Of Counsel
Bob Pace has over thirty years’ experience in a wide variety of practice areas, including real estate development and construction, leasing, finance, corporate/general business, construction, tax and telecommunications transactions. Bob has practiced in both law and accounting firm environments, and served as General Counsel for major retail and commercial/industrial real estate development and management companies. In addition to technical legal, negotiating and drafting expertise, Bob’s financial, accounting and tax background and prior experience as a practicing CPA in both large and small accounting firms has assisted clients in quantifying the cost/benefit and overall tax and financial impact of transactions or contract provisions.
Bob received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting (Cum Laude) from Loyola University of Los Angeles (now Loyola Marymount University), and his law degree from UCLA School of Law. He also participated in the Masters in Business Taxation program at the USC Graduate School of Business prior to attending Law School.
Bob is a Member of the California Bar and admitted to practice before the United States District Court and United States Tax Court. He is also a Certified Public Accountant on Inactive status. He has been a Panelist/Participant in various California Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB) Real Estate and Tax Programs, and a Lecturer in Corporate Taxation at Golden Gate University.
Representative Transactions
- Served as lead counsel in connection with the acquisition and development of regional shopping malls throughout the continental United States, Alaska and Hawaii, including department store and major mall tenant REA and lease negotiations, construction and permanent financing and land acquisition and land use negotiations with local governmental entities.
- Negotiated the terms of a $150,000,000 multiple-lender revolving line of credit, as well as PGA and LPGA player endorsement and advertising agreements, and an endorsement/sponsorship contract with a major golf tournament venue, on behalf of a major golf equipment manufacturer.
- Managed Corporate Legal Departments comprising up to 19 attorneys, paralegals and administrative staff.
- Handled the incorporation process for and advised start-up corporations in various industries, assisting with leases, initial capitalization and stock issuance, computer hardware and software, employment and shareholder agreements, and stock and asset purchase and sale transactions.
- Represented institutional lenders and borrowers in connection with over $500,000,000 in construction and permanent financing and ground lease amendments for commercial, residential and retail real estate projects nationwide, including regional shopping centers.
- Negotiated over 700,000 square feet of build-to-suit office, R&D and biomed leases and construction work agreements and contracts on behalf of a Fortune 500 company.
- Structured and prepared offering documentation, including disclosure statements, marketing and entity formation documents for numerous investment limited partnerships, limited liability companies and tenancies-in-common.
Background
Prior to joining WMA, Bob maintained a private law practice in San Diego, primarily serving real estate, corporate and general business clients.
Bob’s prior law firm experience includes serving as Of Counsel at the law firm of Blanchard, Krasner & French in La Jolla, and Associate in the Real Estate Department in the Newport Beach office of the international firm of O’Melveny & Myers.
Bob’s prior corporate experience includes serving as the Manager of Corporate Real Estate Leasing at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). While at SAIC, Bob managed the Company’s domestic office lease portfolio, including supervision of outside counsel, leasing attorneys, construction project managers, paralegals and administrative staff. Bob also served as lead counsel representing the Company in lease negotiations for major build-to-suit and leasing projects nationwide.
Prior to SAIC, Bob served as the Vice-President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of the Hahn Company. In that capacity, Bob managed the corporate legal department and served as lead counsel on many Company regional shopping center development, finance and leasing transactions. Duties included general corporate representation, supervision of outside counsel, employment law, corporate and project finance, department store, outparcel and mall tenant leasing, mergers and acquisitions and project development. Bob later served as Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Rancon Financial Corporation in Temecula, where, in addition to his other responsibilities, he assisted in facilitating the sale of the Company to Glenborough Realty in 1994.
Bob’s in-house corporate experience includes providing contract legal services to Callaway Golf Company, where he assisted with the Company’s real estate transactions, construction and property management matters, corporate finance, U.S. and European PGA, LPGA and Senior PGA Tour player and instructor endorsement contracts, television and other domestic and international media advertising agreements, trademark licensing, computer hardware and software contracts, and miscellaneous other corporate and contract matters.
Bob’s professional career began at Price Waterhouse & Co. (now PwC) in Century City, where he was a member of the Tax Department.