Business Details
40 Years
experience
Trusted Real Estate Legal Services in Newport Beach
Kiser Law has provided specialized legal representation in real estate transactions since 1986. Our practice focuses exclusively on serving clients who own real estate, offering tailored solutions for purchase, sale, financing, leasing, development, and entity formation matters. With over four decades of experience, we combine deep industry knowledge with a cooperative approach to minimize risk and maximize client benefits. Our attorneys meticulously draft documents to address all significant issues while fostering consensus among transaction parties. We serve clients nationwide, including developers, investors, and businesses for whom real estate is a core asset.Our founder, Steven C. Kiser, brings extensive transactional expertise from his work with entertainment industry clients, multifamily housing companies, and private developers. We prioritize understanding client objectives to deliver efficient, cost-effective legal solutions that protect long-term interests. Our reputation for thoroughness, integrity, and practical legal counsel has been built through decades of representing high-net-worth individuals and major real estate entities. We maintain active involvement in community planning and legal education to better serve our clients' evolving needs.
Services
Purchase and Sale
Property Financing
Commercial Leasing
Real Estate Development
Entity Formation
Details
- Year established: 1986
Highlights and features
- We offer 40+ years of specialized experience in real estate transaction law
- Our cooperative approach minimizes transaction costs and accelerates deal closure
- Meticulous document drafting protects clients from contingent liabilities
- We serve clients with long-standing relationships spanning decades
- Our attorneys combine practical business understanding with legal expertise
What people say
Most trusted in my rolodex
Exceptional attention to detail
Legally sound, results-oriented advice
Prompt follow-through and analysis
Pragmatic counsel based on experience
Services
Purchase and Sale
We represent clients in commercial real estate transactions including apartments, shopping centers, office buildings, and industrial properties. Our services cover letters of intent, purchase agreements, title reports, and environmental assessments. Scrupulous attention to detail minimizes risk while maintaining transactional efficiency through cooperative document negotiation.
Property Financing
Our financing practice handles acquisition, development, construction, and permanent loans. We assist with loan applications, guarantees, participation agreements, and mezzanine financing. We emphasize negotiating favorable terms at the initial application stage to protect borrower interests regarding non-recourse provisions, reserves, and prepayment terms.
Commercial Leasing
We provide comprehensive leasing services for ground leases, space leases, and equipment leasing. Our representation includes negotiating tenant improvements, subleases, and compliance agreements. We handle liquor licensing, insurance coverages, and dispute resolution for regional retailers, hotel companies, and government entities.
Real Estate Development
Our development services cover parcel splits, zoning permits, and construction contracts. We assist with architectural agreements, environmental assessments, and dispute resolution. We provide legal counsel for AIA contracts, design-build projects, and controlled insurance programs to ensure timely, budget-compliant project completion.
Entity Formation
We advise on selecting appropriate business entities for real estate investments. Our services include drafting operating agreements, partnership arrangements, and corporate documents. We address capital contributions, profit distributions, and transfer restrictions to minimize liability while optimizing tax treatment and investment returns.
People
Steven C. Kiser
Attorney
Steven C. Kiser has practiced real estate law for over 40 years, representing developers, investors, and businesses. He graduated from UCLA Law Review, holds an MBA, and served as Newport Beach Planning Commission Chairman. Licensed in California and Tennessee, he focuses on transactional law for real estate-intensive businesses.
Questions
What real estate practice areas do you specialize in?
We focus exclusively on real estate transactions including purchase/sale agreements, financing, leasing, development, and entity formation for commercial and residential properties.
How does your firm handle complex transaction negotiations?
We use cooperative negotiation strategies while maintaining strong bargaining positions, emphasizing risk mitigation through meticulous document drafting and early-stage term negotiation.
What experience do you have with development projects?
We've represented developers for 35+ years, handling zoning permits, construction contracts, environmental assessments, and dispute resolution for multifamily, hotel, and commercial developments.
How do you structure entity formation for real estate investments?
We create customized LLCs, partnerships, and corporate structures considering tax implications, liability protection, and investment return optimization through detailed operating agreements.
What geographic areas do you serve?
While based in California, we represent clients nationwide in real estate transactions, with attorney licensing in California and Tennessee.
What client industries do you typically serve?
We work with developers, investors, hotel operators, restaurant chains, and businesses where real estate constitutes core assets, including multifamily housing and commercial properties.
