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Best Lawyers in Arizona, United States for Real Estate Law
Practice Area Overview
Real estate law refers to the body of laws that govern the buying, selling and leasing of property.
These laws cover a wide range of legal issues related to real estate transactions, including financing transactions, environmental law and title searches. Real estate laws and regulations vary from state to state, with some requiring a real estate license to buy or sell property. Attorneys in real estate law can help with issues that a real estate agent can’t.
Hiring a real estate lawyer or real estate law attorney can be essential for navigating the legal complexities of a home purchase or sale. Law firms specializing in real estate law can assist with legal issues related to real estate transactions, such as reviewing contracts and conducting title searches.
Real estate lawyers or attorneys are also typically involved in representing clients before the real estate commission or title company. Law school courses often cover real estate law, as it is an essential aspect of many legal practices. A full-service real estate law firm should have expertise in these areas:
Sales and Acquisitions
The representation of buyers and sellers in the acquisition and disposition of the various kinds of real estate including office buildings, retail centers, hotels, industrial properties, residential properties and manufactured housing communities.
Real estate attorneys can be equally essential whether the transaction is for residential or commercial property.
Title
The examination of title to real estate, evaluation of title exceptions and negotiation of title insurance policies.
Land Use and Environmental
Land use entitlements, due diligence investigations, Brownfield developments and compliance with Environmental Laws and federal and state Endangered Species Acts.
Development
The negotiation and preparation of development and construction agreements and the other documents required to develop and construct office buildings, shopping centers, mixed-use projects, free-standing units and industrial sites.
Leasing
The negotiation and preparation of office, retail and industrial leases and long-term ground leases. A real estate lawyer may assist with:
- Drafting and reviewing lease agreements.
- Negotiating lease terms.
- Ensuring compliance with laws and regulations.
- Dispute resolution.
- Lease modifications and renewals.
- Handling lease terminations and evictions.
- Advising on subleasing and assignment.
Finance
The representation of lenders and borrowers in real estate secured loan originations, loan sales and purchases and other debt arrangements, including:
- Permanent financings.
- Construction loans.
- Bridge loans.
- Conduit loans.
- Mezzanine loans.
- Shared appreciation loans.
- Portfolios of non-performing loans.
Joint Ventures
A very large proportion of real estate transactions involve joint ventures between capital sources and developers. Therefore, a real estate firm must be in a position to structure and negotiate partnership agreements, limited liability company operating agreements, shareholder agreements and other forms of joint venture arrangements and advise on the tax aspects of the transactions.
Restructuring and Workouts
Not all real estate transactions are successful. Real estate lawyers, therefore, must be in a position to advise lenders, borrowers, partners, landlords, tenants and developers when a transaction goes bad.
This type of real estate law may involve transactional, bankruptcy, tax and litigation work. Restructuring and workouts often include:
- Loan modifications.
- Foreclosures.
- Deeds in lieu of foreclosure.
- Discounted loan payoffs.
- Loan forbearances.
- REO sales.
- Joint venture modifications.
- Buy/sells.
- Forced sales.
- Lease and development modifications.
- Bankruptcies.
- Receivership actions.
- Guarantee actions.
Litigation
Litigation in the real estate area involves the representations of real estate owners, buyers, sellers, lessors, brokers, lenders and developers in, among other things:
- Contract disputes.
- Mechanics lien and construction disputes.
- Eminent domain proceedings.
- Title disputes.
- Loan service.
- Foreclosure issues.
- Bankruptcy.
Select a city from the list below to find the best legal talent for your needs.
Cities
President and Shareholder Certified Specialist in Real Estate Law, Arizona Board of Legal Specialization Andy Abraham is certified as a Real Estate Specialist by the Arizona Board of Legal Specialization and has been listed in Best Lawyers in America for Real Estate Transactions since 2008 and in every edition of Southwest Super Lawyers. In the 2011, 2014, 2015-2025 editions, Andy was voted among the top 50 lawyers in Arizona by his peers. He is included among Arizona’s Finest Lawyers a...
William H. Anger provides his clients with the benefit of more than 37 years of experience in structuring loan, business, real estate, and water rights transactions, as well as in representing business and public clients as an advocate in litigation and appeals related to similar transactions. Bill’s perspective is enhanced by his experience on both sides of deals, and he benefits clients by structuring transactions that stand up in the long run. CLIENTS Cities, Commercial Real Estate L...
Tom is a Member of the firm’s Real Estate Department. He is experienced in acquisition and development, leasing, and real estate workouts and foreclosures. His representation has included various ground-up developments, retail centers, as well as banks and lenders in deed of trust and mezzanine projects. Tom is a Certified Real Estate Specialist with the Arizona State Bar Board of Legal Specialization and is currently a member of the State Bar’s Real Estate Advisory Commission.
