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John Secrest Richards

also known as J.R. Richards, John Richards
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Avvo Rating9.5
  • Danville, CA
  • Licensed for 13 years
  • Free consultation
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About John

Richards Law is proud to announce that J.R. Richards has joined the California Bar Real Property Executive committee!

 

Richards Law is a law firm with years of experience to obtain concrete results for your real estate needs.  We take a practical and determined approach to litigation and transactional representation for property owners.  Richards Law is based out of Danville, California representing landowners in just about every district of Northern California with a special emphasis on Contra Costa County, Alameda County, Santa Clara County and San Francisco County. Our lawyers offer a free initial consultation before taking control of your situation to give you the peace of mind that your case is being handled in your best interest.

 

Led by John Richards, Richards Law is available to resolve disputes with ownership, boundaries, easement, title, business disputes, breach of contract, HOA disputes, reformation, rescission, neighbor law, business purchase, business sale, business dissolution, deed of trust, tree controversies, views, broker liability, fraud, and material non-disclosure.

 

Richards Law represents landlords concerning property ownership, eviction, unlawful detainer, property insurance claims.

 

Richards Law also offers transactional services: property sales, options to purchase, lease drafting, business leasing, and business sale agreements.

Practice areas

Landlord or tenantBusinessReal estate
  1. Real estate: 50%

    Advocacy for wide variety of real estate disputes including quiet title, boundaries, tree and view, easements, purchase and sale, real estate fraud, construction, and agent liability.

    13 years, 200 cases

  2. Business: 30%

    Resource for contract drafting, negotiation, breach of contract, and real estate investments.

    13 years, 100 cases

  3. Landlord or tenant: 20%

    No nonsense landlord representation.

    13 years, 200 cases

Languages spoken

English

Photos and videos

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Contact

261 Hartz Avenue
address map

Richards Law

261 Hartz Avenue
Danville, CA, 94526

Nolo Press Profile

Resume

License
StateStatusAcquiredUpdated
CAActive200707/27/2020
We have not found any instances of professional misconduct for this lawyer.
Avvo Contributions
Legal answers76
Legal guides0
Awards
Award nameGrantorDate granted
Certified MemberLawyers of Distinction2016
Peer Review RatedMartindale-Hubbell2012
Juris Doctorate with HonorsGolden Gate University School of Law2006
Certificate of Specialization: Real Estate LawGolden Gate University School of Law2006
Work Experience
TitleCompany nameDuration
PartnerRichards Law2012 - Present
AssociateBardellini, Straw & Cavin, LLP2007 - 2011
Associations
Association namePosition nameDuration
State Bar of California, Real Property Law SectionExecutive Committee2017 - Present
Contra Costa County Bar Association, Real Estate SectionExecutive Committee2017 - Present
Alameda County Bar Association, Real Estate SectionChairman2012 - 2014
Alameda County Bar AssociationVolunteer Attorney: VLSC2012 - 2016
Alameda County Bar Association, Real Estate SectionExecutive Committee2008 - 2014
Publications
Publication nameTitleDate
Hacienda NetworkRichards Law For Real Estate and Business2014
East Bay Rental Housing AssociationTenant Early Move-Out2013
East Bay Rental Housing AssociationTenant With Bad Credit2013
East Bay Rental Housing AssociationLandlord Tenant: Megan's Law and Sex Offender2013
East Bay Rental Housing AssociationNudity In A Residential Unit2013
California Bar Real Property Law: E-BulletinCase Alert: In Sumner Hill Homeowners' Assn., Inc. v. Rio Mesa Holdings, LLC, Court Discusses Equitable Easements2012
Education
School nameDegreeGraduated
Golden Gate University School of LawJD - Juris Doctor2006
Denison UniversityBA - Bachelor of Arts1992
Legal cases
Case nameOutcome
Mortgage Rescue Disaster$800,000.00 +
Constructive TrustTitle to Home or just compensation
Loan Dispute Victory$377,000.00 collected.

Reviews

(8)
5 Star
100%
4 Star
0%
3 Star
0%
2 Star
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1 Star
0%
Review John Richards

Private Party Real Estate Sale

Posted by

JR handled the sale of my mother's house upon her passing. He handled a sale between private parties, saving us commissions and we successfully avoided onerous provisions the title company attempted to impose upon us, avoided an arbitration clause and successfully navigated a deal with a stubborn buyer. JR was friendly, competent. and flexible. I would definitely use him in the future should the need arise.
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
Hired attorney

Excellent leadership

Posted by

JR Richards took on my rental real estate case dealing with a non-paying tenant .. tenant was illusive when it came to rent payments .. tenant began to assume that since his long term vision (and he had no cash) was to purchase the property that he can ignore paying rent .. JR navigated the case beautifully with full knowledge of the process, JR was compassionate yet realistic and guided me and set expectations of what to expect and JR delivered .. JR filed the case and we won, tenant got evicted even though he tried to pull all stops, JR always seem to know what might happen and stayed a step ahead .. my full recommendation for JR to lead any of your real estate related cases! Very knowledgeable, strategic and anticipates with deep insights!
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
Hired attorney

