Ms. Milanovich is head of the transactional real estate practice group of the firm and is widely recognized as one of the top leasing attorneys in San Francisco. Her over 25 years of experience includes extensive representation of both landlords and tenants in office, industrial, and shopping center leases. In addition, Ms. Milanovich provides ongoing counsel to property owners regarding brokerage agreements, management and service contracts, and operational issues. She also handles the purchase and sale of properties ranging from remote timberlands to high-rise office buildings. Commercial Leasing - Ms. Milanovich brings a practical, business-oriented approach to lease negotiations. In accepting new assignments, Ms. Milanovich first works with clients to understand their business needs, then helps prioritize issues and formulate a strategy to satisfy those needs. Her knowledge of the market and many years of experience representing both landlords and tenants enable her to effectively and efficiently represent the firm's clients. She can often add calculable economic value by focusing on provisions such as rent commencement dates, operating expense and tax passthroughs, and fair market value definitions. She also adds intangible value by drafting documents that are readily understandable by the parties and minimize the likelihood of future disputes. While always striving to protect the client's interests, she knows how to get a deal done. Among the most satisfying aspects of her practice are the many long-term business relationships that Ms. Milanovich has developed. During the past 20 years, she has coordinated the firm's role as outside counsel to PG&E with respect to real estate matters. During that time she has represented PG&E in the leasing of over 1.8 million square feet of office and customer service centers throughout Northern California. In 2006, she led PG&E's lease negotiation team in a fast-track project to consolidate multiple office locations into three sites in Concord (166,000 sq. ft.), West Sacramento (70,000 sq. ft.) and Fresno (54,000 sq. ft.). In addition to assisting in the development of form real estate documents for PG&E, she is the primary author of a "how to" manual that guides PG&E employees through lease-related issues on a step-by-step basis. The topics include due diligence review of potential sites, the pros and cons of using letters of intent, negotiation of key lease provisions (including common compromise positions) and work letters, the legal significance of estoppel certificates and subordination agreements, and the handling of lease disputes. In another long-term business relationship, Ms. Milanovich has represented the owner of the office building at 455 Market Street, San Francisco (375,000 square feet) since its construction in 1987. Over the years, she has dealt with a myriad of issues relating to lease extensions, expansions and terminations, assignments and subleases and construction. Tenants in the building include Wells Fargo Bank, Ace American Insurance Company, Microsoft Corporation, and Starbucks Corporation. Ms. Milanovich's other significant San Francisco landlord assignments include representing an SKS Investments affiliate in negotiations with the California Culinary Academy for its new campus at 350 Rhode Island Street (100,000 square feet) and the landlord (Rob Birmingham, Managing Member) in negotiations with CNET Networks for its headquarters at 235 Second Street (280,000 square feet). Ms. Milanovich also enjoys an active practice representing tenants. As an indication of the reputation Ms. Milanovich has earned in the leasing area, the Boston law firm of Ropes & Gray tapped her to assist in negotiations of its San Francisco office in the Embarcadero Center. Recent assignments on behalf of the Bank of America include the negotiation of ground leases and space leases for new bank branches and amendment of the Bank's office lease in the Transamerica Pyramid. On the retail side, she represented Crate and Barrel in negotiations for lease of its flagship retail store at Union Square. Property Acquisitions and Dispositions Ms. Milanovich has been involved in some of the largest sale transactions in San Francisco, representing the sellers of Citicorp Center (550,000 square feet) and 525 Market Street (1,000,000 square feet). She recently represented the owner of 350 Rhode Island in the sale of the building occupied by the California Culinary Academy, and regularly represents PG&E in the sale of surplus properties and acquisition of sites in Northern California. |