Crocker Commercial Real Estate Symposium,
November 12, 2020
Registration and more information available here
Message From 2020-21 Chair Kelsey Thayer
As the new Chair of the Real Property Section, I have the distinct privilege to share with you who we are and what we do, and invite you to become more involved in our dynamic group.
After graduating law school, I knew I wanted to find a way to become engaged in the Los Angeles real estate legal community and start building my professional network. For me, joining the Real Property Section was a no-brainer – the Section provides a unique opportunity to connect with and learn from the best real estate lawyers across Southern California (and beyond). After several years as a member, I decided to become more involved by joining the Executive Committee as the liaison of the Barristers/Young Attorneys Section. Since that time, I’ve worn several different hats on the Executive Committee, including Vice Chair of Membership and Vice Chair of Programming. Serving on the Executive Committee with such a stellar group of real estate lawyers has truly been one of the highlights of my legal career. I am continually inspired by our members’ passion, commitment to volunteerism, and genuine comradery.
I am so honored to lead the Section this upcoming year and continue our proud traditions. This year will undoubtedly be filled with uncertainties and challenges, but I am excited to see what we can accomplish together as leaders of the real estate legal community.
A core mission this year is for the Section to serve as a catalyst for change. The deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many others have ignited a national dialogue about racial injustices. As real estate practitioners, it is important to reflect upon the country’s history of racist real estate development practices and exchange ideas about improving race equity. This year, we will not only create CLE programs tackling racism in the world of real estate, but collaborate with minority bar associations, diversify membership, and organize a number of informal, round-table discussions about race and privilege. We hope you lend your voice to this conversation.
The Real Property Section has been a provider of top-notch CLE programs for many decades, and this year will be no exception. Our exciting slate of programs will cover a broad range of real estate topics, including land-use planning, environmental law, finance, title insurance, construction law, commercial development, leasing, and general property law. The Section also strives to be the “go to” resource for topical programs related to COVID-19. The aftershock of the pandemic will be felt for quite some time, and we will be here to provide you with practical solutions for navigating the multitude of new COVID-19 issues confronting our industry. While we miss seeing you in person, virtual programming has given our Section a new platform to reach more people than ever before, not only across Los Angeles County but nationwide.
We are excited to once again partner with the California Lawyers Association for our flagship Crocker Symposium this fall. This year, the Crocker Symposium will offer curated programs in the areas of finance, leasing, and homelessness, with speakers who are the best of the best. It is an event not to be missed, and we look forward to seeing you there!
With nearly 750 members, this Section represents a cross-section of the real estate community, with transactional lawyers and litigators at firms of all sizes; attorneys working in house, at non-profits, at title companies, and in government; and a litany of other real estate professionals. The Section caters to seasoned and newer attorneys alike. Perhaps more importantly than ever, we plan to hold several networking events this year so that our members have an outlet to mix and mingle, exchange ideas, and meet potential clients and referral sources. Stay tuned for details on our first virtual networking event.
Want to get involved? Of course you do! Getting involved in the Real Property Section can take many forms, including joining a committee, speaking at a CLE program, helping organize (or simply attending) an event, participating in a diversity initiative, or submitting information for our monthly newsletter.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me directly at kthayer@spcllp.com if you are interested in learning more or have any questions. I welcome your thoughts and suggestions. I look forward to an exciting and productive year!
Kelsey Thayer
Chair, Real Property Section
The Real Property Section focuses on all aspects of real property law, both transactions and litigation.
The Section also publishes a monthly Newsletter highlighting recent developments in real estate law, and a quarterly Review, with substantive articles of interest to real estate practitioners.