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Miller Starr Regalia Begins 2010 with Three Attorney Promotions
Walnut Creek, Calif., (January 7, 2010) – Miller Starr Regalia announced today that Ethan Friedman was promoted to shareholder and Serena Patitucci Torvik and Stephen Velyvis were promoted to senior counsel. Mr. Friedman and Mr. Velyvis have offices at Miller Starr Regalia’s headquarters in Walnut Creek, while Ms. Patitucci Torvik is located at the firm’s Palo Alto Office.
Mr. Friedman specializes in eminent domain and inverse condemnation as well as land use and development. Mr. Friedman represents both private property owners and public agencies in all aspects of land disposition and acquisition, land planning, and public project law. He has written several articles on statewide referenda aimed to reform California’s eminent domain statutes, including recent Propositions 90, 98 and 99. Mr. Friedman is a member of the Urban Land Institute, the International Right of Way Association and the California Redevelopment Association, as well as the Contra Costa County Bar Association. He received a J.D. from the University of San Francisco School of Law and earned his bachelor’s degree, cum laude, from the University of Judaism (now the American Jewish University) in Los Angeles.
Ms. Patitucci Torvik is a LEED Accredited Professional who represents clients in residential and commercial real estate disputes, with a special emphasis in purchase and sale transactions, quiet title and easement issues, construction disputes, construction defects, mechanic’s liens, contract disputes, disclosures, agent/broker liability, and lease disputes. She has written several articles, including two recent articles on disclosure liability issues. Ms. Patitucci Torvik volunteers for the Santa Clara County Superior Court and is also a member of the Santa Clara County Bar Association and the Home Builders Association of Northern California. She received her J.D. from the University of California Davis School of Law and earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Stanford University.
Mr. Velyvis specializes in land use and environmental issues, with increasing focus on renewable energy, sustainable development, and climate change. His expertise extends to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the California Coastal Act, as well as the state and federal legal and regulatory frameworks governing clean water, clean air, endangered species and electricity generation and transmission. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute, the California Solar Energy Industries Association, the Contra Costa Council as well as both the Contra Costa and San Mateo County Bar Associations. He is also a member of the United States Green Building Council (Northern California Chapter), where he helped found the recently approved Diablo East Bay branch and was selected by his peers as that branch’s liaison to the Chapter’s emerging green builders committee. Mr. Velyvis received a J.D. from Vermont Law School and earned his bachelor’s degree in history and environmental geography from Ohio University.
“These are three well-deserved promotions and I look forward to their continued growth and success with our firm,” said Gene Miller, Chairman of Miller Starr Regalia.
Miller Starr Regalia
When it comes to California real estate law, Miller Starr Regalia wrote the book. Literally. The firm’s treatise, Miller & Starr California Real Estate 3d, is regarded as the preeminent source for real property law and is cited by practicing attorneys and courts throughout the state. Miller Starr Regalia has established itself for more than 40 years as one of the most widely respected law firms in all aspects of real property transactions, acquisitions, dispositions, financing, construction, operation, leasing and land use, as well as litigation and dispute resolution services. The firm’s legacy and experience enable Miller Starr Regalia to represent Fortune 500 companies, developers of retail, office, multifamily and industrial projects, homebuilders, lenders, educational institutions, government agencies, privately held companies and real estate investors. For more information, visit Miller Starr Regalia online at www.msrlegal.com.