Scott H. Miller

Of Counsel

Scott specializes in real estate, leasing, and environmental law. This range of experience allows him to work with a variety of clients, including individuals, families, entities, and institutions. Scott has worked in a broad spectrum of real estate and leasing matters from the landlord and tenant perspective. He also handles environmental concerns like hazardous waste matters affecting the real property, as well as their effect upon purchases and sales, leases and loans.

Scott’s background as a business litigator, small claims court judge, and planning commissioner, combined with his years of working real estate and environmental law allow him to offer his clients advice and counsel based upon his breadth of experience. He isn’t just analytical, he also has a creative side. Scott’s clients are likely to receive a hand-drawn cartoon, as drawing is one of his favorite pastimes.

Experience

Real estate law, including office, industrial, retail and ground leasing from the landlord and tenant perspective, purchases and sales, development, construction and borrower-side financing
Environmental law, including hazardous waste matters affecting real property, as well as their effect upon purchases and sales, leases and loans negotiation and documentation of holdback, risk allocation, indemnity, clean up and access agreements between private parties (for example, buyer/seller, landlord/tenant, borrower/lender, and neighboring owners), advising clients on regulatory requirements and compliance issues, and coordination with litigators on the mediation, prosecution and defense of environmental claims
Town planning, including serving asPlanning Commissioner for the Town of Corte Madera, California from 2001-2006andChair of the Planning Commission for the Town of Corte Madera, California from 2004-2006
Judicial, including serving as a temporary small claims judge for the San Francisco Municipal Court
Arbitration, including serving with the American Arbitration Association and the Bar Association of San Francisco

Credentials

Admissions/Affiliations

State Bar of California, Real Property and Environmental Law Sections
Bar Association of San Francisco

Education

J.D. – Hastings College of the Law, 1980
M.A. – University of California, Los Angeles, 1975
B.A. – U. C. Berkeley, 1972

Publication and Presentations

Articles:

“The Art of Law”, California Lawyer, December 2005
“Ten Important Lessons I Learned From My Clients”, Los Angeles Daily Journal, November 22, 2005
“Long Leases, A Lawyer’s Reflections”, Office & Commercial Real Estate magazine, Summer 2005
“An Approach to Hazardous Waste Liabilities in Real Estate Transactions”, California Real Property Journal, March 1987
“Liability of Landowners for Toxic Wastes” (co-author), The Docket, August 1985

Professional & Community Contributions

Served as Co-Chair of Environmental Law Subsection of the Real Property section of the State Bar of California (1988-1989)
Participated in Real Estate Neutrals, a Northern California dispute resolution referral panel for experienced real estate practitioners (1996-1997)
Participated as Big Brother
Volunteered at the Saturday morning legal clinic sponsored by the Bar Association of San Francisco
Volunteered in mentoring programs and as a teacher at San Quentin Prison

Areas of Practice

Environmental
Real Estate

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