Hoge, Fenton, Jones & Appel, Inc.6801 Koll Center ParkwaySuite 210Pleasanton, CA, 94566United States (925) 224-7780

Steven Joseph Kahn

Avvo Rating10

Pleasanton, CA
Licensed for 17 years

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About Steven

I am a real estate lawyer in the San Francisco Bay Area, serving all of Northern California.

I focus on problem-solving cases involving ownership, use, and control of real estate (land, leases, title, boundaries, easements), and disputes over real estate transactions. I typically advocate for my clients in litigation, but I take great pride in helping them avoid a dispute in the first place or reaching an efficient, fair resolution.

I handle trials, arbitrations, appeals, mediations, and court-ordered settlement conferences across the real estate spectrum, including: boundary disputes, easements, ownership disputes, priorities of title, deeds of trust, quiet title and title correction, mechanic's liens, construction disputes, title insurance coverage, escrows, real estate transactions "gone bad," representing real estate professionals (realtors, lenders, mortgage brokers), and unlawful detainers.

When I am not in court, I draft and negotiate commercial and residential leases, counsel clients in real estate transactions, and advise clients on title insurance coverage and escrows.

I started my career as associate claims counsel with First American Title Insurance Company, where I handled coverage determinations under title insurance policies, managed claims litigation, and provided legal counsel on title insurance, escrows, and a variety of complex real estate issues.

Practice areas

Litigation: 50%
Real estate: 40%
Insurance: 10%

Languages spoken

English

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Contact

Hoge, Fenton, Jones & Appel, Inc.

6801 Koll Center Parkway
Suite 210
Pleasanton, CA, 94566

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License

State	Status	Acquired	Updated
CA	Active	2004	06/05/2022

We have not found any instances of professional misconduct for this lawyer.

Avvo Contributions

Legal answers	0
Legal guides	0

Awards

Award name	Grantor	Date Granted
Super Lawyer	Super Lawyers	2020
Rising Star	Super Lawyers	2019
Rising Star	Super Lawyers	2018
Rising Star	Super Lawyers	2017
Rising Star	Super Lawyers	2014

Rising Star	Super Lawyers	2013

work experience

Title	Company name	Duration
Shareholder	Hoge, Fenton, Jones & Appel, Inc.	2014 - Present
Partner	Bardellini, Straw, Cavin & Bupp, LLP	2008 - 2014
Attorney	Burnham Brown	2007 - 2008
Counsel	First American Title Insurance Company	2005 - 2007

associations

Association name	Position name	Duration
Santa Clara County Bar Association		2014 - Present
Contra Costa County Bar Association		2008 - Present

publications

Publication name	Title	Date
Contra Costa County Bar Association	All By Myself: Ethical Duties Prosecuting Quiet Title Actions When The Other Side Is Absent And/Or Unknown	2017
Hoge Fenton	Easment or License? New Case Blurs The Line	2015
Hoge Fenton	The Invisible Public Road, Hiding In Plain Sight	2015

education

School name	Degree	Graduated
Santa Clara University School of Law	JD - Juris Doctor	2004
Claremont McKenna College	BA - Bachelor of Arts	2001

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Reviews

5.0 stars4.9 (14)

5 Star		93%
4 Star		7%
3 Star		0%
2 Star		0%
1 Star		0%

Review Steven Joseph Kahn

? Mr.

5.0 stars

Posted by Terry
July 2, 2022

Steven played "David" as we went after "Goliath" (Big Insurance). Friends said we couldn't win ..... we did! He knew when to push and when to back off. He wrote a great letter citing case law which signaled they weren't up against inept, novice representation. They quickly settled. He did exactly what I hired him to do. He was also referred to me by another happy client.

