Author: Maura O'Connor
Executive Bio
Maura O'Connor is a commercial real estate lawyer and the managing partner of O’Connor Cochran LLP in Los Angeles. After heading the Southern California real estate practices of two major national law firms, she co-founded a boutique women-owned real estate and finance law firm. Maura also was the first female chair of the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation.
Her specialties include real estate financings, distressed loan enforcement, real estate acquisitions, and retail leasing, where she has created and implemented cutting edge large-scale systematized and scalable programs to deliver cost-effective legal services. Maura also has significant experience in handling foreign direct investment transactions by new entrants into the US and California markets.
Maura was named one of the top 10 real estate lawyers in Southern California by Real Estate Southern California. She frequently speaks about real estate law and related matters to industry groups. Contact Maura O'Connor.
Archive
Zombie clause attacks are dangerous, and sometimes fatal to a real estate project. Your ability to prevent a zombie clause attack depends on you. FULL STORY
2012 CRE Markets: Up, Down or Sideways?
It's January, time for predictions. But this year there seems to be only one consensus: that there is no consensus. FULL STORY
Desperate times driving desperate measures in some California county recorders' offices
California’s perennial budget problems have pushed some aggressive county recorders' offices into charging unjustified documentary transfer taxes on some deed-in-lieu of foreclosure deals. FULL STORY
Troubled CRE Loan Resolutions Now
What's happening in distressed commercial real estate loan resolutions now? My view is that there are many different deals being done, but they all seem to have hair on them. FULL STORY
You get what you pay for -- or do you? The seller may not even know that a prior owner gave away an easement through the middle of the property you are planning to buy. Protect yourself by reviewing title to the property. FULL STORY
Due diligence may not be exciting, but going through the process is necessary to avert many misunderstandings and problems later. FULL STORY
Why the time, money and effort to get a survey is virtually always worthwhile in any commercial real estate purchase or loan. FULL STORY
Life used to be simple. When a bank or insurance company made a real estate loan in California, its borrower signed a note and a deed of trust, our form of mortgage. (Usually, they used blue ink to sign, so you could tell the original signature from copies.) The deed of trust was recorded. The lender held the original note in its vault until the loan was repaid. Then the lender marked the original… FULL STORY
Save Your Commercial Real Estate Deal from the Weakest Link
Every commercial real estate deal, and every real estate closing, is at risk of being killed inadvertently by the weakest link at all times. Here's how to overcome that risk. FULL STORY
SNDAs: a great planning tool for lenders (and tenants)
What happens to tenants when a lender forecloses on commercial property? The law in this area is a mess. However, there's an easy way to create a predictable outcome: use a SNDA. FULL STORY
