REAL ESTATE
More than a hundred years of combined experience in commercial real estate law allows Bateman Seidel to assist its clients in the most complex transactions in the marketplace. A senior member of the real estate department is nationally recognized as among the best real estate lawyers in America and locally as a top lawyer in Oregon. In addition to being licensed in Oregon and Washington, one member of the real estate department is a Fellow in the American College of Mortgage Attorneys. This national affiliation permits the Bateman Seidel real estate lawyers to stay on top of cutting edge changes in the law and allows national collaboration with other top real estate lawyers.
Practice Group Contacts
Chris Gram
CGram@BatemanSeidel.com
503.972.9931Kathleen Sieler
KSieler@BatemanSeidel.com
503.972.9928
The diverse experience of the Bateman Seidel real estate department includes serving as Oregon counsel to three publicly traded high technology companies in siting their wafer fabrication plants in Hillsboro and Gresham, as well as representing a publicly traded Arizona company in its acquisition of a wafer fabrication facility in Gresham. We have also represented a National Construction Services Support Company in siting facilities in multiple States across the the U.S. and a major international pharmaceutical company in siting new facilities in the Western U.S. Bateman Seidel represents two large public utilities in acquiring wind energy projects in Oregon, Washington and Wyoming and a private wind energy development company in siting and developing wind energy projects in Oregon and Washington. Bateman Seidel real estate lawyers represent a host of investors and developers in acquiring or developing shopping centers, industrial parks, office buildings, warehouses, multifamily housing complexes, commercial and residential subdivisions, and historic properties.
Having served as lender’s counsel to many life insurance companies, banks, and finance companies over the past 31 years, the real estate lawyers at Bateman Seidel bring to the table a unique perspective and ability to assist clients in securing project financing and to follow through as borrower’s counsel when loans are made. Bateman Seidel real estate lawyers also continue their role as lender’s counsel on behalf of both local and national lenders.
Randall B. Bateman combines an active commercial real estate practice with a business practice, which gives him the unique ability to assist clients with real estate aspects of business transactions and business aspects of property transactions. In addition to being a Fellow in the American College of Mortgage Attorneys and having served as an arbitrator for the Multnomah County Circuit Court, Randy sat on the Board of the Portland Habilitation Center for six years, one of the largest and most successful nonprofit employers of the disabled in the state of Oregon. His clients include several national lenders, industrial park owners, two public utilities, a private wind energy development company, multifamily housing developers and syndicators, land developers, a large timber company, sawmill owners, and a host of middle market companies involved in manufacturing, distribution, franchising, the retail trades, and financial services. During Randy’s 31 years of service in the legal community, he has represented Teachers Insurance in the financing of the Brewery Blocks in Portland’s Pearl District, the Portland Family of Funds in the acquisition and redevelopment of the historic Armory Building, several multifamily housing developers, including Carla Properties, Ltd., Tokola Properties, Inc. and Andrews Management, Ltd., in the acquisition and development of large apartment complexes, Microchip Technology in the $183,500,000 acquisition of a silicone wafer fabrication facility in Gresham, Oregon, and numerous mortgage lenders in financings secured by such marquee properties as the world’s largest wind farm, Washington Square, Gresham Town Fair, KOIN Tower, 1000 Broadway, Fox Tower, the Portland World Trade Center, and the Salem Center. Randy’s business practice included representing one of North Dakota’s largest publicly traded companies in a series of business acquisitions in the state of Oregon, including two aggregate companies, a large electrical contractor, a pipeline contractor, a power line contractor, a paving company, and related assets. Until the time of sale, he served as counsel to one of the West Coast’s largest suppliers of cleanroom equipment and now serves as general outside counsel to a major industrial hose manufacturer and distributor, a regional excavation contractor, a regional restaurant equipment distributor, a national automotive quick lubrication company and franchisor, and a host of other local, regional, and national companies in matters in Oregon and Washington. Randy is nationally recognized by Chambers USA for his outstanding real estate law capabilities and is listed in The Best Lawyers in America. Randy is also listed nationally with Super Lawyers and locally with Portland Monthly as a top real estate lawyer.
Chresten (Chris) J. Gram’s practice involves all aspects of real estate development and ownership. He helps local, regional, and national clients acquire, develop, finance, own, manage, lease, buy, sell, and exchange real property. Chris is primary counsel to Pacific N.W. Properties Limited Partnership and Oregon Pacific Investment and Development Company, two of the most active commercial real estate owners and developers in the Portland metropolitan area. Chris has significant experience in office leases, having represented the owner of Lincoln Center (a five-building suburban office complex) and Microsoft Corporation (as tenant counsel) in office leases throughout the United States. He regularly advises clients on IRS 1031 exchanges, including reverse exchanges and tenancy in common arrangements. Chris has significant experience in real estate finance, representing lenders and borrowers in numerous transactions, including leasehold and conduit financings. His experience includes unique real estate transactions, including those specifically relating to natural gas transmission (as counsel to NW Natural Gas Company) and the leasing of wireless communication’s facilities (as counsel to T-Mobile). Chris is a former board of directors member of Portland Youthbuilders, a nonprofit entity that provides educational and construction job training to disadvantaged youth, and he continues to provide pro bono legal services to Portland Youthbuilders from time to time in connection with the development of affordable housing and related matters.
Kathleen S. Sieler is a shareholder who works in the real estate and business departments and in the firm’s nationally recognized affordable housing department. Kathleen has developed special expertise in the areas of wind energy law, planned communities, condominium law, federal and state interstate land sales acts and the licensing of contractors and developers.
Sandy Newell provides paralegal support for both the business and the real estate departments. She maintains the minute books for more than 350 corporate and real estate clients, manages the flow of documents in complex transactions, and aids the departments in providing cost-effective service by the initial drafting of documents for review by the lawyers.
Other members of the firm enhance the breadth and scope of practice. Michael R. Chellis, the firm’s tax partner, handles complex partnership, limited liability company and corporate tax issues for the real estate department and other departments of the firm. Gregory J. Miner, the head of the firm’s commercial litigation practice, brings more than 34 years of commercial litigation experience to bear on behalf of the firm’s clients and has worked for many of the firm’s real estate and business clients in resolving disputes and litigating those that cannot be resolved.
We are passionate about the law and passionate about the service we provide to our clients. You can reach each of us at our direct dial telephone and facsimile numbers as well as our e-mail addresses. We employ the latest technology to deliver prompt and price-competitive service. We return our calls promptly, and when we commit to a deadline -- we deliver.
We look forward to coming to work every day, getting to know our clients on a personal level, being active and contributing members to our community and to our families, and we try every day to remember that the law is first and foremost an honored profession and that our duty is to serve the needs of our clients.