John Hanna

John Paul Hanna is one of the leading land use lawyers in California, experienced in developing, buying, selling, subdividing, financing, leasing, construction, common interest developments, resort communities, permitting, entitlements, conversions, and dealing with city and county staffs, planning commissions, councils, boards of supervisors and with such state agencies as the Bureau of Real Estate and the Department of Social Services.

Mr. Hanna has been selected in Best Lawyers in America, Top Attorneys in Northern California, Top Lawyers in the Silicon Valley Area, San Francisco’s Top Rated Lawyers, California’s Best Lawyers, and Who’s Who in America. Hanna & Van Atta is included in Best Law Firms – U.S. News. Mr. Hanna has represented clients, prepared governing documents, and obtained entitlements such as tentative and final subdivision maps, condominium plans and public reports for over 3,000 projects (residential, commercial and mixed-use).

Real Estate/HOA

• Land use; real estate development; zoning; subdivisions, DRE public reports.
• Purchase, sale and leasing of residential. Commercial and mixed-use projects
• Home Owners associations: creating; drafting. Interpreting amending and enforcing governing documents; advising associations, and association members

• Represented two different Bay Area cities in reviewing complex mixed-use common interest development project documents
• Appeared as expert witness in cases involving real estate development, subdivisions, Bureau of Real Estate regulations and homeowners associations
• Presented owner/developer of Lake Merced Hill in San Francisco, one of the early common interest developments
• Represented the owner/developer of Golden Gateway projects, an early downtown mixed-use residential commercial project in San Francisco
• Represents numerous homeowners associations and commercial owners associations throughout California
• Represented the owner/developer of an 1100 unit residential/commercial/retail project obtaining approval of tentative maps for a project on Fillmore Street in San Francisco Represented the owner/developer of a 2,000 lot residential resort community in Stanislaus County
• Represented the owner/developer of Redwood Shores, a master planned community in Redwood City, San Mateo County
• Represented the owner/developer of the Cupertino Town Center in Santa Clara County
• Represented the owner/developer of the Apple campus in Cupertino
• Represented Habitat for Humanity San Francisco, and Silicon Valley, developing affordable housing projects
• Represented a joint venture composed of Shea Homes, Lennar and Centex in developing the Rivermark Project in Santa Clara County
• Represented most of California’s major homebuilders over the last 40 years in developing governing documents and obtaining Bureau of Real Estate public reports
• Represented owners and developers of condominium hotels in Half Moon Bay and Hermosa Beach
• Represented owners and developers of numerous mixed-use residential, office/retail highrise projects in San Francisco and San Jose
• Represented owner of a landmark historic building successfully converted into office condominiums in San Jose
• Represented receiver of a large commercial retail project (Vietnam Town) in San Jose

Partner, Hanna & Van Atta

Menlo School
Phillips Academy Andover
Stanford University, B.A.
Stanford Law School, J.D.
Military Intelligence School (Ft. Holabird, MD)

Martindale Hubbell AV Preeminent -2017
American Registry — America’s Most Honored Professionals — 2017
Best Lawyers — Land Use and Zoning Law; Real Estate Law, Community Association Law
Top Rated Lawyers — San Francisco -2015
Best Lawyers In America — 2017
San Jose Land Use and Zoning Law Lawyer of the Year — 2018
Best California Attorneys — 2012
Top Attorneys In Northern California — 2013
Best Lawyers in America – Northem California Lawyer of the Year Land Use and Zoning – 2018
Best Lawyers – Lawyer of the Year in California — Land Use – 2020