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Steven Joseph Kahn

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Avvo Rating10
  • Pleasanton, CA
  • Licensed for 16 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.

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Practice areas

InsuranceReal estateLitigation
  1. Litigation: 50%

  2. Real estate: 40%

  3. Insurance: 10%

Languages spoken

English

Contact

Hoge, Fenton, Jones & Appel, Inc.

6801 Koll Center Parkway
Suite 210
Pleasanton, CA, 94566

      Resume

      License
      StateStatusAcquiredUpdated
      CAActive200405/09/2021
      We have not found any instances of professional misconduct for this lawyer.
      Avvo Contributions
      Legal answers0
      Legal guides0
      Awards
      Award nameGrantorDate granted
      Super LawyerSuper Lawyers2020
      Rising StarSuper Lawyers2019
      Rising StarSuper Lawyers2018
      Rising StarSuper Lawyers2017
      Rising StarSuper Lawyers2014
      Rising StarSuper Lawyers2013
      Work Experience
      TitleCompany nameDuration
      ShareholderHoge, Fenton, Jones & Appel, Inc.2014 - Present
      PartnerBardellini, Straw, Cavin & Bupp, LLP2008 - 2014
      AttorneyBurnham Brown2007 - 2008
      CounselFirst American Title Insurance Company2005 - 2007
      Associations
      Association namePosition nameDuration
      Santa Clara County Bar AssociationN/A2014 - Present
      Contra Costa County Bar AssociationN/A2008 - Present
      Publications
      Publication nameTitleDate
      Contra Costa County Bar AssociationAll By Myself: Ethical Duties Prosecuting Quiet Title Actions When The Other Side Is Absent And/Or Unknown2017
      Hoge FentonEasment or License? New Case Blurs The Line2015
      Hoge FentonThe Invisible Public Road, Hiding In Plain Sight2015
      Education
      School nameDegreeGraduated
      Santa Clara University School of LawJD - Juris Doctor2004
      Claremont McKenna CollegeBA - Bachelor of Arts2001

      Reviews

      (11)
      5 Star
      		91%
      4 Star
      		9%
      3 Star
      		0%
      2 Star
      		0%
      1 Star
      		0%
      Review Steven Kahn

      Pragmatic, insightful, and a true advocate!

      Posted by

      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.
      This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
      Hired attorney

      Major mudslide issue / possible litigation

      Posted by

      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
      This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
      Hired attorney

      Reasoned, Poised and Professional

      Posted by

      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.

      Posted by

      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.
      This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
      Hired attorney

      Smart, efficient, and a great guy

      Posted by

      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!

      Posted by

      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.
      This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
      Hired attorney

      Real Estate Lawyer

      Posted by

      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.
      This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
      Hired attorney

      Brought a new perspective and solution to my case

      Posted by

      Thank you for the opportunity to introduce you to Steven J. Kahn. Stephen was hired by his firm after my case had begun. He immediately dove into the case and brought a new perspective and a potential new solution to the litigation. Stephen is very analytical and was able to see that the insurance company that was refusing to be involved in a solution to the case had been very careless and their refusal to participate, and he immediately set about constructing an argument that finally got the insurance company to pay attention to us and the insurance company did later join the litigation. This was instrumental to the settlement of our case as it lent credence to our position and helped to get the other side to see that we were not the only people that felt that their litigation was unreasonable. Stephen also helped construct our defense to the case as well and also brought a fresh perspective to this portion of the litigation. He assisted in constructing a strong strategy for our deposition work, assisted in finding and working with qualified expert witnesses, and in preparing for our actual court appearance. It is as a result of his strong work in this area that we eventually settled the case for substantially less than the cost of defense. I continue to work with Stephen on other mattes to insure that we do not end up in litigation in the future.
      This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
      Hired attorney

      He solved a thorny quiet title case

      Posted by

      For reasons too complicated to relate, there was a problem with the title to my grandmother's house. A previous lawyer was crooked (he went to Federal prison) and lost or destroyed the will and other documents. We consulted several lawyers who were at a loss how to proceed. Finally our Trust & Estates family lawyer suggested Steven and his team. They seemed unflummoxed from the beginning, and in relatively short order -- and for a reasonable cost -- got the title fixed. At one point there was a delay that turned out to be due to a minor mistake by somebody at the law firm. Steven owned up to it immediately, didn't charge us for whatever the glitch was, and got the case back on track.
      This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
      Hired attorney

      Review of Attorney Steven Kahn

      Posted by

      I’m a small business owner here in Silicon Valley, and I’ve been a very satisfied client of Hoge, Fenton, Jones & Appel for more than 25 years. A couple of years ago, I was sued by a major bank that claimed I signed a personal guarantee for a loan, when I did not. Our long-time Hoge-Fenton attorney doesn't handle cases such as ours, and he referred me to his colleague Steven Kahn. In a very short time, perhaps during the first couple of weeks, I knew that Steven was someone I could trust and depend on. His communication skills are excellent, and it's truly a pleasure to work with him. Thanks to Steven's excellent work, our case was settled in short order, to everyone's satisfaction. I would recommend Steven to anyone looking for an attorney who will provide his full and complete attention to the matter at hand, is always available, and can be counted on to provide guidance that is in the client's best interest.
      This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
      Hired attorney
      See all reviews

      Attorney endorsements

      (6)
      Are you an attorney? Endorse this lawyer

      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).