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Overview
Ken Whiting is a partner in Rutan’s San Francisco office, with a practice focused on commercial real estate. Ken has extensive experience in the purchase, development, financing, leasing and sale of a wide variety of commercial and industrial properties. In addition, he has specialized expertise in the development and financing of sports and entertainment facilities, the real estate aspects of project finance, railroad property, and leasing issues in the life sciences industry.
In addition to practicing in law firms, Ken has served as the principal real estate lawyer for Southern Pacific Railroad (now part of Union Pacific) and Kenetech Windpower, Inc.
Experience
Areas of Expertise
- Real Estate Acquisitions and Dispositions
- Real Estate Development and Construction
- Real Estate Leasing
- Real Estate Finance
Representative Clients and Matters:
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Leasing. Public and private biotech companies in the leasing and subleasing of R&D, office and manufacturing space in the Bay Area; public and private companies in office leases throughout California; the largest private landowner in California in the leasing of industrial buildings in the Central Valley; an international technology company in its U.S. office, R&D and retail leasing; and a non-profit hospital chain in the ground lease of a medical office building in Glendale.
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Development. A Class 1 railroad in the development of an intermodal facility in Lathrop, California; a venture capital fund in the development of an office building in Palo Alto; and a California County on ground lease transactions for the redevelopment of hotel, apartment and golf course properties in the Los Angeles area.
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Lending. A foreign bank in loans secured by property in Texas, Hawaii and California; a retail REIT in connection with loans secured by shopping centers in California; the purchaser of a promissory note secured by a distressed construction project on Market Street in San Francisco; and a New York investment bank in loans secured by office buildings in California.
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Purchase and Sale. Private development company in the sale of industrial properties in the Bay Area; a multi-family REIT in the sale of a portfolio of 22 apartment properties in Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada; the seller of 160 acres of raw land in Fremont; and a public biotech company in the sale of 3 research facilities in San Diego.
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Real Estate Expertise on Attorney Teams. Ken also provided real estate expertise on attorney teams representing debt and equity investors in cogeneration and wind power facilities; a U.S. industrial company in the development of 8 “peaker” power plants in California; an international sports and entertainment company in the development and financing of prominent sports arenas and entertainment venues in Los Angeles and Carson; a private landowner in the perfection of development rights for a landmark 80,000 ranch on the Central Coast of California; and a U.S. manufacturing company in a $4 billion loan secured by 50 industrial properties in 27 states.
Awards & Affiliations
Awards & Affiliations
- State Bar of California, Real Property Section
- San Francisco Bar Association
- SPIRE (Stanford Professionals in Real Estate)
- Phi Beta Kappa
Ken served on the Executive Committee of the Real Property Section of the State Bar of California from 2009 – 2012, and continued as an Advisor from 2012 – 2015. He maintains an active pro bono practice advising several Bay Area non-profit organizations and their grantees on real estate and business matters.
