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PALO ALTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — VLP Law Group LLP is very pleased to announce that Stephen Wright and Patrick Valentino have joined its Real Estate practice as partners based in San Francisco. Mr. Wright joins VLP from Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP based in San Francisco. Mr. Valentino was previously a partner of the San Francisco office of Corporate Counsel Group LLP. The partners bring considerable real estate and project finance transactional experience to VLP.

"I am excited to have Stephen and Patrick join VLP's Real Estate group. Stephen is well known in the San Francisco real estate industry having completed numerous acquisitions of Class A office buildings and complex capital markets transactions for some of the country's largest real estate investors. Stephen also has robust experience in the affordable housing industry that will expand that specialty practice group. Patrick brings to VLP comprehensive real estate experience including deep expertise representing clients on distressed debt acquisitions and complicated financing workouts. His background in investment banking gives him a better understanding of capital markets, something important to our clients. The addition of Stephen and Patrick makes VLP formidable in the Bay Area real estate market ensuring that we provide our clients with representation that is second to none," said Byron Rodriguez, chair of VLP's Real Estate practice group.

Mr. Wright's practice includes all aspects of real estate transactional law, including development, acquisition, joint ventures, commercial financing, leasing, dispositions, entity structuring, partnership and limited liability company agreements and construction involving office, industrial, retail, multi-family residential, high-end residential and mixed use properties. His clients include prominent real estate investment firms, public agencies and financial institutions. In addition, Mr. Wright has extensive experience representing affordable housing developers in all aspects of affordable housing transactions. Mr. Wright was recognized by the 2010 US edition of Legal 500 for his real estate practice. He received his law degree from Harvard Law School and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Lewis & Clark College.

"With its impressive tax and real estate practices, VLP provides an excellent platform to represent our clients in all aspects of their business transactions. I am looking forward to working with the VLP team as we expand our real estate practice," stated Mr. Wright.

Mr. Valentino has almost 20 years of comprehensive commercial real estate advisory experience, including extensive experience in debt acquisitions, commercial real estate workouts, real estate secured lending, leasing and joint venture partnerships. Mr. Valentino's prior experience includes Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch, a leading San Diego real estate law firm, and he served as general counsel of a California based real estate investment firm active in the acquisition of distressed assets. He also previously served as a senior professional with several investment banks focusing on public finance, mergers and acquisitions and venture financings, and began his career in New York with Merrill Lynch Capital Market's Public Finance Investment Banking Group. Mr. Valentino received his law degree from Northwestern University School of Law and graduated magna cum laude from the State University of New York, at Albany.

"For complex real estate transactions my clients need a top tier legal team to help them execute their business strategy. My new partners at VLP bring that expertise to the table without the big firm billing structure," stated Mr. Valentino.

About VLP's Real Estate Practice:

VLP's Real Estate practice group represents real estate owners, developers and investors in a broad array of transactions, including acquisitions and dispositions of assets, commercial and tax credit financings, distressed assets, joint ventures, loan workouts and recovery, leasing, tax, development and construction. We offer our clients depth of experience with a variety of property types including office, affordable and community housing, hotel, multi-family, retail, industrial and condominiums.

Our real estate expertise provides clients with unrivaled client service and lower rates. With extensive experience in all aspects of real estate, we are able to help clients develop strategies that suit their business objectives and risk tolerance.

More information: http://www.vlplawgroup.com/PracticeDetail.aspx?pg_code=BPREAL .

About VLP:

Founded in 2008, VLP is a business and transactional law firm that delivers top quality, efficient and cost-effective legal services. Our practice reaches across many industry sectors, including high tech, life sciences, angel and venture capital financings, clean tech, retail, consumer product, commercial lending and real estate. VLP has continued its strong growth, and in recent months has added noted attorneys from firms on the West and East coasts who believe VLP's unique, client-oriented and cost-effective model is the best platform for their practice. Our partners are regularly recognized by their peers as outstanding attorneys, and the firm has been recognized as a top company for its promotion of quality of life in the workplace.

VLP partners represent clients that vary in size from individual executives and early-stage startups to Fortune 500 companies. Our client base includes public and private corporations, venture capital investors, private equity funds, educational institutions, nonprofits and individuals. We provide general corporate, licensing, contract, intellectual property protection and counseling, securities regulation, financing, employment, merger and acquisition, real estate, tax and other legal services.

VLP is a geographically distributed firm of highly qualified attorneys with outstanding credentials and an average of over 10 years of experience. We have no central office, and our technology platform allows us to collaborate easily and to operate with a small, highly specialized staff. Our lean model means that we can provide sophisticated, focused services to our clients, and we can do it at competitive rates.

For more information about VLP, visit http://www.vlplawgroup.com .

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