Tom has broad experience handling real estate leasing and purchase and sale transactions, as well as construction, financing, and operational property matters. He is able to bring this broad experience to support the needs of the corporate facilities user, on both simple and complex transactions. He has represented technology companies as tenants for almost 20 years and understands their needs in particular. His leasing practice also includes the representation of landlords in diverse matters, including sophisticated retail leasing transactions as well as shopping center construction matters requiring leasing expertise as well as fluency with architectural, construction, and development agreements.
Tom was an associate at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in Palo Alto, and then at the Berliner Cohen law firm in San Jose. Immediately prior to joining Shartsis Friese, he was Senior Legal Counsel (Western Region) for Federal Realty Investment Trust.
Tom has a long record of using his professional skills to support worthy community projects. He was a Board Member and then Board President of Habitat for Humanity Santa Cruz County, preparing all of the documents required to allow that organization to acquire raw land, subdivide it, and permit multiple homes to be constructed under tenancy in common ownership with volunteer labor, creating a new model for charitable delivery of affordable housing, and maximizing the utility of an infill development site. He is currently the President of the Pacific Collegiate Foundation, with lead responsibility for all fundraising, site acquisition, planning, and construction matters required to redevelop a 46,800 square foot commercial building to serve as the new home for a nationally recognized college preparatory charter school, which was delivered to the school in November, 2015.