Justin A. Goodman focuses on Bay Area real estate law, with an emphasis in landlord-tenant and contract disputes. Justin has spent over a decade tackling difficult problems created by rent control ordinances in San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley. He is well-known for effective use of the Ellis Act and other non-fault terminations in advancing his clients’ rights, but he looks for holistic solutions to avoid prolonged legal fights, whenever his clients and other parties can find greater benefit in resolution. Justin is a familiar face in San Francisco Superior Court’s Real Property Department, where his experience distills complex arguments to concise and persuasive issues to maximize the effectiveness of litigation for his clients. Justin’s practice regularly defends against the erosion of rights of small property owners. He was instrumental in suing San Francisco over imposing a “prohibitive price” on withdrawing accommodations from the rental market under the Ellis Act and for foisting “buyout ordinance” regulations (including the “tenant’s right to rescind”) on the settlement of active litigation in the Superior Court. In Hiona v. CCSF (2020) 48 Cal. App. 5th 866, he defended a favorable Superior Court ruling that an eviction plaintiff could enjoy the benefits of its choice of jurisdiction, without surrendering the ability to seek summary judgment for possession of a dwelling. Justin also represents industry groups in opposing nascent legislation hostile to property owners, improving promising legislation, and supporting publication of important appellate decisions. He is a board member of the Small Property Owners of San Francisco Institute, and a regular contributor to panels and classes for the San Francisco Apartment Association (as well as its publication, SF Apartment Magazine, which features his column “Surreal Estate”). He blogs about landlord-tenant law at Costa-Hawkins.com.

Real estate and contract transactions and litigation.

Supervised a team of four Case Specialists, overseeing $4 million in retainers, negotiating and mitigating tax liabilities with federal and state tax collection agencies.