Wendel Rosen Adds Robert Gonella to Real Estate Practice as Partner

Oct. 7, 2009 - PRLog -- PRESS RELEASE

Contact:
Lydia Bednerik
Marketing Director
Wendel, Rosen, Black & Dean LLP
510.834.6600
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Wendel Rosen Adds Robert Gonella to Real Estate Practice as Partner

OAKLAND, Calif., Oct. 7, 2009 – Wendel, Rosen, Black & Dean LLP welcomes Robert Gonella as a partner to the firm’s Real Estate Practice.  With more than 30 years of experience, Gonella joins the firm from Target Corporation, where he was a senior corporate counsel in the areas of real estate and general business.

During his 23 years with Target, Gonella handled complex real estate transactions and other real-estate related legal matters for both Target and its subsidiary, Mervyn's Department Stores.  In this role, he worked with major regional and national land developers, law firms and retailers to provide legal support for the acquisition of approximately 25 new store sites annually.  Gonella personally handled the legal work involved in the acquisition of 110 Target "big box" sites and 30 Mervyn's sites nationwide and was a key player in the acquisition and development of 150 other Target sites.  As a consequence, he has extensive experience in the preparation and negotiation of purchase, lease, reciprocal easement and development agreements, as well as credit, escrow and subordination documents, in all aspects of real estate closings and in managing outside counsel.
 
“Rob’s extensive in-house experience uniquely qualifies him to understand and solve issues from an insider’s perspective, which will truly provide value to our clients,” said Wendel Rosen’s Managing Partner Daniel Rapaport.

Prior to joining Target, Gonella was a partner with Dobbs, Molinari, Casalnuovo & Berger in San Francisco, where he focused on business litigation and real estate transactions.  He is a member of the California State Bar, International Council of Shopping Centers and the American Corporate Counsel Association.  

Gonella earned his J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law (1977) and his B.A. in economics from the University of California, Berkeley (1972).

About Wendel Rosen

Celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2009, 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 firm advises clients on transactional and civil litigation matters in several related fields of law, including real estate; business/corporate; construction; creditors’ rights/bankruptcy; eminent domain; employment; environmental; estate planning, trusts and probate; green business; insurance; intellectual property; land use; taxation; and technology. Additional information about the firm and its attorneys may be found at www.wendel.com.