Relief

Posted by

JR helped me resolve a frivolous lawsuit by a person who had no representative. Being from the east coast, I had no knowledge of the laws around a demur. With his expert knowledge and background in financial affairs and real estate, he managed to get us a settlement vs. an expensive demur and possible court appearance. What a weight off my mind! JR is committed, knowledgeable, and looks out for your best interest and not his pockets. How do you spell relief? JR I would recommend him every time for your real estate or funding real estate legal needs.
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
Hired attorney
John Richards' response: Thank you, Duane. It's good to see that my office is actually following our business model.

Life saver

Posted by

I have had JR with Richards Law help my small business for the past two years with several unfortunate lawsuits. I have been pleased with the communication and response time I have been given. There is no price that can be given for the peace of mind and the reduced stress in my life because of my association with Richards Law. I recommend JR to everyone I come in contact with. I know he can help you as well.

Honest, Trustworthy, Knowledgeable, Responsive, Reasonable Attorney (no, I'm not his Mother - just a very satisfied client)

Posted by

I couldn't be happy with JR! As a former police officer and as a property manager and businessman, I have worked with dozens of attorneys on both criminal and civil cases. JR is truly top drawer- was obviously well-versed in his area of law, outlined our options and strategies, very personable and understandable, kept me informed, responded quickly and was very fair in billing. JR truly puts his client's interests before his own - as all attorneys are supposed to do, but few actually do. You can't go wrong with JR.
John Richards' response: Thank you, Rick. We pride ourselves on developing long term relationships with clients like you.

Excellent service for landlord

Posted by

JR represented us in a tricky dispute with a tenant and was exceedingly thorough in preparing a case for eviction for non-payment of rent. He was able to negotiate a settlement without needing to go before the judge saving us time and money.
John Richards' response: Glad to be of service. Thank you for your feedback.

Very Pleased With Richards Law

Posted by

My absolute favorite attorney of all time. Wow, can there be such a thing? Yup. =) JR is one of the good guys.....not a billable hour bully. JR is highly competent, super friendly and easy to talk to, focused, listens, explains clearly, and handles things the way you want them handled-like having a lawyer in the family. He R-E-A-L-L-Y cares....and he knows his stuff. I have used him for issues as far ranging as libel, identity theft, real estate, taxes, property inspection, false service of process, and HOA law. Perfectly happy with everything he has done. Wouldn't consider going anywhere else. Can't recommend him enough. Richards Law is reasonable in price-and excellent in service. I have switched all of my legal work to his office, and the HOA I work with has done the same. JR gets results-the experience could not be any more positive! (sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure I am not dreaming) Call him....you'll see.

Investment loan agreement

Posted by

I had to go out of country before I could conclude a loan agreement (I'm the lender), so JR took over and began to gather documents he believes were necessary to evaluate the borrower and collaterals. He was knowledgeable and kept me informed with progresses by email.
John Richards' response: Thank you Jonathan.

Attorney endorsements

(7)
Are you an attorney? Endorse this lawyer

Ruben Sundeen, Probate Attorney on Aug 12, 2016
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

I endorse this lawyer.

Jack Schwartz, Landlord or tenant Attorney on Jul 7, 2016
Relationship: Co-worker

Committed to ethical and aggressive client representation.

Paul Molinaro, Medical malpractice Attorney on Sep 14, 2014
Relationship: Other

I endorse this lawyer.

Michael Doland, Business Attorney on Aug 11, 2014
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

Although new to Avvo, it is clear that Mr. Richards has a lot of practical, valuable experience. His answers are accurate and analytic and customized to the needs of the Avvo askers. These are exactly the qualities that every client would look for when hiring an attorney.

Allison Surowitz, Business Attorney on Aug 4, 2014
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

I've known John for over a decade, and strongly endorse his services. He is attentive and responsive. John truly looks out for the best interest of his clients.

Karen Neri, Family Attorney on Jul 23, 2014
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

In addition to being affable, John Richards is an excellent real estate attorney. He is very knowledgeable, conscientious and dedicated to his clients.

Matthew Quiring, Landlord or tenant Attorney on Jul 22, 2014
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

J.R. is an active and well-connected attorney in the East Bay.

Cost

RATES
  • Hourly Rates$300-$300/hour
  • Free Consultation Some lawyers offer a free consultation to help determine whether their services are right for your legal needs30 minutes
OTHER BILLING TYPES
  • Contingency A contingency fee is the percent of the final award a lawyer will receive as compensation. For some of these cases, lawyers will only be paid if there is a successful outcome.5%-10%
  • Pro-bono Many lawyers provide free legal help to low-income clients. The percent listed indicates how much of a lawyer's practice is pro bono work.5%
PAYMENT METHODS

Cash, Check, Credit Card