Schedule
Friday, March 8, 2024
1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. | Housing Streamlining: Speeding or Speed Bumps? How the New Housing Bills Are Really Working
Since 2017, the Legislature has enacted more than 100 bills (56 in 2023 alone) intended to solve the state’s housing crisis by streamlining development approvals. Streamlining provisions that avoid environmental review are included in SB 35/SB 423 for certain housing developments; in AB 2011 for housing in commercial areas; for supportive housing and navigation centers; and for sites that are rezoned to satisfy housing element obligations. Even where environmental review is required, the Legislature has made it very difficult for cities and counties to deny or reduce the density of housing developments. Under the so-called “builder’s remedy,” numerous applications have been made that do not conform to local planning and zoning restrictions.
So how has that been working? Have all of these efforts resulted in more housing construction, or, even better, more housing affordable to low and middle income households? Two attorneys experienced in processing housing applications will discuss how the new bills are really working in practice and some of the obstacles that developers may encounter even when able to utilize the new legislation.
2:45 – 3:45 pm | Commercial Leasing: Basics of Tenant Representation
An informative session where we’ll provide guidance on how to effectively review leases for your tenant-clients, gain insights into due diligence and lease review checklists, and explore key negotiation strategies to secure favorable terms.
Speakers:
- Sam Beatty, Valence Law
- Corinne Wessel, Valence Law
4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Keynote Speaker: State of the Real Estate Market
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Christopher Thornberg, Ph.D.
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. | Welcome Reception with Heavy Appetizers and Drinks
Opening remarks by a representative of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians .
Saturday, March 9, 2024
7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. | Workout Class by Fitness Instructor Angel Chelik
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. | Breakfast & Plenary CLE: Rewiring Your Brain for Mindful De-Stressing
Stress is a fact of life yet too much of it can negatively affect your physical and mental health. But there is a solution. You can rewire your brain using mindfulness and relaxation practices, and you can change your mindset, for greater stress tolerance and resilience. In this talk, Dr. Melanie Greenberg, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and author of The Stress-Proof Brain and the upcoming Stress-Proof Brain Guided Journal will show you how.
10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. | Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day, And Neither Will Your TI’s: Tenant Build-Outs for Restaurant, Retail and Office Leases
This panel discussion will highlight both the common and disparate challenges tenants and landlords face in connection with tenant improvement projects. Experienced leasing counsel will discuss typical scenarios for each use case, and offer practical strategies for drafting to minimize the risks of party disputes, completion delays, cost overruns, among other issues.
Speakers:
- Laura Drossman, Drossman Law
- Judith Oheb, The Law Offices of Judith Oheb
- Katrina Solomatina
10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. | Establishing and Enforcing Design Professional’s and Mechanic’s Liens and Other Payment Rights
Establishing California “Lien” rights can be tricky for design professionals, contractors, and suppliers, and enforcement always involves short statutes of limitation. This lively seminar covers the differences between a design profession’s lien and a mechanic’s lien, including when a design professional’s lien is appropriate, how to pursue a design professional’s lien, and when a design professional should pursue a mechanic’s lien. Attendees will also gain insight into the timing for asserting lien rights, as well as when to assert stop payment notice rights and rights against a payment bond. The differences related to the availability and timing of such rights as applied to California public and private works projects, as well as federal projects, will also be explored.
Speakers:
- Pam Scholefield, Esq., Scholefield Construction Law
- John Dacey, Esq., Cauvel & Dacey, PC
10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. | Elimination of Bias in Voir Dire Using CCP 231.7
This session will focus on the historic exclusion of people of color from jury service. The new procedure for litigating the use of a peremptory challenge under CCP 231.7. How to navigate the pitfalls of exercising your own peremptory challenge and making your record to support a peremptory challenge if it is objected to by another party.
Speaker: Tehanita Taylor
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Residential Unlawful Detainer Basics
This seminar will discuss the proper procedures for handling a residential unlawful detainer case from the initial notices, to filing the complaint, and getting a judgment and writ of possession.
