Joseph I. Bentley retired from the partnership in November 2003 after practicing with the firm since 1969. Mr. Bentley has represented a wide variety of clients, including both lenders and developers of commercial, industrial, residential, recreational and institutional projects. He had significant experience in construction and takeout financing, joint ventures, commercial leasing, acquisition and disposition of real property, and subdivision and development permitting.
Mr. Bentley handled several major California real estate transactions, including the acquisition, financing and development of Pepperdine University's Malibu Campus, the joint venture financing and development of Century City's twin delta towers, the sale of the first six office buildings at Century City for Alcoa, the negotiation of nearly $1 billion in construction financing lines for The Irvine Company and the real estate side of several large REIT offering of real estate properties.
He has lectured on real estate sales and development practice for the California Continuing Education of the Bar, and has published several encyclopedia and law review articles on legal history. He also served on several community boards of directors, was Chairman of the Orange County Youth Business Issues Conference for the Constitutional Rights Foundation (1997-2001) and has been a presiding church officer.