Casey Blais is an attorney who practices in the areas of commercial litigation, real estate law and landlord/tenant disputes. He regularly represents individuals, lenders, developers, and other private and public entities in bringing and resolving a variety of legal matters. Representative cases include real estate title and litigation matters, foreclosure actions, business and contract disputes, landlord tenant actions, real estate non-disclosure disputes, and judgment collection cases. In 2...
Mr. Brnilovich established roots in the western part of the Phoenix metropolitan area (referred to as the “West Valley”) in 1979 and has been representing the area’s businesses and individuals for more than 40 years. He has substantial legal experience with business clients in the areas of real estate, construction, corporate governance, small business formation, and succession planning.
Over his 45+ career, Bob focused his law practice in real estate, commercial transactions and charitable organizations. He has represented clients in a commercial and real estate transactions with particular expertise in church and para-church ministries and in medical real estate transactions. Bob advises clients in a wide range of business transactions of ongoing operations. Through his nonprofit work over the last 15 years, he represents secular and faith-based nonprofit entities, includin...
Shareholder Certified Specialist in Real Estate Law, Arizona Board of Legal Specialization Ed, who has practiced law for 45 years, is a peer review rated AV® Preeminent attorney who has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America every year since 2003 and was named the 2014 Best Lawyers "Lawyer of the Year" Phoenix in Land Use and Zoning Law. Ed has been selected by Super Lawyers of the Southwest every year since its inception in 2007, Arizona’s Finest Lawyers from 2008-2025, Chamber...
Marcia Busching’s legal practice is primarily devoted to arbitration, real estate, construction, and complex business matters, with significant experience in construction and commercial arbitration. With service on American Arbitration Association (AAA) panels spanning three decades, including international arbitration, Marcia is in demand for a wide variety of very significant construction and business disputes as well as consumer and smaller disputes. Presently, she is a member of the...
Craig Cartwright is the Managing Shareholder of Buchalter’s Scottsdale office and Co-Chair of the Firm’s REIT Transactions and Compliance Industry Group. Craig represents lenders, developers, real estate investment trusts, investors, and national corporations real estate transaction matters including sales and acquisitions, secured lending, property development, commercial leasing, and construction-related matters. Mr. Cartwright has significant experience drafting and negotiating...
Mr. Cashdan represents clients in a broad range of commercial real estate transactions for both unimproved real property and improved real property, including shopping centers, office buildings, hotels, industrial parks, mixed use developments and master planned communities). Mr. Cashdan’s practice includes acquisitions, dispositions, development, financing/commercial lending, joint ventures, synthetic lease and sale-leaseback transactions, commercial leasing, rights-of-way and easement...
Jim practices corporate finance and real estate law, representing local and national real estate developers, lenders and investors with commercial real estate matters including apartments, industrial, office and retail projects, master planned communities and shopping centers. Jim has negotiated leases with national retail tenants, assisted borrower clients with securitized loans and synthetic leases, drafted various joint venture agreements and both closed and enforced secured loans in real ...
Sam’s practice centers on business and transactional issues, with an emphasis on business organization, governance and compliance, exempt organizations, contract negotiation, land use, and business planning. He has more than three decades of experience assisting both local and national businesses and nonprofits as well as individuals and small businesses. Sam also has extensive political and governmental experience. As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, he served as a member...
Jennifer’s approach to legal services has always been simple: Provide the highest level of knowledge, guidance and experience, while delivering a personal service generally unseen in the legal profession, all at cost-effective rates and within the requirements of her client's needs. Jennifer advises clients on commercial and residential real estate transactions, including purchase and sale agreements, simple and complex financing arrangements, leases, and title issues. She also has exte...
Education: Whittier Law School, Costa Mesa, California, 2008 Arizona State University, Tempe, ArizonaB.S. – 2005 Major: Business Management Bar AdmissionsArizona, 2009 U.S. District Court District of Arizona, 2009 Professional Associations and Memberships: Arizona Bar Association West Maricopa County Bar Association Planning and Zoning Commission, City of Litchfield Park, Commissioner 2017 to Present Industrial Development Authority, City of Litchfield Park, Board Member 2014 to 2021 We...
Education: University of Arizona College of Law, Tucson, Arizona J.D. - 05/1979 Arizona State University, College of Business, Tempe, Arizona B.S. - 12/1975 Bar Admissions: Arizona, 1979 U.S. District Court District of Arizona, 1979 Professional Associations: Arizona Supreme Court, Commission on Technology, Commissioner, 2015 to 2020 State Bar of Arizona, Real Property Section, Member West Maricopa County Bar Association, Director, 1990 to Present Southwest Valley Chamber of Commerce, Governm...
