Rensselaer Smith specializes in real estate, with an emphasis on transactional infrastructure matters, including leasing, acquisitions, dispositions and financing, as well as workouts, property and asset management issues, land use and environmental matters. He has experience in structuring, negotiating and closing large and complicated transactions. Mr. Smith represents a variety of clients, including public agencies and pension funds, private entities, including corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, individuals, pension funds and pension advisory firms, as well as asset and property management companies. He has substantial experience in both managing and performing due diligence with respect to real property assets, including reviewing and analyzing title documents and surveys, environmental reports, leases and service contracts.
Representative Work
Transportation Industry Focus
Exposition Metro Line Construction Authority (Expo). Assists in the representation of Expo in connection with transactional matters related to the construction of a light rail line that will eventually extend from downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica. Transactional documents include agreements and memoranda of understanding with other public or quasi-public agencies, including the City of Los Angeles, the City of Santa Monica, Caltrans and Southern California Edison, as well as leases, easements and shared cost arrangements with private land owners.
San Bernardino Associated Governments / SANBAG. Currently representing SANBAG in connection with the transactional and title-related components associated with right-of-way acquisition/eminent domain services for portions of 150+ properties for the sbX E-Street Corridor Bus Rapid Transit Project, a 15.7-mile bus rapid transit line designed to shape the future of public transit in the Inland Empire area of Southern California. Work includes preparation and negotiation of purchase agreements, easements and licenses, as well as review and analysis of title matters and legal descriptions, title documents and surveys.
San Bernardino County Transportation Commission - Downtown Passenger Rail Project. Assisting the Nossaman legal team that is representing the Commission. Working to address the transactional and title-related needs of the client and the team related to the acquisition of approximately 65 properties for the Downtown San Bernardino Passenger Rail Project.
Orange County Transportation Corridor Agencies. Assisting the Nossaman legal team on reviewing, analyzing, drafting, revising and negotiating transactional and title related documents, including purchase agreements and related instruments, developments agreements, easements, settlement agreements.
Riverside County Transportation Commission – Tolling and PPP Program, SR 91 Express Lanes and I-15 HOT Lanes. Assisting the Nossaman team on advising RCTC on the PPP to develop, procure and finance an extension of the SR 91 Express Lanes (HOT lanes) into Riverside County and new HOT lanes in the median of the I-15 in Riverside County.
Public Agency Focus
South Coast Water District. Retained to assist the District, including the board and staff, as well as the District's outside consultants, in connection with the use and development of a more than thirty acre parcel that is contemplated to include the District's facilities, such as offices and yards, a desalination plant and other long term ground lease uses. Prepared and/or assisted in preparation of Request for Qualifications, Request for Proposals, form of Ground Lease, Memoranda of Understanding, staff reports and analysis. Then negotiated and documented the terms of various ground leases, memoranda of understanding and the like, including various agreements with other public agencies, including the regional water district, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the County of Orange.
California State University of Long Beach Foundation. As counsel to the University's Foundation, prepared the form of ground lease for an industrial park on the site of an abandoned military base. The Foundation is responsible for the master development of the park and, in conjunction with that project, has subdivided approximately 30 acres into 28 lots that are to be ground leased to tenants. Nossaman has been retained by the Foundation and is representing it in connection with the transactions, including leases, options to lease and other use agreements.
Dana Point Shipyard. Successfully represented private client in negotiations with the County of Orange for a long term shipyard ground lease. Numerous complex lease, lease extension and environmental issues were analyzed, negotiated, covered and/or otherwise resolved. The final lease includes development milestones covering a period of more than four decades and coinciding with the on-going revitalization and redevelopment of the harbor in which the shipyard is located. The lease covers and addresses numerous land use and water quality matters, as the same may evolve over time.
General Real Estate
Pension Funds and Pension Fund Advisors. Provides acquisition, disposition, leasing and management, as well as financing and refinancing, services to pension fund advisors as well as their public and private pension fund clients.
American Realty Advisors. Provides acquisition, disposition, leasing and management, as well as financing and refinancing, services to the advisor and its pension fund clients.