Five Wendel, Rosen, Black & Dean LLP Attorneys Named to The Best Lawyers in America© 2014

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Aug. 15, 2013 - PRLog -- Michael D. Cooper, Patricia E. Curtin, Michael A. Dean, Charles A. Hansen and Roger M. Hughes from Wendel, Rosen, Black & Dean LLP were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America^© 2014 (Copyright 2013 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, SC).  The attorneys have all been named to the list for seven consecutive years or more, with Dean marking his 30^th year, having been named a Best Lawyer in America in each edition sincethe publication’s inception.

 

Cooper, recognized in the categories of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Litigation – Bankruptcy, has been included in Best Lawyers for the seventh consecutive year. As a partner in the firm’s Bankruptcy, Restructuring and Creditor Rights Practice Group, Cooper represents parties in workouts and bankruptcy matters, including debtors, trustees and creditors. In addition, he has successfully mediated more than 100 matters through his appointment by the Bankruptcy Court to its Bankruptcy Dispute Resolution Program.

 

Recognized in the category of Land Use & Zoning Law for the last 14 years, Curtin advises clients on applicable planning, zoning and environmental laws, prepares land use applications, and obtains project approvals, including environmental and regulatory permits. She manages and directs development projects from inception to ribbon cutting and also represents several public agencies as special land use counsel and is general counsel to ten Geologic Hazard Abatement Districts. Curtin has worked with landowners and developers of commercial, industrial, residential and agricultural property, including wine growers, wineries and related businesses; shopping center owners; hotel/resort owners; educational institutions; public agencies; and hospitals and other medical facilities.

 

Dean has long been recognized in the category of Real Estate Law. His practice encompasses commercial real estate development, leasing and financing matters. Dean is a sought-after author and lecturer and has spoken before organizations including the National Retail Tenants Association, the International Council of Shopping Centers, the State Bar of California and Georgetown University Law Center. He is also a member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers.

 

In his eighth consecutive year on the list, Hansen is recognized in the category of Litigation – Real Estate. He handles a wide range of high-profile real estate, commercial and secured transaction matters relating to commercial and real estate lending, real estate transactions, mortgages, trust deeds, commercial leasing and real estate development. A passionate legal advocate and a highly regarded resource in real estate law, Hansen has taught advanced courses in real estate and finance law at the University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley Law (formerly Boalt Hall School of Law) since 1985, and also acts as a mediator, arbitrator and judge pro tem. Hansen also devotes much of his time to expert consultation and expert witness work in complex real estate transaction and secured financing-related cases across the country.

 

Hughes has been included on the list for the ninth consecutive year and is recognized in the category of Construction Law. The leader of the firm’s Construction Practice Group, Hughes represents clients throughout the U.S. in a variety of construction matters, including transactional work and project disputes. His clients include major public and private owners, mechanical/structural engineers, contractors and transportation authorities. While Hughes has served as lead counsel on more than 100 jury trials, he also assists clients in program development, in drafting complex construction documents and in avoiding litigation through the use of creative alternative dispute resolution programs.

 

Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Because Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey in which more than 36,000 leading attorneys cast almost 4.4 million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas, and because lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.”

 

About Wendel Rosen

Wendel, Rosen, Black & Dean LLP serves a diverse clientele of business, public and individual clients located throughout California and the United States. With offices in Oakland and Modesto, California, the 104-year-old firm advises clients on transactional and civil litigation matters in several related fields of law, including real estate; business/corporate; construction; eminent domain; employment; environmental; estate planning, trusts and probate; green business; insurance; intellectual property; land use; taxation; bankruptcy, restructuring and creditor rights; and technology. In 2003, the firm became the first law firm in the country to gain third-party certification as a green business and has won numerous recognitions for its leadership in the green economy. Additional information about the firm and its attorneys may be found at www.wendel.com.