SAN DIEGO—The legislative and legal areas of NAIOP, as well as community involvement and programs that give back to our military, will be Crosbie Gliner Schiffman Southard & Swanson LLP partner Dawn Saunders' focus as a board member for the CRE development association, she tells GlobeSt.com. Saunders was recently elected to the board of local chapter NAIOP San Diego, joining president Dennis Visser and other directors in promoting the association and the commercial real estate industry through NAIOP's multitude of educational and networking activities as well as legislative affairs strategies.

Saunders, who joined CGS3 earlier this year, has spent more than 20 years concentrating on commercial leasing, primarily within the technology, biotechnology/life sciences and laboratory and manufacturing industries. We spoke with her about this area of the market and her new role with NAIOP.

GlobeSt.com: Can you give a brief overview of San Diego's biotech/life sciences, tech and lab markets?

Saunders: The life-sciences market appears to be very strong, from my perspective. I am seeing strong rents and a lot of expansion by existing companies. There are several new lab/office buildings recently constructed or coming on line in the near term, and that capacity seems to be getting absorbed quickly, which is good news for landlords in this space. From the standpoint of basic fundamentals supporting the life-sciences industry, there is so much progress being made within the medical and medical-device industries, and technology is advancing so rapidly that the opportunities to build and improve on current knowledge provide a great environment for innovation. From a San Diego-specific standpoint, San Diego has historically and continues to be a strong supplier of talented and highly educated scientists and offers unique opportunities to partner with world-class educational/research facilities like UCSD and non-profit research institutes. All of that, coupled with the bonus of the San Diego climate, makes me believe the San Diego market will remain strong in the foreseeable future.

GlobeSt.com: What specifically will you do in your role with NAIOP?

Saunders: I am joining the board of directors and will become involved in many of the initiatives supported by NAIOP. There are a lot of different areas of activity within NAIOP, but I see my role being focused within the legislative and legal areas, as well as community involvement and, specifically, programs that give back to our military through various philanthropic events. NAIOP is a big supporter of the military, and my father was in the Marine Corps and served in Vietnam, so I feel especially privileged to be able to support and honor the men and women (and their families) who sacrifice so much for our country. There will never be enough we can do to thank them, but I believe it is important that they know their service and sacrifice is recognized and appreciated by those of us who benefit from it every day.

GlobeSt.com: How will your expertise in biotech, tech, lab and life sciences leasing help in your role with NAIOP?

Saunders: I hope that my background will be a resource for the organization and that I can bring a perspective to my role that will help to guide some of the policies and goals of NAIOP. I attended law school in San Diego (USD) and have been practicing in San Diego for my entire career, so I know a lot of people in the industry and hope that I can call upon my experience and connections to be a resource and a catalyst to continue to make NAIOP the premiere real estate organization within San Diego and nationally.

GlobeSt.com: What are the benefits of NAIOP involvement for law firms like yours?

Saunders: The primary benefit is access to essentially everyone in the real estate industry in one place. Most of our clients are involved in NAIOP, so attending a NAIOP event offers the opportunity to cultivate existing relationships and build new ones. I view the practice of law within the commercial real estate market as a very collaborative process, so I enjoy knowing the people who I see and work with regularly, whether I work with them as clients or across the table.

The other benefit of NAIOP for a firm like ours is we are a fast-growing company with a long-term focus and NAIOP is a great organization for professional development through the Developing Leaders program. We encourage our young attorneys to be involved in the Developing Leaders program because it provides not just education, but a network of young professionals that will be the industry leaders of tomorrow.

Succession planning is a huge buzz amongst law firms, and while most of us at CGS3 plan to be here for the foreseeable future, we want to ensure that what we've built continues long after we retire.

GlobeSt.com: Can you give a brief overview of San Diego's biotech/life sciences, tech and lab markets?

GlobeSt.com: What specifically will you do in your role with NAIOP?

GlobeSt.com: How will your expertise in biotech, tech, lab and life sciences leasing help in your role with NAIOP?

GlobeSt.com: What are the benefits of NAIOP involvement for law firms like yours?

Instant Insights /

What This Attorney Brings to NAIOP

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