PHILIP CROSBY

Born July 1, 1970, Phil grew up in the Midwest and East Coast before settling in the Bay Area after law school in 1997. Since he started working as a lawyer, Phil’s legal practice has focused on assisting clients with all aspects of commercial real estate and land use issues and with business transactions.  

Phil prides himself on establishing strong relationships with clients. He assists them over the long-term and many of his client relationships stretch back over decades. Anticipating clients’ needs and asking important questions, Phil helps clients avoid risk and effectively plan for the future. 

Phil represents both large and small enterprises, and new and well-established businesses.  Phil’s clients include individuals and their families, privately held companies, non-profit entities, and international corporations.

Real Estate Law and Land Use

Real Estate

Phil represents clients in a broad spectrum of complex commercial real estate transactions.  He assists land owners when acquiring, developing, constructing, financing, or selling their real property.  Phil regularly represents both landlords and tenants with office, retail, industrial and ground leases.  Experience includes:

  • Purchase and sale of real property

  • Leases, easements and license agreements

  • Secured financing

  • Cotenancies

  • Advertising sign leases and telecommunications site agreements

  • Architecture and engineering services, and construction services

  • Real estate brokerage and property management agreements

  • Covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs)

  • Title insurance

  • Mechanic’s liens

  • Property tax issues (including application for exclusion from reassessment)

  • Lot line adjustments, lot mergers, lot splits and subdivisions

Land Use

Phil represents clients in all aspects of zoning and land use regulations, such as design review, conditional use permits, zoning determinations, variances, historical preservation issues and compliance with creek and tree protection ordinances. With added insight due to personal experience as a planning commissioner in the City of Union City, Phil’s assistance extends beyond just legal analysis. Phil’s expertise includes participating on clients’ development teams, preparing entitlement applications, leading negotiations with government agency staff and ultimately appearing at administrative hearings to advocate for necessary entitlements.

Corporate and Business Law

Phil represents clients with myriad business issues including entity formation, on-going operational issues and ultimately the sale or dissolution of companies. Clients include profit and non-profit corporations, professional corporations, limited liability companies, and partnerships. Representation includes:

  • Formation of business entities

  • Secured lending

  • Consulting agreements 

  • Licenses 

  • Joint ventures and distribution agreements

  • Employment agreements

  • Shareholder agreements

  • Voting agreements

  • Stock option plans and agreements

  • Limited liability company operating agreements

  • Partnership agreements

  • Sale of businesses and bulk sales

  • Mergers and acquisitions

  • Sale of goods under the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) 

  • Trademark and copyright registration

ADMISSIONS

California

AREAS OF PRACTICE

Real Estate and Land Use

Corporate 

EDUCATION

Boston University School of Law, JD, cum laude, May 1997

Boston University Law Review – Editor

George Whiting Roberts Scholarship

University of Pennsylvania, BA, Diplomatic History and Political Science, May 1992

PROFESSIONAL AND COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

Member, State Bar of California

Member, Estate Planning Council of Diablo Valley