Fred Fathe practices extensively in all real estate transactional areas; banking (primarily real estate and corporate finance); corporate acquisitions; and in Uniform Commercial Code matters. He is a Certified Specialist, Real Property Law, State Bar of Arizona Board of Legal Specialization. Mr. Fathe is actively involved with real property acquisition and development, including acquisition and sales of both unimproved and improved property; real property master- and development planning; maj...
Dean Formanek offers experience in a vast array of real estate law-related issues. In his law practice and numerous speaking engagements, Dean demonstrates in-depth knowledge of topics that include business and real estate, including leasing, title insurance, mixed use developments, options, financing, lien enforcement and purchasing assets from bankruptcy estates. Dean is listed in The Best Lawyers in America®, is a Super Lawyers honoree, and is a member of the American College of Mortga...
Keith R. Galbut leads Galbut Beabeau’s corporate, construction, real estate, and outside general counsel practices. Keith has extensive experience in corporate and real estate transactions, including matters of corporate formation and governance and the negotiation of commercial contracts, employment agreements, license agreements, leases, mergers, acquisitions, and sales of businesses. He often protects his clients’ rights and advances their interests in commercial and real estat...
Benjamin is the founder of Gottlieb Law, PLC. He graduated with high honors from the business program at Michigan State University, and then attended the Sandra Day O’Connor School of Law at Arizona State University, where he served as the Managing Editor for the Arizona State Law Journal. Benjamin is an experienced attorney who has handled hundreds of real estate, business, and commercial cases. His 12-plus year legal career has been highlighted by numerous court victories and successf...
Since 2002, Brian has entitled, designed and developed a variety of different types of real estate assets, including master-planned communities, infill single family, multi-family, mixed-use, commercial, industrial, and municipal facilities. Brian is sought after by Property Owners and Real Estate Professionals to help develop challenging properties and solve problems. He solves problems for his Clients by understanding their needs and utilizes his real estate experience and relationships wit...
Kyle Hettinger, a partner in the firm's Real Estate practice, has more than 25 years of experience in the areas of real estate, commercial lending and transaction and business counseling. Kyle represents clients with respect to development of master-planned communities; purchase and sale of retail, commercial, industrial, hotel, residential and multi-family property; commercial development; commercial leasing; CC&R’s; development agreements; easements and rights-of-way; title insura...
Amy Howland practices primarily in real estate and financial transactional and corporate governance matters, including purchase, sales and leasing for commercial properties, negotiation of financial transactions, loan workouts and corporate affairs. She is peer review ranked BV® Distinguished™ by Martindale Hubbell. Amy is active in professional and industry associations.Amy moved to Arizona in 1985. Prior to joining Burch & Cracchiolo, Amy was Assistant General Counsel for Citi...
John has substantial experience representing for-profit and not-for-profit companies in a wide variety of legal and business areas, from commercial, employment, tort and insurance-related litigation to real estate, corporate management, health care and school law issues. As a trial lawyer, John has tried more than 100 cases to conclusion, including jury trials, bench trials, arbitration matters and administrative law proceedings. He currently serves as a judge pro tem for the Maricopa County ...
Mark Lammers is a Partner with extensive experience in all types of civil litigation.He has litigated in state and federal courts including Arizona appellate courts and the Ninth Circuit of the Court of Appeals. Mark has also litigated many cases before various state agencies and tried many cases before arbitration panels including AAA arbitrations and arbitrations before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Mark started his legal career at the Pima County attorney’s off...
Attorney Pat Lopez heads the firm’s transactions practice, which encompasses the wide array of legal services frequently called on by our business clients. He has over 30 years of experience in counseling and assisting businesses, entrepreneurs, and developers to help them reach their goals, solve their problems, and implement their business plans. Creativity, commitment, caring, knowledge, and enthusiasm best described his passion for the practice of law and his concern for his clients...
Ron Lowe, a partner in the firm's Real Estate & Land Use practice, focuses on real estate transactions and secured real estate financing. He provides representation in virtually all areas of real estate and real estate finance, including homebuilder and community development representation, leasing, financing and workouts. Ron's clients include national and local homebuilders, master planned community developers, commercial landlords and tenants, commercial developers, lenders and borrowe...
Kevin Lytle is member of Buchalter’s Board of Directors, Co-Chair of the Firm’s REIT Transactions and Compliance Industry Group, and Co-Chair of the Scottsdale office Real Estate Practice Group. Mr. Lytle represents clients in a broad range of real estate transactions involving sales and acquisitions, leases, sale-leasebacks, construction and permanent loans, acquisition loans, refinancings, loan and lease modifications and intercreditor agreements. He represents public and privat...
Daryl Manhart is an AV® Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 peer review rated attorney in Martindale-Hubbell. He is a senior shareholder handling commercial and real estate transactions, commercial litigation, and general business representation. Daryl is also the firm’s principal appellate attorney handling civil appeals, including special actions, in state and federal appellate courts in diverse practice areas, including cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. The firm’s trial lawyers regu...
