ATTORNEYS

Simon E. Newfield’s practice focuses on real estate, business, and general corporate transactional matters and litigation. Simon’s experience as both a transactional and litigation attorney enables him to handle transactions skillfully so as to avoid litigation, and handle litigation successfully due to his thorough understanding of the transactions that give rise to the dispute.

Simon’s broad range of experience in transactional matters includes drafting and negotiating commercial leases on behalf of landlords and tenants, acquisitions of commercial and residential properties, construction industry-related agreements, and entity structuring. Simon represents and advises various public and private companies including major developers and national tenants throughout the United States and Canada, contractors, and property managers in a wide variety of matters including mixed-use developments, retail centers, office centers, industrial properties, and other types of commercial real estate projects.

Simon also has extensive experience prosecuting and defending litigation arising from real estate and commercial transactions, including enforcement of purchase and sale agreements, failed development projects, partnership disputes, fraud, land use, title and easement disputes, construction litigation, construction liens and accompanying litigation, and commercial lease disputes.

Simon routinely serves as outside general and strategic counsel to clients in various industries including real estate, construction, and hospitality. Among his many achievements over the years, Simon’s notable transactions and experience include:

• Ongoing representation of real estate development company in its acquisition, leasing, and construction of various mixed-use, retail, and multi-family projects throughout the United States.
• Ongoing representation of owners and construction industry professionals in connection with residential and commercial construction projects, including negotiating and drafting fixed price, cost-plus and guaranteed maximum price construction contracts, and design- build agreements.
• Ongoing representation of high net worth individuals in the acquisition, construction, financing and leasing of residential and multi-family properties throughout California.
• Ongoing representation of restaurant chain in its real estate, employment, and general business matters.
• Ongoing representation of real estate development company in its over $150 million development project which includes apartment buildings, office and retail space, and outdoor gathering spaces.
• Represented family office client in connection with sale of multi-family apartment portfolio in Bloomington, Indiana for $12 million.
• Represented family office client in connection with sale of residential property and surrounding vacant land for $42 million.
• Represented tenant in connection with a lease transaction for 54,000 square foot building containing space used for research, design, and production of cosmetic products.
• Represented numerous restaurant clients in connection with commercial lease transactions.
• Represented real estate developer in $10 million acquisitions of multiple parcels in Los Angeles and San Diego, California for development into mixed-use properties.
• Represented real estate developer in the successful utilization of declaratory relief litigation to acquire a commercial property in Los Angeles, California to simultaneously enter into a long-term retail lease agreement with a well-known national tenant for the property.
• Represented real estate developer in the successful utilization of construction lien litigation to remove numerous mechanics liens recorded against a multi-family construction project in Malibu, California.
• Represented a general contractor in the successful settlement of a dispute concerning the construction of a mixed-use project where the subcontractor fraudulently installed counterfeit building materials resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars of damages to the project’s structural integrity.

Before law school, Simon worked in the film industry, focusing on development and financing for several notable production companies, including Oscar winning (Best Picture) Kopelson Entertainment. After graduating from law school, he worked in entertainment transactional law consulting entertainment companies. Before founding Newfield Puritsky LLP, Simon was a senior member of the real estate and corporate practice groups at Ravid Law Group and Enenstein Ribakoff LaViña & Pham, and a partner in Koletsky Mancini Feldman & Morrow’s Los Angeles office.

Simon received a J.D. from Southwestern University School of Law in 2005. He earned a B.A. in Law & Society and a Minor in Sports Management from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1998. His speaking engagements include:

• Real Estate: Los Angeles, California and Beyond; July 15, 2015; hosted by UBS Private Wealth Management
• “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Construction Law but Were Afraid to Ask” February 12, 2015; Continuing Education Seminar for ProVisors Real Estate Affinity Group