Jonathan Dean Bishop

Mr. Bishop is really smart and sharp Attorney. I consulted with him in numeral occasions regarding Real Estate situations. He is very easy to talk to and his communication skills are truly impeccable. I also recommended him to many of my colleagues and every one of them were pleased with Mr. Bishop's... service. In fact, Mr. Bishop is on our company's (Golden Gate Sotheby's) preferred list for Attorneys.

During our first consultation, Mr. Bishop quoted me $1,500 for a cease-and-desist letter as well as an initial  filing of a nuisance suit against my neighbors. He said that unless anything was out of the ordinary, the retainer would cover the above. Unfortunately, I took Mr. Bishop at his word and do...n't have this quote in writing.  Instead, I paid him nearly $3,000 for a cease-and-desist letter and his attendance at a 45-minute HOA meeting, for which he overcharged me. After I pointed out his error, he apologized and sent me an edited invoice. After that incident, I more carefully scrutinized each of his bills.  I asked Mr. Bishop on three occasions for a phone conversation, so that I could explain my disappointment with what I'd received for my money and to get clarity on the true cost of his services. Instead, he sent me rude, defensive and unprofessional emails and refused to speak to me directly.

As a result of my consumer-protection real estate activities, consumers and agents have sought my advice regarding their transactional issues. For over ten years, I have often referred them to real estate attorney Jonathan Bishop for consultation or representation. For instance, the broker/owner of... a large San Jose real estate office cannot thank me enough for the referral to Jonathan Bishop. Nor can the HOA specialist who works with Homeowner Associations and their members in several Bay Area Counties. In 2005, a Sunnyvale homeowner called because his neighbor was planning to walk away from a $60,000 earnest money deposit with a For-Sale-By-Owner. I contacted one of the most respected real estate attorneys in the Bay Area who referred me to Jonathan Bishop. I was immediately impressed with Jonathan while I discussed the details of the $60,000 deposit/canceling transaction. That chain of events resulted in a full refund of the $60,000 deposit to the very thankful buyer. Jonathan Bishop has been a real asset to my real estate brokerage. He not only helped me brainstorm or wordsmith transactional issues, but he has also been a go-to guest for my consumer-protection seminars, radio shows, and cable TV interview programs.

My experiences with Mr. Bishop over the past few years, regarding a number of matters, have been altogether positive. His knowledge of the law is certainly strong, but it's his understanding of what's practical and achievable--and his ability to discuss those important factors in a clear, down-to-ear...th fashion--that distinguishes him as a valued counselor and legal representative. I refer others to him regularly and enthusiastically, most recently in the past week.