Jonathan Kathrein

/My focus

I guide clients through every aspect of real estate transactions, from lease negotiations to complex acquisitions and closings, in one of the country’s most dynamic markets. My clients include emerging companies securing flexible office or retail space and landlords managing large commercial portfolios.  I focus on identifying issues early and crafting solutions that protect my clients’ interests. This includes drafting and negotiating construction and architecture agreements for tenant improvements and buildouts.

My path to real estate law was unconventional. Before law school, I studied Real Estate and Political Science at UC Berkeley, led a nonprofit, taught public speaking, and worked as a government relations consultant.

My practice is shaped by both private representation and in-house experience. As former in-house real estate counsel at RH, formerly Restoration Hardware, I gained firsthand insight into how an organization’s legal, operations, and business teams work together to execute a real estate strategy. 

That perspective shapes how I advise clients today. I understand the legal issues, internal dynamics, and business objectives that drive real estate decisions. From straightforward lease agreements to multi-million-dollar acquisitions, my hands-on approach gives clients a single point of contact who understands both the big picture and the critical details that make deals successful.

My land use practice includes project entitlements, regulatory compliance, and zoning matters. I work closely with developers, property owners, and investors to efficiently move projects forward through the approval process.

/Representative experience

Tenant Representation

Retail

• Represented tenant in leasing 19,000 square feet of ultra-luxury retail space at Americana Manhasset in Manhasset, New York
• Represented tenant in leasing 12,000 square feet of ultra-luxury retail space at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, California
• Represented tenant in leasing 2,500 square feet of ultra-luxury retail space at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, California
• Represented tenant in leasing 1,750 square feet of street-front retail space in Jackson Square, San Francisco
• Represented tenant in lease buyout of restaurant space on Chestnut Street, San Francisco

Office

• Represented tenant in leasing 21,000 square feet of high-end office space in Jackson Square, San Francisco
• Represented tenant in leasing 8,500-square-foot patient-serving medical office space in Torrance, California
• Represented tenant in leasing 3,500 square feet of fully furnished office space in San Francisco’s Financial District
• Represented tenant in leasing 3,000 square feet of high-end office space in Jackson Square, San Francisco
• Represented tenant in leasing 2,500 square feet of office space in San Francisco’s Presidio
• Represented tenant in leasing 2,000 square feet of office space in San Francisco’s Financial District

Industrial/Warehouse

• Represented tenant in leasing 600,000-square-foot custom-built distribution center in Baltimore, Maryland
• Represented tenant in leasing a 270,000-square-foot industrial building with an automotive retail component in Riverside, California
• Represented tenant in leasing 13,000-square-foot PDR space in San Francisco’s SoMa District

Landlord Representation

• Represented sublandlord in leasing of 38,500 square feet of life science space from the County of Los Angeles
• Represented landlord in leasing 23,000 square feet of Class A office space in downtown Atlanta, Georgia
• Represented landlord in leasing 4,000 square feet of Class A office space in downtown Austin, Texas
• Represented landlord in leasing 2,500 square feet of street-front retail space in downtown Oakland, California
• Represented landlord in leasing a golf course in Sonoma County, California

Acquisitions

• Represented investor in joint venture to acquire an 85,000- square-foot creative office building in North Waterfront, San Francisco
• Represented buyer in acquisition of 9,000-square-foot, mixed-use building in the Alameda District of San Jose, California
• Represented buyer in acquisition of 20,000-square-foot warehouse and office building in South San Francisco, California

Other Agreements

• Represented property owners in negotiation of utility, access, and telecommunications easements
• Represented lenders in property-secured lending
• Represented tenant in high-end construction contract for high-end buildout of hotel property in Aspen, Colorado
• Represented tenant in high-end construction contract for buildout of experiential retail property in Morriston, New Jersey
• Represented property owners and tenants in negotiation of agreements with architects and general contractors

/Looking ahead

Speed matters in today’s real estate market. Deals move quickly, lease terms are getting shorter, and clients need counsel who can act with urgency while staying focused on aggressively solving for the risks that matter most. Whether a company is racing to secure space before a funding milestone or an investor is capitalizing on a narrow acquisition window, I help clients move decisively without sacrificing the diligence that protects them over the long term.