principles, and practices. On Tuesday November 14th, Brewer Offord & Pedersen LLP will be producing a free webinar about real estate disclosures in California. Real estate attorney Adam L. Pedersen will discuss the real estate disclosure laws, as well as the processes for prosecuting and for defending against non-disclosure actions. REALTORS® will raise their awareness of non-traditional items that must be disclosed, as well as recent case updates affecting disclosure requirements. Investors and developers should attend to gain an in-depth understanding of what they must disclose, especially in foreclosed or fix-and-flipped properties. Homeowners and potential buyers should also attend, to learn about the legal considerations that may impact their future property transactions.

During our upcoming webinar, attorney Adam Pedersen will discuss essential topics related to disclosures in the real estate transaction process, including:

  •    “Buyer Beware” & Basics of Real Estate Contracts
  •    Legal Authorities & Instruments for Disclosures
  •    Types of Disclosures Required by Law
  •    Process of Non-Disclosure Disputes
  •    Determining WHEN, WHO, and HOW to Sue
  •    Evaluating Damages
  •    Non-Disclosure Litigation

Register today for this free webinar on Tuesday, November 14th at 10:00 am by clicking the “Register” button below.

Register

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Each year, over 6 million people converge upon Munich, Germany for Oktoberfest. Over the course of 16 days, the world’s largest beer festival is held from late September thru early October. However, Oktoberfest has grown into much more than just a beerfest. The fairgrounds in Munich are covered with giant tents, each filled with beer girls delivering frothing brews to the soundtrack of loud brass bands. Food is in abundance, and so is fun — with amusement rides and activities at every turn.

Many cities around the world hold Oktoberfest celebrations modeled after the Munich event, to create an opportunity for friends and strangers alike to gather for fellowship. Similarly, the Brewer Offord & Pedersen LLP and the Law Office of Jeffrey C. Miller hold an annual Oktoberfest in Palo Alto, to celebrate the year with clients, colleagues, and friends. Over 100 people come out annually to enjoy the Oktoberfest festivities, and this year certainly didn’t disappoint!

See highlights from this year’s celebration by clicking the “View More” button below!

View More

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Meet the newest addition to Brewer Offord & Pedersen LLP — real estate attorney Adam L. Pedersen! Adam comes to us from Tyson & Mendes, with over 7 years of experience practicing real estate law in California. Attorney Pedersen is passionate about assisting clients with risk management, offering up legal solutions that not only address the client’s legal needs, but also align with the client’s business and personal interests. As a licensed California Real Estate Broker, Adam understands both the law and the business of real estate in California. As a result, he provides comprehensive and expert legal services for clients of all types, for matters in all stages of litigation. Adam is also fluent in written and spoken Spanish, offering multilingual services to our diverse client base. Outside of work, Adam enjoys spending time with his two beautiful children and his lovely wife Andrea, who is a pediatric nurse practitioner at the Child and Adolescent Gender Clinic in Oakland.

Adam has already started meeting with new clients and has jumped in on existing matters. He is also presenting his first webinar on November 14th about non-disclosure disputes and real estate disclosure requirements.

We are so thrilled to welcome Adam and his family into the Brewer Firm family — Welcome!

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On October 28th, office manager Jessica Urioste and associate attorney Evy Eschbacher participated in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Silicon Valley Walk in San Jose. Accompanied by their significant others, Jessica & Evy completed the 5K walk to help raise money for the American Cancer Society. They joined forces with the SmartFoot Podiatry team, which is sponsored by Evy’s sister.

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On September 29th, the Chinese American Real Estate Association held a banquet dinner to celebrate the installation of the organization’s 2018 officers, as well as the organization’s 30th anniversary. Brewer Offord & Pedersen LLP places a high priority on diversity and multiculturalism, and so our firm was thrilled to sponsor and attend the event! As part of our firm’s sponsorship, we published our very first print advertisement that was written in Chinese. Congratulations to the new officers of CAREA, and we look forward to supporting the organization in 2018.

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On September 9th, attorney Ashlee D. Adkins married her best friend and lifelong partner Raymond Gonzales at Club Los Meganos in Brentwood, California. The beautiful ceremony was officiated by dear friend and colleague Jeffrey C. Miller, PhD, JD. The entire Brewer Firm team was so excited to attend the wonderful celebration and reception. Congratulations Ashlee & Ray!

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On September 14th, attorney Simon Offord appeared as a guest on The Brian Copeland Show on KGO 810. The popular radio talk show is hosted by Brian Copeland, an award-winning actor, comedian, author, and radio personality.

During the real estate clinic, Simon spoke about trends in the Bay Area real estate market and answered questions from callers, along with a panel of local real estate agents.

You can listen to the entire podcast of this month’s show, including Simon Offord’s insights, by clicking the button below.

Listen

Brewer Firm News

  • Peter N. Brewer and his wife Laura recently returned to Peter’s hometown of Kansas City, to enjoy four days of activities with old friends while celebrating a milestone high-school reunion
  • Simon Offord assisted in closing a complicated transaction for a client’s purchase of a $2 million+ home in the hills above Cupertino. The transaction included complications caused by a bankruptcy filed by the seller, along with complex liens and criminal action pending against the seller
  • Adam L. Pedersen successfully prevented a landlord from using a chemical treatment for termites. The original treatment presented a severe health risk to the client’s autistic child, but Adam compelled the landlord to use a non-chemical extermination method
  • Attorney Ashlee D. Adkins successfully recouped fees from an unlicensed contractor that misrepresented their license status and performed poor work on our client’s San Benito County home
  • Office Manager Jessica Urioste attended a workshop presented by the Santa Clara County Legal Professionals Association on October 26th about the different calendaring procedures between State & Federal Courts
  • Peter N. Brewer was a featured speaker at the invitation-only International Network of Boutique Law Firms (INBLF) Annual Meeting and Black Tie event in San Francisco on October 21st. Peter also hosted a tour of Bay Area landmarks for the INBLF attendees from outside the United States
  • Simon Offord assisted a client in resolving a fence dispute in Palo Alto, obtaining a favorable outcome resulting in improvements to the property
  • Ashlee D. Adkins and Simon Offord obtained a favorable settlement for a client who purchased a vacant lot in San Jose and discovered several non-disclosed issues
  • Clayton Dodds was selected as the 2018 Vice President of the Legal Marketing Association — Bay Area Local Steering Committee
  • Office Manager Jessica Urioste successfully completed her California Notary Renewal on October 26th