Speakers: Rachael Callahan, Lawrence Mudgett
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Real Estate Litigation: Case Law Updates and Recent Developments
Presentation of real estate litigation cases and recent developments in California ranging from purchase/sale disclosures, landlord/tenancy rights … and following through property divorce aka … partition issues!
Speaker: Christopher Peterson, Peterson Law LLP
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Estate Planning for Real Property in 2024: All the Bad News, Hot Tips, and Issue Spotting Guidance
Looking for a strategy to minimize the impact of Prop. 19 – think again! Thinking about taking title to real estate directly in the name of your trust? Not so fast! Real estate attorneys beware – this program will cover some estate planning hot topics as well as other favorite issues these trust and estates attorneys deal with on a daily basis.
Speakers:
- Patricia De Fonte, JD LL.M Estate Planning Attorney
- Ben Schwefel, Murtaugh Treglia Stern & Deily LLP
12:45 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. | #Landback
There is a current trend toward returning ancestral land to California Indian tribes, called “land return”. Today, private, and public landowners are seeking to transfer land to California Native American Tribes, which creates new kinds of transactions that can be incredibly challenging and require creative strategies to complete. The key to successful transactions with California tribes is an understanding of the historical framework of the specific Tribe and the legal circumstances applicable to the transaction. The keynote will highlight several recent land return transactions, how each Tribe overcame obstacles to restore aboriginal lands to tribal stewardship, and how the transaction benefited the prior owner.
Michelle C. Lee is a member of the Pit River Tribe and a mother of three. She is an Indian law attorney and has owned and operated an Indian law practice since 2006. She has been practicing Indian Law for nearly 25 years and has represented tribal governments in legal matters including cultural resource protection, Indian child welfare, tribal taxation, tribal gaming regulation, cannabis regulation, tribal governance, the fee-to-trust process and real estate transactions, and general civil litigation involving tribal governments. In addition, she has published a number of law review articles, essays and non-fiction articles on topics relative to her work with California Indian tribes. Learn more at https://www.thecirclelaw.com/About.html.
2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. | Weathering the Looming Office Storm: Strategies to Navigate the Rough Waters Ahead
It is said that a third of all US office leases will expire by 2026. Office tenants are wrestling with employer issues like hybrid work arrangements, labor shortages and quiet quitters accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic which wreak havoc with office space needs. Landlords are attempting to retain tenancies, create desirable workspaces and prevent catastrophic vacancy rates. How can leasing lawyers address some soft topics, enforceable lease terms and covenants, and address both parties’ needs and desires? This program will address strategies for flexibility available to both landlords and tenants to revise, retain and maintain existing tenancies in the current office market.
Speakers:
- Alison Geddes, Weintraub
- Nancy Park, Best, Best & Krieger
2:15 pm to 3:15 pm | Negotiating Real Estate Disputes
Details TBA
2:15 pm to 3:15 pm | Top 10 Ethical Mistakes: A Guide to Avoiding Civil Liability
What are some of the most common attorney errors or oversights that result in client disputes? What attorney-client issues are most likely to result in potential civil liability? Will all of the State Bar’s recent efforts to increase attorney regulation likely have an impact on civil liability? The answers to these questions and more will be covered in this presentation discussing the top ten ethical mistakes that can lead to civil liability and how to avoid them.
Speaker: Suzanne Burke Spencer
3:30 pm to 4:30 pm | For Here or To Go? Restaurant Leases and Liquor Licenses in a Post-Pandemic Era
Restaurant leases are an animal unto themselves with very specific considerations, including the liquor license and all the issues it brings. We will discuss issues to be aware of when negotiating restaurant leases, including how to deal with defaults and the liquor license. We will also discuss the changes in the regulations during the pandemic and the new legal considerations that came with them.
Speakers:
- Katie Phetteplace
- Jordan Cohen
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. | History of Palm Springs Native Tribes
Details TBA