Morgan Miller Blair

When Bert Morgan, Ken Miller and Dick Blair decided to open their own law firm in 1985, they did it with the vision of having talented attorneys providing a broad range of legal services to the business community.  They started with six attorneys practicing business and real estate counseling, estate planning and litigation representation.  However, simply providing excellent legal services was not enough for the founders, attorneys or staff of Morgan Miller Blair. They recognized they were in a service business and needed to also provide the exceptional personalized attention to all of their clients that the Firm is still known for today.

Over the past 25 years, MMB has grown beyond our 6 lawyer start to a Firm of more than 20 lawyers, but through the years, our attorneys have never lost sight of our founders’ desire for a different kind of law firm.  Our firm was founded and continues to exist on the principles of trust, respect, loyalty and outstanding legal services.

To date, the Firm has continued to prosper and attract top legal talent.  Morgan Miller Blair continues to be a business law firm, with substantial expertise in real estate transactions and litigation, intellectual property counseling and litigation, land use, mergers and acquisitions, technology litigation, individual and corporate tax planning and employment counseling.  

Our attorneys also are as committed to the community and the industries we serve as they are to their own legal practices, serving on boards including the Habitat for Humanity, The Food Bank of Contra Costa County, East Bay Economic Development Alliance, HomeAid, the Homebuilders Association of Northern California, California Building Industry Association and CalShakes.

Following are some highlights of the work we have done over the past 25 years:

Litigation: 

• Recovered purchase price, damages and attorney’s fees and rescinded purchase of Los Angeles County shopping center, negotiating settlement before jury selection, based on fraudulent concealment of construction deficiencies.
• Defended technology services company against breach of services contract claim, obtaining favorable settlement based on contract provisions on deliverables.
• Prosecuted an action to enforce and collect on two disputed promissory notes, ending in a jury verdict  award of “prevailing party” attorney fees and costs resulted in a total award of over $2.2 Million.
• Directed the appeal on behalf of a Northern California County to enforce contract and regulatory rights over agricultural land governed by the California Land Conservation Act (the Williamson Act).  Obtained complete reversal of trial court’s adverse judgment, which resulted in a published appellate decision, and also secured dismissal of opponent’s related appeal.
• Defended international manufacturer client and its U.S. subsidiaries against fraud and breach of merger agreement claims brought by acquisition company in California state and federal courts.
• Represented one of the world’s largest lenders in over $20 million dollars in mechanic’s liens claims, including defending the lender against attacks to the loan’s priority by the mechanic’s lien claimants.
• Appointed by the Superior Court to represent the receiver in a partially completed urban mixed use project with a loan default of over $108 million.

Land Use:

• Reviewed and negotiated land use entitlements with public agencies for national lender during foreclosure to preserve entitlements and value of large residential project in Contra Costa County.
• Established and represented Geologic Hazard Abatement Districts (GHADs) throughout California.
• Environmental and permitting work on master planned communities in the cities of San Ramon, Hercules, Vacaville and Elk Grove and County of Placer.
• Represented several wineries in Napa County on permitting, CEQA review and litigation.

Corporate Transactions:

• Advised East Bay construction materials companies in their acquisition by a global building materials leader.
• Represented web-based energy management software company in its acquisition by leading “Smart Grid” provider.
• Represented dental laser technology company in exclusive partnership with leader in dental product distribution.
• Represented minor-league baseball franchise in sale to new ownership group.
• Represented a publicly-traded home building company in the acquisition of the assets of a privately held home building company, including membership interests in existing project limited liability companies, with a value in excess of $80,000,000.

Real Estate Transactions:

• Represented home builders in the formation of a joint venture for the acquisition and development of over 2000 homesites and condominium parcel for 500 condominiums in transactions exceeding $350 million in Northern California.
• Represented developer in the acquisition and financing of retail stores from financially distressed retailer in four states involving purchase of sites, formation of project specific limited liability companies, and the negotiation and documentation of nearly $100 million in financing for project.
• Negotiated a Disposition and Development Agreement with the Redevelopment Agency of a major San Francisco Bay Area city for the redevelopment of a 26-acre site, and in the negotiation of related project financing, the sale and leasing of pads, and the eventual sale of the project.
• Negotiated the sale of a seven office-building complex by the Indiana Department of Insolvency for an insolvent insurance company in receivership, together with the assignment of a note and deed of trust secured by an eighth building in the same complex.
• Represented a home building company in the acquisition of an 82 unit condominium project in San Francisco, California by means of the acquisition of membership interests in, and the formation of an off-balance sheet entity with the limited liability company that owned the project.