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Hired attorney

Recovery against a licensed contractor for unauthorized use of his license by a third party

5.0 stars

Posted by Linda
May 28, 2022

No one has to explain how difficult it is to recover money from someone who lied to you, left you in an awful place, and disappeared – but Steve and his team did. I hired someone I believed to be a contractor to do work on the foundation of my house. He showed me his card which had a valid contractor’s license number and he had done a couple of handyman jobs for me, so I trusted him. Several months into the foundation retrofit, the City of Oakland noticed his work while inspecting a house across the street, and to my surprise red-tagged my property. Before abandoning his work the “would be” contractor had left my house with an exposed foundation and other big problems. I later found out that my house was near collapse from this person’s bad work. Demands to finish the work went unheeded. Demands for repayment of the money I had paid went unheeded. I had no choice but to sue this purported contractor and the actual contractor whose license was involved. Through careful and strong legal strategy, Steve and his team got the other side to finally hear my story and see their risk, and achieved a significant court order that functionally ended the case and resulted in a significant settlement for me. This resonates with me because I know what it is like to be ignored and the energy it takes to power through that kind of behavior and Steve and his firm brought it off. At each point in the litigation, Steve worked to minimize my costs where possible, and also advised me in related actions against the unlicensed contractor’s co-conspirators which resulted in one claim being settled and judgments against the rest of the defendants. I recommend Steven Joseph Kahn highly.

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Hired attorney

Professional, technically astute, non-judgemental

5.0 stars

Posted by Neil
June 30, 2021

Steven handled a lawsuit for me as a defendant regarding a real estate transaction. His understanding of the real estate law, contract law, and court proceedings was superlative. His representation was timely, accurate, and cordial. His negotiation style is to the point of law without emotion or judgement. He provided matter of fact options and handled negotiations with the plaintiff’s attorney VERY well. Steven is, acccording to the old adage, “a scholar and a gentleman.” I would hire Steven again, if needed, in a heartbeat.

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Hired attorney

Pragmatic, insightful, and a true advocate!

5.0 stars

Posted by anonymous
April 8, 2021

We worked directly with Steven over a two-year period on a home construction-related matter, involving both the contractor and their insurance company and ultimately resulted in resolution via mediation. Overall, we find Steve to be very experienced and practical. He is a measured and insightful advisor to us throughout the process, and always advise us to approach the matter by clearly and methodically laying out all the options for us to consider. We highly recommend Steven and his firm.

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Hired attorney

Major mudslide issue / possible litigation

5.0 stars

Posted by Jerry
April 21, 2020

Our neighbors hillside slid down onto our property doing a great deal of damage and requiring a hillside repair that was very expensive. To protect our home we contracted out to various soils experts and licensed contractors to design and implement a fix along with securing the county's approval to perform the work. Initially our neighbor was not willing to work with us to pay for slide repairs. We contacted Hog Fenton Attorneys and Steven Kahn became our attorney in this matter. Steven was very responsive and considerate throughout the process including knowing when to bring in experts / colleagues while keeping the costs down. Steven and his colleagues were very upfront as to the potentially high costs and length of litigation should we have to sue and the various tradeoffs. Meanwhile working diligently with opposing counsel to find an acceptable solution outside of court. The complexity of this case was high due to the neighbor living in another country. In the end working with Steven we resolved the matter outside of the court system. I highly recommend Steven, responsive, thoughtful, practical thinker and a knowledgeable resource. Jerry

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Hired attorney

Reasoned, Poised and Professional

5.0 stars

Posted by Waine
September 16, 2019

Steven Kahn is a pleasure to work with. He's patient, communicative, thorough and EFFECTIVE. I would happily recommend him to anyone seeking both a professional experience and results.

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Hired attorney

Yielded the best outcome with least legal entanglement.

5.0 stars

Posted by Thuy
August 7, 2017

Mr Kahn represented us to defend real estate title in federal court and eviction in state court. The title lawsuit was dismissed after four months. Then the eviction was secured through voluntary settlement within one month. All were luckily resolved in the possible shortest time in our time frame expectation. He listened and explained carefully about our case, our questions and relevant legal term. He has methodically listed out court proceeding options and alternative options. He explained the pros and cons for each option. He then advised which option we could take given the circumstances. Looking back we are happy to follow his recommendation to have the best outcome. All was possible because of his vast knowledge and experience in the real estate law.

