Senior executive and legal counsel with broad business and legal experience with national and regional companies. Excels in leading teams in high stress environments. Diverse legal, business and military background yields superior results in negotiations, leadership, operations, strategic planning, conflict resolution, writing, analysis, and project management. Experienced in all phases of real estate investment, finance, development, construction, ownership and operation, including:

 

 

•Managed teams to execute rapid acquisition and finance of major ($20-30MM) real estate and business assets.

•Led business units and military organizations of over 100 personnel and capital project teams on $2MM++ projects.

•Executed a high volume of acquisitions, sales and leasing transactions in 48 states for a national retail REIT.

•Drafted and negotiated legal agreements and closed $200MM++ in acquisitions in the Western U.S. in a two year period.

 

Professional Experience

 

BrightStar Golf Group (Carlsbad, CA)                                                                                                    2007 – 2011

$90MM VC startup that owns and operates golf courses in the Western U.S. and a related 400 lot residential development.

Vice President – Real Estate and Legal Counsel                                                                                                      

Recruited and hired by the CEO, a former client, to be part owner and LLC member. Handled all facets of real estate and business acquisitions, including budgets and investment pro forma; purchase and loan agreement negotiations; due diligence, title and survey analyses and managed closings. Managed legal affairs and strategy development, including: oversight of real estate holdings, contract negotiations; managed of litigation, claims, outside counsel and consultants. Drafted and negotiated construction and consultant contracts. Formed and managed business entities and spec home joint venture. Formed and supervised real estate brokerage company at the Redlands Mesa Golf Community.

• Acted as project manager and legal counsel in the design, budgeting, entitlement and construction of a $2MM aquatics complex and driving range practice facility that opened within nine months of design commencement, resulting in over $400,000 in membership sales and achieving significant IRR thresholds.
• Managed multiple golf course acquisitions totaling more than $50MM in real estate, equipment and business assets and securing the company’s entire portfolio of golf courses.  Led the rapid acquisition, finance and close of two private country clubs; one 30 days from LOI, the other in under 45 days.
• Developed capital improvement program to analyze and implement major capital projects based on anticipated returns on invested capital resulting in investor approval of projects presented.
• Performance of in house legal work resulted in significant legal cost savings and rapid conduct of transactions.

 

KB Home Coastal, Inc. (Wildomar, CA)                                                                                                  2006 – 2007

KB’s largest homebuilding division and covering Southern California. Recruited to work for a former colleague.

Land Acquisitions Manager and Development Project Manager

-Land acquisitions manager responsible for locating, structuring, negotiating and conducting financial analyses for large residential development acquisitions and related market analyses throughout Riverside County. Developed relationships with area land brokers and property owners.

-Project manager responsible for large residential developments including a 451 lot master planned community. Managed all planning and development activities, including entitlements, permitting, scheduling, budgeting, litigation and environmental matters. Negotiated with municipal officials and appeared at hearings and city council meetings to secure approvals of residential development entitlements.

• Led negotiations and developed a resolution among diverse parties to lift an Army Corps of Engineers stop work order allowing resumption of development activities for a large residential project.

 

Judkins, Glatt & Getz, LLP (San Diego, CA)                                                                                                      2004 – 2005

Business and real estate law firm specializing in complex business and real estate transactions throughout the Western U.S.

Real Estate and Business Attorney

Structured, negotiated and closed major acquisitions and dispositions of apartment buildings, golf courses, raw land, commercial and retail properties. Drafted and negotiated loan documents, opinion letters, leases and other real estate agreements. Performed title reviews and conducted due diligence analyses. Formed business entities, including preparation of LLC agreements, corporate bylaws, buy/sell agreements, PPMs and related business agreements.

• Developed a rapport with a major firm client for responsiveness and effectiveness in contract negotiations that was touted as a selling point by the client in pursuing competitive acquisition deals.

• Conducted more than $200MM in acquisitions averaging $10-20MM each; the largest being $40MM.

 

Realty Income Corporation (Escondido, CA)                                                                                                      2001 – 2004

$2BB national REIT specializing in ownership and lease of free standing retail buildings in 48 states.

In House Real Estate Legal Counsel

Conducted a high volume of real estate acquisitions, sales and leasing transactions and property management legal matters. Drafted, negotiated and closed multi-property acquisition, disposition and lease transactions in 48 states. Performed due diligence, title and survey analyses and managed closings. Managed legal matters for 35% of Realty Income’s 1,200+ property portfolio in 48 states; responsible for outside litigation, insurance claims, condemnations, easements, and lease defaults.

• Drafted, negotiated and closed a $13MM four property grocery store portfolio acquisition.
• Conducted bulk transactions including a 27 property disposition and 30 simultaneous lease amendments.
• Directed outside counsel in recovering $175,000 from an 8 year old judgment for breach of lease.

 

Buckner, Alani, Khouri, Chavos & Mirkovich (Costa Mesa, CA)                                                                           1999 – 2001

Boutique shopping center law firm serving Western U.S. developers and retailers.

Real Estate Attorney                                                                                                                                     

Drafted and negotiated shopping center ground leases, CC&Rs, development and purchase agreements. Conducted title and survey reviews and prepared associated corporate and LLC formations. Handled pre-trial litigation matters; conducted extensive legal research and writing; experience in discovery, pleadings and law and motion practice. Prepared and presented oral arguments at court hearings, mediations and handled depositions.

• Organized clients, consultants and their political advisors and prepared opposition brief to successfully challenge an Orange County proposed zone change and EIR.

 

United States Marine Corps (MCAS Tustin, CA)                          1988-1995 (Active Duty) 1995-2003 (Reserve Duty)

Major and Helicopter Pilot

Active duty CH-53E helicopter pilot and flight instructor. Served in Operation Continue Hope, Somalia, as a pilot, operations and planning officer for a Marine Special Ops unit; responsible for planning and implementing all Marine flight operations in support of U.N. contingency operations. Held leadership positions as officer in charge of several Marine units, supervising over 100 Marines. Served as Battle Captain during Operation Iraqi Freedom in the Land Force Coalition Command Center in Camp Doha, Kuwait. Personally selected for activation to serve as Land Force Coalition Commander’s Battle Captain based upon performance in supervisory roles during military exercises.

• Gave OIF war brief on D+1 to the Coalition Commander and his staff of several hundred officers and outside agencies. Selected to present daily operations brief to Coalition Commander and his staff of general officers.
• Selected for promotion to Lieutenant Colonel while serving on active duty as a reservist.
• Awarded Combat Air Medal, U.N. Medal, Expeditionary Medal and Joint Service Commendation Medal.

 

Education and Professional Development

 

Juris Doctor, University of Pittsburgh School of Law, 1998 (Pittsburgh, PA)

Master of Arts, Business, Webster University, 1994 (Irvine, CA)

Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, University of Arizona, 1988 (Tucson, AZ)

 

Licensed California Attorney 1998-Present

Licensed California Real Estate Broker 2000-Present

 

Business Law Instructor, University of Phoenix, San Diego Campus 2011-Present

Founding Board Member, Oceanside Parks and Recreation Community Foundation, Inc., 2011-Present

Mottino YMCA Board of Management Member 1999-2001; 2004-2006

City of Oceanside Redevelopment Advisory Committee Member, 2000