Richard Mendelson Quoted in Law360
"Firms Expand in Calif. as They Forecast Real Estate Growth"

Seyfarth Shaw Real Estate Department partner Richard Mendelson was quoted in Law360 on February 24. The article discussed the recent trend in Los Angeles law firms to "bulk up" their real estate groups.

The article notes that Seyfarth Shaw has added more than 24 new commercial real estate attorneys in 2010 and 2011, and mentions a recent group of attorneys joining the Los Angeles office to do workouts and restructuring, as well as acquisitions, joint ventures and financings.

Rich said in reference to other firms, as demand for real estate and land use services grows, some of the traditional law firms no longer have the resources to meet it because they've turned their focuses to other areas. Growth in sectors such as intellectual property, technology and health care leads to an increased demand for real estate services, he noted.

“They'll all need real estate. It's such an integral part of every company,” said Rich. “Even with the increase in online business, you can't get away from the fact that you need a place to put people. You need stores, you need distribution centers. It's cyclical, but it's always there.”