Real Estate & Land Use Practice Group
Real Estate & Land Use Lawyers
Our Real Estate & Land Use attorneys have extensive experience representing individuals and entities in a wide variety of urban and rural land use and development matters
Our Services
Due Diligence
Zoning Compliance We help clients determine the applicable zoning and development standards and manage land use applications
Title Review We review title reports and advise regarding coverage and endorsement needs and clear title encumbrances
Environmental Hazards We ensure liability is mitigated, negotiate risk allocation, and prepare prospective purchaser and indemnity agreements.
Land Use Hearings & Appeals
Local Hearings We represent property owners before hearings officers, planning commissions, City Council, and County Commissioners.
Appellate Hearings We also represent clients before the Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA), as well as before state and federal appellate courts on land use appeals
Purchase & Sale Agreements
Letter of Intent We prepare letters of intent and negotiate complex commercial real estate transactions
Drafting We often draft purchase and sale agreements, easements, and bills of sale for our clients, as well as assisting with any negotiations of amendments
Closing We assist clients with escrow instructions, title review, and all elements of closing
Commercial Leases
Landlords We assist Landlords with preparing complex lease agreements and project-specific agreements
Tenants We guide tenants with lease review and negotiations of the lease
Lease Disputes We help parties with review, analysis and enforcement of lease rights and defenses
Real Estate Financing
Seller Financing We prepare land sale contracts, promissory notes, loan agreements, and security instruments
Workouts We advise and document workout agreements and modification requests
Enforcement We assist our Creditor's Rights team with foreclosure and forfeiture
Our Real Estate & Land Use Team
Partner
Mark Shipman
Mark D. Shipman is a shareholder and the Real Estate and Land Use practice group leader. He advises clients in all aspects of real estate transactions and land development, and is also a frequent speaker on real estate and land use topics throughout Oregon.
Partner
Alan Sorem
Alan assists professional developers, property owners, business entities, banks, and trust companies in their real estate matters. Alan loves helping clients close commercial real estate deal and representing his clients in contentious land use matters – whether the fight is with local governments or opposition groups.
Senior Associate
Margaret Gander-Vo
Margaret represents individuals and entities in a wide variety of real property transactions. Margaret is passionate about working with clients to meet their goal, and she enjoys working collaboratively with other stakeholders to develop solutions that meet her client’s needs.
Testimonials
It has been a pleasure to work with Mark on several very complex matters. He has been good at communicating with his clients and proactive on problem solving. I highly recommend Mark for complex construction matters.Â
Our nonprofit hired Alan to assist us with purchasing commercial real estate. Alan's expertise was essential for the successful resolution to some issues with the transaction. I would highly recommend Alan for any real estate and land use issues you may face.
Great firm. I have worked with several attorneys including Alan Sorem, Mark Shipman and Randy Sutton. Very professional, responsive and fair.Â
Alan excels at dealing with complex situations and managing the details of same.
Alan Sorem provided us what we needed to make the decision to walk away from a home we felt uncomfortable with obtaining. His knowledge and professionalism helped us to understand what the seller of the home was expecting the buyer to pay for. We would not hesitate to call him again for any assistance we need in the future. Thank you Alan and your team for helping us when we needed you.Â
[Alan] is a very bright and capable young lawyer. Best I have seen in a very long time.
Philosophy
Our Real Estate & Land Use attorneys take pride in their ability to address issues before they become true complications. They regularly collaborate with the other real estate and development professionals, as well as other practice groups within the firm, to ensure that issues involving real property are accurately and efficiently identified. With the understanding that time regularly has a direct impact on the success or failure of a project, the group commits to finding the most practical solution to all real property and land use matters.
Why Saalfeld Griggs?
Saalfeld Griggs is a respected business law firm with clients in Oregon, the Pacific Northwest, and beyond. Founded in Salem in 1932, the firm is large enough to handle complex business transactions, yet small enough to develop close working relationships with its clients. The goal of the firm is to learn about each client’s business, understand their needs and goals, and efficiently develop a practical and cost-effective legal strategy.