Shareholder Mr. Meda has more than 30 years of legal experience and focuses on the representation of creditors, debtors and trustees in the bankruptcy and creditors’ rights practice areas including workouts, Chapter 11 reorganizations, liquidations and related litigation in both Chapter 11 and Chapter 7 cases. He has represented clients in a wide variety of matters and has served as counsel to the Danny's Family Car Wash Companies in connection with their reorganization, the National Ho...
Andrew’s practice is focused on zoning, land use, real estate law, government relations and municipal law. His areas of concentration include development agreements, rezoning ordinances, code enforcement, intergovernmental financing agreements and complex transactional matters. Prior to joining Burch & Cracchiolo, Andrew served as the Town Attorney for the Town of Paradise Valley for 22 years from 1998-2020. He oversaw high quality growth and development that strictly adhered to the...
For over three decades, John has advised businesses, business owners, and individuals on all aspects of their operations, from day-to-day operations to strategic planning. His substantive practice includes commercial transactions, real estate, business organizations, corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, federal and administrative compliance, business contract negotiations, and advertising compliance. Automotive Dealerships Known nationally as one of the leading retail automotive industry ...
James H. Patterson has been certified as a specialist in real estate law by the State Bar of Arizona since 1986. His practice concentrates on matters relating to all aspects of real estate and financing, including negotiating acquisitions and dispositions; drafting options, purchase contracts and escrow supplements; title review and negotiation with title insurers; preparation of closing documents, including notes, security instruments, assignments and collateral assignments, and deeds; prepa...
Kurt A. Peterson has practiced in the areas of commercial finance, real estate and general business law for nearly 30 years. His practice is concentrated in commercial and corporate transactions, including complex real estate transactions involving all aspects of acquisition, finance, development, leasing, operation and disposition of commercial, retail, residential, multi-family and agricultural property.Kurt has a broad commercial banking and finance practice, in which he advises banks and ...
Ari Ramras has more than 20 years of experience in resolving business and real estate disputes. He is a Certified Specialist in Real Estate Law (State Bar of Arizona Board of Legal Specialization). Ari is an AV rated attorney (Martindale-Hubbell) and has been selected to Best Lawyers in America for Litigation – Real Estate and Real Estate Law (2013-) and Southwest Super Lawyers (2010-). He has been interviewed on NBC12 and ABC15 regarding real estate issues. Ari has litigated a variety ...
Wayne’s areas of practice are federal and state income and estate taxation; real estate (including 1031 exchange and reverse exchange); partnership, corporation and limited liability company formation and compliance; business planning; estate planning; agricultural compliance with federal and state programs; and water law. He began his legal career as associate counsel for the Department of Treasury, where he tried civil tax cases.
Phoenix business and real estate attorney Jim Valletta practices in the areas of real estate transactions, commercial transactions, business litigation and real estate litigation. Jim is a Best Lawyers in America® honoree whose transaction practice involves negotiating, preparing, and analyzing various types of commercial real estate transactions, including purchase agreements, development agreements, title, survey, financing and leasing in connection with industrial, office, retail, apar...
Preceding his retirement in 2023, Paul M. Weiser was a shareholder in the firm’s Scottsdale office. He focused his practice on commercial landlord/tenant matters, including the drafting, interpreting and enforcing of leases and amendments related to office, retail, medical and industrial properties, real estate brokerage issues, construction claims/defenses, and creditors’ rights/debt collection. He also provided advice and counsel to clients on the day-to-day operation of their b...
James Whitehill is the founding attorney of Whitehill Law Offices, P.C. He has been practicing law for over 30 years. His practice focuses on real estate, business, commercial leasing, and estate planning. He is certified as a Real Estate Specialist by the State Bar of Arizona. Mr. Whitehill has handled many different types of cases, including real estate and business transactions. He reviews contracts and drafts purchase and sale agreements, non-compete agreements, operating agreements and e...
Eric Wilhelm is a member of the Real Estate Practice Group in the Firm’s Scottsdale office. Mr. Wilhelm’s practice focuses on a broad range of commercial real estate transactions, including industrial, office and retail leasing, real property sales, acquisitions and development and secured financing. Prior to joining the Firm, Mr. Wilhelm served as Senior Counsel, Real Estate, for PetSmart, Inc., where he provided a pragmatic, business-minded approach toward issue resolution and r...
For more than three decades, Larry has represented creditors, trustees, receivers and debtors in significant bankruptcy cases in federal, state and bankruptcy courts. His clients include banks, insurance companies, leasing companies and private parties with investments secured by real property, commercial equipment, accounts receivable and intangible property. An experienced and adept negotiator, he has assisted in restructuring and working out non-performing loans for clients. And, if the lo...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.