How to know if an RE lawyer is legit?

Question

Hello all,  just seeing what criteria you use to hire a real estate lawyer for your team?

I'm from Orange County CA and I want to find best ones in the area to start talking to (I've browsed superlawyers), but besides looking up their standing with the state bar here http://members.calbar.ca.gov/search/member.aspx  and making sure they don't have any criminal activity through the superior court website http://www.occourts.org/online-services/case-access/ how can you tell if they are actually superior at what they do compared to other lawyers?

Bryan Hancock · Answer

Yeah...notice how I qualified my statement above.  Mark is great at entity law and I would trust HIM to set up any new entities I form.  I have no idea whether he or anyone at his firm is the right choice for contracts or anything else.  For contracts you probably want someone local that is a specialist in what you are trying to do.

BTW...KKO used to handle our taxes too and I dropped them after we had some major disagreements about billing.  You are definitely hiring THE PERSON and not the firm when you seek out advice.

Jeff S. · Answer

Coincidently, just yesterday I responded to a post where I noted a bad experience I had with a real estate attorney. As long as weâ€™re mentioning names, it was one of Mark Kohlerâ€™s partners.  With due respect to Mitch and Bryan above, Mark might now live and have an office in OC, but much of his firm is in Utah.  I found that the advice you get from his firm might not be from an attorney whoâ€™s completely up to speed on the California real estate law you need.  It really depends on your specific problem, so you have to be careful when you select an attorney based on someone elseâ€™s recommendation.

You can also get bounced around, as I was at KKO.  You might ask for Mark, but get referred to another attorney in his firm, as I did.  Mark has a reputation for not always being available (proven in my case) and I regrettably found that youâ€™re not hiring the firm, youâ€™re hiring the attorney.  Lesson learned.  I got some spectacularly bad, world class lousy legal advice from his partner that caused me to rewrite several notes.

I understand Mark is or was an instructor for Nouveau Riche and he gave a very funny and entertaining presentation at The Invest Club for Women a few months ago. As a result, Mark may have a good following, but I donâ€™t recommend you chose a lawyer for his comedic skills or teaching credentials.  Ask for references and call every one of them.  If their needs and skill sets donâ€™t seem to match yours; or youâ€™re uncomfortable with their recommendation, then pass.

Just a few lessons learned:
1)	Select an attorney based on your specific need and his specific skills.  Donâ€™t choose one because someone else was happy and recommended him, unless you know your situations are similar.
2)	Itâ€™s not the firm, itâ€™s the attorney.  Make sure you know who youâ€™re getting as well as their specialty/capability and fit to your problem.
3)	Donâ€™t choose an attorney because heâ€™s a good entertainer/speaker on stage at a real estate club (or any other professional, or guru, for that matter.  Youâ€™d think the RE community would learn.)
4)	Obtain and check references.

Mitch Kronowit · Answer

We have only dealt with Mark Kohler directly, although we do have the contact info for his Irvine partner, Lee Chen, if we can't get a hold of Mark in a time critical situation, whatever that might be.

As Bryan said, I don't believe in the "one stop shop" for legal advice either. We use Mark for asset protection and estate planning, not for evictions, personal injury, or family law. When it comes to legal matters, you want a specialist.

Dave Finigan · Answer

I wouldn't bother with a cold search.  Put your network to work.  Whether it's a plumber or RE attorney, I always suggest asking around, getting a personal recommendation from within your network and then you can check background on the recommended attorney.

And it is so true that you are hiring the individual, not the firm.

Bryan Hancock · Answer

Mark Kohler set up our first legal entity too.  He is definitely one of the best in the country and it helps that he is also a CPA.  I don't know if he is the right guy for contracts, but he knows entity law really well.

I have some securities lawyer references in California too if you need them.  For contract law I would suggest asking around at your local real estate investment club.

Mitch Kronowit · Answer

RJ, we use Mark Kohler for our asset management and estate planning. He lives in South OC and has an office in Irvine. Mark is also a CPA, so he wears 2 hats when discussing your real estate investments.

More info at http://www.kkolawyers.com

RJ Walker · Answer

Thanks, all! I am always overwhelmed by the quality and breadth of advice on this site. Your insights will be definitely useful to me in my search, will keep you guys updated on how it goes.

Bill Gulley · Answer

I suggest you contact title companies and RE Brokers and ask them who they use. FInd out who represents the local Board Of Realtors, and your foot work should be over. Only one problem, attorneys can not represent someone who could have a conflict with a client, so you might not get the Board attorney, in which case, ask who had the job before that attorney, if they are still alive and working, they would probably be free to work with you.

You can also spend some time at the court house, not only ask around, but look in the real estate records and see who shows up the most, they will be the most active in RE matters.

Good luck..

How to know if an RE lawyer is legit?

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