David M. Van Atta

Practice Areas: Real Estate, Land Use & Zoning

David M. Van Atta, a prominent figure at Hanna & Van Atta, holds a distinguished reputation as a top-tier real estate lawyer in California. His practice is centered at the Palo Alto offices of the firm, and he extends his services to clients across the entire state. Before co-establishing his own firm in 1993, Mr. Van Atta held the position of a real estate partner at a global legal firm headquartered in San Francisco. During this tenure, he represented multinational corporations in their endeavors to acquire and develop properties within the United States.

Mr. Van Atta’s legal expertise encompasses a wide spectrum of real estate activities including property acquisitions and financial transactions pertaining to both residential and commercial domains. He has actively participated in transactions involving diverse assets such as office complexes, hotels, resort properties, residential and commercial condominium projects, as well as mixed-use developments. Additionally, Mr. Van Atta has been instrumental in the creation and counsel of community associations and shared interest developments. His clientele includes notable technology enterprises based in Silicon Valley and various regions across the state. Furthermore, he extends his services to developers, equity investors, lenders, landlords, and builders.

Furthermore, Mr. Van Atta boasts an extensive background in matters concerning zoning, subdivision, and other land utilization issues. In this capacity, he has represented clients before local governing bodies as well as the California Department of Real Estate, a division of the state’s Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency. His consistent success across his professional pursuits has garnered him due acclaim from his peers, including an esteemed AV Preeminent* peer review rating from Martindale-Hubbell.

Mr. Van Atta pursued his academic journey at the University of California, Berkeley, where he specialized in political science and attained a Bachelor of Arts degree. He subsequently pursued legal studies at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, culminating in the completion of his Juris Doctor degree in 1969. Since 1970, Mr. Van Atta has been granted admission to practice law in all California state courts.

*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished, and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are registered certification marks utilized under licensing in accordance with Martindale-Hubbell’s certification procedures, standards, and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® acts as the facilitator for a peer review rating process, wherein ratings reflect the confidential opinions of legal professionals and members of the judiciary. The Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™ system encompasses evaluations of legal acumen and overall ethical standards.