Robert M. McCormick

In Memoriam

On Thursday, June 17, 2021, Robert McCormick passed away. He spent his last days doing what he loved: vacationing with family and making plans for adventures in the future.

Bob represented landlords and tenants in all facets of leasing office, retail, and industrial properties, and with cell tower, solar, wind farm, outdoor advertising, and agricultural leases. He also advised buyers and sellers in the negotiation, documentation, and due diligence for the purchase and sale of commercial and agricultural properties.

Bob assisted local developers with the development of retail shopping centers, office buildings, industrial parks, commercial and mixed-use condominium projects, and has drafted numerous CC&Rs, and REAs for such projects. He also represented borrowers and lenders in the negotiation and documentation of real estate financing transactions and assisted his clients in the formation and operation of business entities related to their estate businesses.

Within the firm and particularly within the corporate and real estate groups, Bob was known as the “technician.” Bob was an encyclopedia of information and was the “go-to guy” for many of us when we needed a second opinion on a topic.

While Bob could handle just about any real estate transactional matter, he was attracted to complex projects and would tackle some of the most difficult real estate projects that came our way, such as creating Sharia law-compliant loan documents. Bob was also a master of commercial condominiums and knew just about every commercial condominium structure available.

The practice of law was Bob’s second career. Before law school, Bob had been involved with the family’s lumber business. He earned his Masters in the Philosophy of Science from Harvard and he studied in Germany to write his thesis. He enjoyed his work in real estate transactions and he could regale you with interesting minutiae of a tough lease negotiation if you let him, but he was far more interested in other matters, such as his family, his projects on his cabin, and world affairs.

Bob was especially proud of his three children, Katherine, Carolyn, and Scott, and five grandchildren.

We have lost a good friend too early and we will miss his presence at the Firm. However, Bob has achieved what we all aspire. He loved and was loved by many, and he achieved a life well-lived. We will miss him.

Professional, Community And Pro Bono Involvement

  • California Lawyers Association, Real Property Law Section, Executive Committee Member, 2019-present
  • Sacramento County Bar Association, Real Property Law Section, Former President, Vice President, and Secretary; annual speaker since 2007 on legislative developments
  • Lead author since 2007 of the annual legislative review article for real estate practitioners published in the California Real Property Journal
  • Contributing author to the California Continuing Education of the Bar’s Ground Lease Practice book and update author to the CEB’s Office Leasing book
  • Association of Commercial Real Estate (ACRE), member and frequent contributor of legal updates
  • Sacramento Association of Realtors (SAR), member and frequent contributor to their commercial division newsletter
  • Sacramento Investors’ Forum, frequent speaker on current legal issues important for real estate brokers
  • Urban Land Institute (ULI), member
  • North State Building Industry Association, member

Honors & Rankings

  • Sacramento Magazine, Top Lawyer, Real Estate, 2016, 2018, 2020
  • California Real Property Journal, “Outstanding Journal Submission Award,” 2010
  • Order of the Coif

Leasing

  • Represented a tenant in the negotiations of a 21,000 s.f. office lease in Sacramento and most recently with subsequent extensions and amendments.
  • Represented a consulting company tenant in the negotiations for the extension of a 10,000 s.f. office lease in Davis.
  • Represented a landlord in the negotiation of renewal and extension of a lease for 10,000 s.f. surgery center in Sacramento.
  • Represented a community bank in the negotiations of numerous bank branch leases in shopping centers and office buildings in the Sacramento region.
  • Represented shopping center owners in the preparation and negotiation of in-line tenant leases.
  • Represented a number of property owners in the Rio Vista area in the negotiations with national wind farm developer.
  • Represented national tenant in negotiations for multiple sites for retail outlets.

Acquisitions and Divestments

  • Represented the buyer in the acquisition of a 26,000 s.f. office building through a receiver’s sale.
  • Represented the buyer in the acquisition of a 75 acre mixed use project.
  • Represented the seller in the sale of a 15 acre residential zoned parcel to a regional home builder.
  • Represented the seller in the sale of office condominium units to various purchasers.

Development

  • Represented developer in the acquisition and subsequent development of a 75 acre mixed project that included senior housing, single family housing, retail and light industrial components.
  • Represented developer with all legal aspects of the conversion of a 54,000 s.f. 4-story office building into commercial condominiums and with the subsequent sale and leasing of the property.
  • Represented developer with all legal aspects of the development of a 15,000 s.f. three story mixed use (Retail/Residential) in-fill condominium project.
  • Represented developer in documentation of mixed-use industrial park.

Commercial Real Estate Financing

  • Recently represented a number of borrowers with respect to loan workouts, forbearance agreements and deed in lieu transactions.
  • Advises an Islamic lending institution regarding the compliance of Islamic finance documents with California law and on specific loan closing.
  • Represented the buyer/borrower in a seller financed acquisition.
  • Represented the borrower with respect to obtaining a “hard money” bridge loans.

Brokers

  • Assisted clients with the planning, formation and operation of real estate brokerage and property management businesses and with related DRE licensing and compliance issues.

Business Formations

  • Assisted a developer client with the formation of two joint ventures with landowners for the development of self-storage facilities.
  • Assisted a developer client with the formation of limited liability companies for the development of a senior housing project.

Bob was an avid outdoorsman and skier and was actively involved in the on-going discussions regarding the future of the Donner Summit Area where his family has a second home.

Professional, Community And Pro Bono Involvement

  • California Lawyers Association, Real Property Law Section, Executive Committee Member, 2019-present
  • Sacramento County Bar Association, Real Property Law Section, Former President, Vice President, and Secretary; annual speaker since 2007 on legislative developments
  • Lead author since 2007 of the annual legislative review article for real estate practitioners published in the California Real Property Journal
  • Contributing author to the California Continuing Education of the Bar’s Ground Lease Practice book and update author to the CEB’s Office Leasing book
  • Association of Commercial Real Estate (ACRE), member and frequent contributor of legal updates
  • Sacramento Association of Realtors (SAR), member and frequent contributor to their commercial division newsletter
  • Sacramento Investors’ Forum, frequent speaker on current legal issues important for real estate brokers
  • Urban Land Institute (ULI), member
  • North State Building Industry Association, member

Honors & Rankings

  • Sacramento Magazine, Top Lawyer, Real Estate, 2016, 2018, 2020
  • California Real Property Journal, “Outstanding Journal Submission Award,” 2010
  • Order of the Coif