Anthony R. Burney

San Francisco

Anthony Burney has built his career on a foundation of respect and professionalism that has served him well in the transactional real estate world. As partner and chair of Allen Matkins' San Francisco real estate practice, Burney represents institutional owners, investment managers, developers and commercial tenants across the United States.

His practice spans four core areas: acquisition and disposition work, leasing transactions, finance deals and development projects. Burney handles everything from single-asset deals to portfolio acquisitions, joint venture formations and distressed loan scenarios. He also counsels developers on construction-related legal issues including CC&Rs and easement agreements.

Recent transactions demonstrate the scale of Burney's practice. He represented multifamily clients in acquiring 15 properties across the United States with total transaction volume reaching $1.2 billion. Other notable deals include representing a life insurance company in selling two Arizona office properties for approximately $110 million and handling a beverage company's asset and real estate transaction across multiple West Coast properties valued at $175 million.

One particularly complex matter involved representing an institutional landlord in leasing a 1.025 million square-foot industrial building in Riverside County to a major logistics provider.

"Many of the transactions mentioned above were on an accelerated timing," Burney said. "We have also been fortunate to have recently handled a few REIT acquisitions for our clients, which adds another level of diligence and complexity to the transaction."

Burney credits his mentors with shaping his approach to practice. "The most important lesson I learned from my mentors was to treat everyone in a transaction with respect, regardless of their level of seniority," he said. The transactional real estate legal community remains small, with attorneys frequently encountering the same opposing counsel across different deals.

"It is important to advocate strongly for your client to achieve the desired business and legal result, but it is also important to do so in a way that is professional and courteous to those with whom you are working with on the transaction," Burney said.

This philosophy has proven beneficial for client retention and business development. Burney emphasized that maintaining professionalism helps establish recognition as both a strong advocate and effective dealmaker.

Success in handling complex transactions stems from strong team coordination. "I have been fortunate to lead and be a part of strong client teams consisting of fellow partners, associates, paralegals and support staff, each of whom are closely attuned to our client's preferences," Burney said.

Market conditions continue evolving. "We are seeing an uptick in the volume and pace of office leasing transactions, including in markets that have had a longer recovery from the pandemic-related impacts to businesses," Burney observed.

However, uncertainty persists. "There remains uncertainty regarding interest rate volatility, so it is not uncommon for some of our clients to focus on rate lock considerations earlier in the transaction than in prior years," Burney said.