Women In Leasing Law
Together We WILL Succeed!
The purpose of Women in Leasing Law is to promote the success of women commercial leasing lawyers by creating a supportive, educational environment in which we learn from each other and provide encouragement in growing our leasing practices.

DATE: TBD
LIVE EVENT:
TBD
Ninth Annual Women in Commercial Leasing Law Symposium
Featuring the following sessions:
- TBD
Presented in conjunction with the 2024 CLA Real Property Health and Wellness Retreat.
PAST EVENTS
MARCH
24TH-26TH 2023
LIVE EVENT
Sonoma Mission inn
Sonoma, CA
The Eighth Annual Women in Commercial Leasing Law Symposium
Featuring the following sessions:
- Strategies for Thriving as Women Lawyers in a Post-Pandemic World.
- Whose Space is it Anyway?: Top Issues in Subleasing in a Post-Pandemic World
- Vive La Difference!: Unraveling the Differences among Office, Retail & Industrial Commercial Leases
- Introduction to the Unique World of Restaurant Leasing.
Presented in conjunction with the 2023 CLA Real Property Health and Wellness Retreat.
JUNE
1ST, 8TH AND 10TH 2021
VIRTUAL SYMPOSIUM
The Seventh Annual Women in Leasing Law Virtual Symposium
- Leasing Workouts (Tuesday, June st)
- Assignments & Subletting (Tuesday, June 8th)
- Lease Guaranties by Foreign Entities (Thursday, June 10th)
- Earn 3.25 Hours of MCLE Credit!
DECEMBER
7TH - 10TH 2020 (12PM - 1PM) & DEC 11TH, 2020 (2PM - 4PM)
WEBINAR ONLY
The Sixth Annual Northern California Women in Commercial Leasing Law Symposium (WEBINAR)
- Commercial Leasing in the Time of COVID
- A Special social-distancing webinar symposium co-sponsored by the Commercial Leasing Practice Area Subcommittee of the Real Property Law Section of the California Lawyers Association.
- Earn 3 Hours of MCLE Credit!
NOVEMBER
4TH, 2019
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
The Fifth Annual Northern California Women in Commercial Leasing Law Symposium
Spotlight on: The Changing and Challenging World of Retail Leasing, for the Real Property Law Section of the California Lawyers Association
Speakers:
Chan Stroman
Krista Mitzel
Laura Maechtlen
Chantelle Egan
Patricia J. Hartman
NOVEMBER
8TH, 2018
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
The Fourth Annual Northern California Women in Commercial Leasing Law Symposium
Spotlight on: Work Letters, for the Real Property Law Section of California Lawyers Association.
Panel 1: TI Allowances & Disbursements (1.0 MCLE) 1:30 – 2:30
Many leases provide for tenant improvement allowances and include complicated disbursement requirements. We will begin by hearing the broker’s perspective on how TI allowances are calculated. This session will then provide an overview of a typical disbursement process and we will hear the landlord’s and tenant’s concerns in connection with the disbursement process.
Speakers:
Elaine Andersson, Of Counsel, Lubin Olson & Niewiadomski LLP
Andrea Reeder, Vice President, CBRE
Panel 2: Mechanic’s Liens (0.5 MCLE) 2:45 – 3:15
This session will provide a detailed description of the remedies that are available for contractors, subcontractors, material suppliers, and other entities on private works and public works. We will cover the steps that must be taken to perfect a mechanic’s lien, stop payment notice and payment bond rights. The defense that owners may assert will also be discussed.
Speakers:
Michelle Akerman, Senior Counsel, Hanson Bridgett LLP
Donnelly A. Gillen, Attorney, Hanson Bridgett LLP
Karla Deshon, President & CEO, Paradigm General Contractors
Panel 3: AIA Contracts – What Every Leasing Lawyer needs to know (1.0 MCLE) 3:30 – 4:30
Many work letters detail key elements that the landlord insists be included in the AIA contract between the tenant and its general contractor. This session will review a typical landlord provision, highlight possible tenant pushbacks and provide an overview of the AIA contract.
Speakers:
K Chung, Design Director, Gensler [Architects]
Krista Kim, Valence Law Group
Laura H. Scripture, Principal, Summit Construction Management
NOVEMBER
8TH, 2017
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
The Third Annual Northern California Women in Commercial Leasing Law Symposium
Spotlight on: Women in Construction - Understanding Work Letters, for the Real Property Law Section of California State Bar.
Speakers:
Kristin Paul, Executive Director, PGIM Real Estate
Karla Deshon, President & CEO, Paradigm GC
K. Chung, Design Director, Gensler
Angie Simon, President, Western Allied Mechanical, Inc.
Nancy Losey, Head of Office Operations, Lyft
Moderator:
Jo Ann Woodsum, Woodsum Law Offices
11:30 AM - 2:30 PM
NOVEMBER
1ST, 2016
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
The Second Annual Northern California Women in Commercial Leasing Law Symposium
The retail world is going through a period of radical transformation. This transformation is impacting all aspects of commercial real estate leasing for retailers.
For some retailers, massive store closings are the order of the day – whether due to mergers or a mandate to shrink their CRE footprint. Other retailers are experiencing phenomenal growth and requiring a rapid on-boarding of new leased locations.
All retailers are in the midst of an intense analysis of the impact of their online presence on the traditional brick and mortar model. This lively panel will share their insider’s perspective on handling these challenges as in-house counsel.
Spotlight on: Hot Topics in Retail Leasing from the In-House Leasing Lawyer’s Perspective, for the Commercial Leasing Subsection of the Real Property Law Section of the California State Bar
Real Property Law Section, Commercial Leasing Subsection, State Bar Headquarters, 180 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA.
Panelists:
Marilyn Beardsley, Vice President, Real Estate Law, Safeway/Albertsons
Robin M. Cleary, Senior Counsel, Restoration Hardware, Inc.
Liesl Schweizer, Corporate Counsel, Tesla Motors, Inc.
Wendy Yu, Senior Counsel, The Gap.
Moderator:
Jo Ann Woodsum, the Law Offices of Jo Ann Woodsum.
Co-Sponsored by Women in Leasing Law.
Tuesday 9 AM – 5 PM @ the State Bar Headquarters
SEPTEMBER
9TH, 2015
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
The First Annual Northern California Women in Commercial Leasing Law Symposium
Spotlight on: Women Commercial Real Estate Brokers, for the Commercial Leasing Subsection of the Real Property Law Section of the California State Bar
Panelists:
Margaret Duskin, Cushman & Wakefield
Kazuko Morgan, Cushman & Wakefield
Tori Hockersmith, CBRE
Rhonda Diaz, DTZ
Jenny Haeg, Custom Spaces