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Hired attorney

Smart, efficient, and a great guy

5.0 stars

Posted by Grant
March 2, 2017

We hired Steven to handle a real estate title problem for our company. He solved the problem in the most efficient way possible. He's smart and practical. Plus he's a really nice guy. He knows his way around the courtroom, but he can offer practical advice on when to litigate and when to settle.

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Hired attorney

Excellent support, representation!

5.0 stars

Posted by Sarah
May 10, 2016

Steven is a creative problem solver. Along with being knowledgeable about the law he used his ability to work with the opposing side and their council to reach a solution where I was least damaged. He is always on the job, works quickly, and communicates what is happening in the dispute and process. I just felt he was an excellent support and his council gave me the best resolution in the situation.

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Hired attorney

Real Estate Lawyer

5.0 stars

Posted by anonymous
April 28, 2016

Steve is extremely knowledgeable in Real Estate Law. He is an expert in negotiating and we benefited due to his expertise. He was instrumental in getting an interim settlement agreement with the opponent to our advantage. His personal involvement in this case was the key reason our position was well represented against our opponent, avoiding high cost of litigation. Steve is patient, understanding, timely, dedicated and professional. I recommend Steve in Real Estate matters.

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Attorney endorsements

(6)

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Jay Roadarmel, Real estate Attorney on Oct 21, 2020
Relationship: Worked together on matter

Steven assisted a client of mine with a contested real estate title matter. His legal analysis and court briefs were thorough and convincing. He regularly updated my client with status. Ultimately, his work led to a successful resolution of the matter. Steven is an exceptional lawyer and a true professional.

Jason Murai, Real estate Attorney on Feb 7, 2019
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

Steven is knowledgeable and experienced in all aspects of real estate law. He is an excellent attorney and I highly recommend him to anyone who requires assistance with any real estate related matter.

Marcus Brown, Real estate Attorney on May 31, 2017
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

Steve is an exceptional real estate lawyer. He possesses the legal knowledge and analytical chops needed to unpack complex real estate problems. Plus Steve is a talented advocate, able to cut through the complexities and effectively fight for his clients.

Lola Ellwein, Litigation Attorney on Jul 22, 2016
Relationship: Worked together on matter

I endorse this lawyer. Steven is an outstanding attorney and an all around great guy. I’ve had the pleasure to get to know him while working together for several years on a very contentious case. Although he’s years younger than I am, I’ve asked for and valued his insights and opinions. He’s very effective at oral argument and his writing is superb. He’s cool and calm and doesn’t get rattled. But his calm and cautious demeanor also belies a wicked sense of humor. Of course, it’s all business when he’s lawyering, and he’s very good at that!

Sean Filippini, Litigation Attorney on Apr 21, 2016
Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

Steve was opposing counsel in a large construction dispute involving complex issues and numerous parties. I found Steve to be a top-notch litigator--smart, prepared, and very knowledgeable about construction and real estate issues. I have worked against hundreds of opposing attorneys and Steve stood out as one of the best I've encountered.

Ben Dupre, Litigation Attorney on Apr 20, 2016
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

I've known Steve for almost 15 years. Steve has such a clam demeanor, is very patient, very sharp, and an honest person. Steve has developed an expertise in various real estate litigation subject matters, and if I were ever in a situation and personally needed help, I myself, would be calling Steve (knocking on wood I do not need that).

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Francisco Gutierrez
Joseph Wolch
Jay Roadarmel
Marcus Brown
Lola Ellwein
Ben Dupre
Sean Filippini

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Steven Joseph Kahn

About Steven

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Reviews

? Mr.

5.0 stars

Recovery against a licensed contractor for unauthorized use of his license by a third party

5.0 stars

Professional, technically astute, non-judgemental

5.0 stars

Pragmatic, insightful, and a true advocate!

5.0 stars

Major mudslide issue / possible litigation

5.0 stars

Reasoned, Poised and Professional

5.0 stars

Yielded the best outcome with least legal entanglement.

5.0 stars

Smart, efficient, and a great guy

5.0 stars

Excellent support, representation!

5.0 stars

Real Estate Lawyer

5.0 stars

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