After eight years as San Jose's mayor, Chuck Reed is picking up where he left off in the private sector. On Monday, Hopkins & Carley announced that Reed will join the Silicon Valley-based real estate law firm as a part-time attorney.
Before becoming a full-time politician, Reed was the managing partner of Reed, Elliott, Creech & Roth.
Though out of elected office for the first time in 15 years, Reed has said he plans to stay involved in civic affairs. The former mayor told San Jose Inside last year that he will defend his signature cause—pension reform, passed by 70 percent of voters in 2012 as Measure B—and try to bring a similar measure to the statewide ballot in 2016.
He also promised to defend San Jose's newly adopted medical marijuana ordinance, which could face a referendum by the cannabis industry in 2016.
Below is the press release sent by Reed's new employers:
Hopkins & Carley, a law firm serving Silicon Valley businesses and individuals, adds Chuck Reed, the former mayor of San Jose, as special counsel. Most recently completing two terms and eight years as mayor, Reed joins the firm’s Real Estate Group.
“After a long, illustrious civic career, Chuck had a number of options, and we are pleased that he decided to return to his legal roots by joining our firm. His extensive experience and knowledge of land use and environmental matters, as well as his commitment to renewable energy, will be invaluable to our clients and our attorneys, who have much to gain from his unique perspective,” said Hopkins & Carley’s Managing Shareholder Jeffrey Essner. “Chuck’s addition complements our outstanding team of real estate attorneys, which includes Joan Gallo, a former San Jose city attorney. The Real Estate Group provides clients with flexible, creative and pragmatic legal solutions and aims to achieve timely representation that anticipates and addresses problems and opportunities early in the legal process.”
“The reputation of Hopkins & Carley and, in particular, its Real Estate Group is stellar, as evidenced by the firm’s involvement in a large number of Silicon Valley’s high-profile projects. I look forward to working with these outstanding attorneys and offering the insight my civic experience provides,” said Reed. “Also, in choosing a firm, I sought one that shares my commitment to the community. Hopkins & Carley has consistently demonstrated its own commitment through its active roster of attorneys who serve on the governing boards and in leadership positions with several of our region’s most prominent arts and civic organizations.”
Hopkins & Carley’s Real Estate Group has more than 45 years of experience representing commercial property users, owners, developers, contractors and lenders. The 18-attorney practice counsels clients on real property transactions, permitting and litigation matters across a variety of industries, users, and needs including CEQA, land use and environmental matters. The Real Estate Group understands the unique physical and economic structure of businesses in Silicon Valley and beyond. Its work in the high-tech sector is much sought after by high-tech tenants, real estate agents, and brokers.
Early in his career, Reed was the managing partner of Reed, Elliott, Creech & Roth, where his practice focused on real estate, environmental and land use law, and he served on more than 20 boards, commissions, committees, and task forces. After two decades of civic participation, Reed was elected to the San Jose City Council. He became the 64th mayor of San Jose in 2006 and was re-elected in 2010.
Reed earned his B.S., with distinction, from the U.S. Air Force Academy (1970), his M.P.A. from Princeton University (1972) and his J.D. from Stanford University Law School (1978).
Mayor Reed’s last and most momentous “Real estate action” was to ramrod the following down the unsuspecting taxpayer’s throats,
“…to negotiate an amendment to two Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, Restrictions & Agreements (“CC&Rs”) by and among McCarthys (of McCarthy Ranch fame and fortune), City of San Jose, and Browning-Ferris Industries of California, Inc. and International Disposal Corp. of California, Inc., dated April 17, 1998 and recorded on April 28, 1998 and July 28, 2000, respectively, to provide McCarthys a process for early termination of the CC&Rs following completion of specific conditions.”
The odor issue governs the CC&Rs mentioned above. Years ago, the McCarthys entered into a very long-term contract with the City of San José NOT to develop their land adjacent to the Water Pollution Control Plant’s (WPCP) sludge drying lagoons. The aforementioned agreement paves the way “for an early release” from the original contract for a mere pittance of $6.5 Million dollars. The “developed property” could easily be worth two-hundred times as much. San José rate payers are literally going to “pay through the butt” to support the Biosolids Transition Project that is an impetus of this deal.
Then there is the materially flawed “Odor Control Strategy” budgeted at a cool $78.1 Million-that does not include 9 Par land (WPCP land) where the accursed Zero Waste Energy Development (ZWED) continues to spew the nastiest putrefying odors to the atmosphere this side of Satan’s rectum.
[ http://zwedc.com/ ] Why isn’t ZWED included in the WPCP’s $78.1 Million dollar “Odor Control Strategy?”
But, let us not forget there is always the continuous gut-wrenching stench emanating from Newby Island. Newby Island was slated to close but, Mayor Reed’s “Green Vision (the color of money)” permitted ZWED to become a regional processor of organic garbage located on WPCP land. The rotting-organic-waste ZWED can’t process goes to Newby Island. Thus, “Mt. Newby Island” is certain to be “permitted” by San José’s “rubber stamp” Planning Commission to grow taller and wider for many years to come.
Some of you have already seen the incomplete reporting by NBC Channel 11 on the odor issues raised by the Miliputians. The onslaught of future litigation on the specific issue of “Diminution of Value (property values)” and other-just as juicy tortious claims of injuries, predicated on “odors” might cause the City of San José to be compelled to; “buy-out and relocate” all the property owners of Milpitas. Then again, the City of San José might just buy the Miliputians some “clothes-pins” and instruct the Miliputians on how to use them to avoid smelling the fruits of Gulliver Reed’s “Green Vision.”
The aforementioned “amendment to contract” NEVER was on any Transportation and Environment Committee Agenda nor was it on any Rules and Open Government Committee Agenda. It was on the last Treatment Plant Advisory Committee (TPAC) Agenda for 2014 and then, finally and most hurriedly, placed on the last City Council Agenda (2014) of Mayor Reed’s administration.
Issue: Will Hopkins & Carley turn down any business flowing from the odor rich areas Mayor Reed had a control in increasing; Newby Island, ZWED and the WPCP? They would be foolish in not doing so.
And some of you in the blogosphere thought that Mayor Reed’s decisions stank while he was in office.
David S. Wall
Thank You Mr. Wall I always learn a great deal from you at city council meetings and rules and open government. I really appreciated what you said when Mayor Liccardo pushed through the appointment of an interim council person so quickly.
What a money grubbing scum bucket. Reed doesn’t even have the common decency to give us the illusion of no conflicts of interest. He just has to keep urinating on the public. I can’t wait until they put up an official statue of him that can be smashed with a hammer.
“He just has to keep urinating on the public. I can’t wait until they put up an official statue of him that can be smashed with a hammer”
Instead of a hammer I would vote to leave the statue in place so we the citizens can return the urinating getsture to Reed.
Hi David, could you post the CC&Rs and amendments on-line? I would be interested in seeing them.
You will also notice that the chair of the San Jose “planning commission” is also from Hopkins and Carley: Dori Yob.