I worked with David Finkelstein on a difficult California real estate contract/escrow dispute and really appreciated his help throughout the process. He was calm, practical, responsive, and gave very grounded advice during a stressful situation. What I appreciated most was that he clearly explained both the legal risks and realistic negotiation strategies instead of making unrealistic promises. He helped us navigate the dispute professionally and ultimately reach a reasonable resolution. I would definitely recommend him to anyone dealing with a real estate contract or escrow issue. read more

I unfortunately found myself in a lengthy property boundary dispute that I was unable to resolve on my own. Irene stepped in, and she was fantastic. From our first conversation, it was obvious she was the right choice and someone I definitely wanted in my corner. I'm very happy to report that we recently crossed the finish line and resolved the matter successfully. Talking with Irene is like consulting a friendly encyclopedia, she has an incredible wealth of knowledge at her fingertips. She walked me through every step of the process, always clearly explaining our legal strategy and all available options in a way that gave me confidence that my interests were protected. Irene's paralegal, Bryce, was great, too. He was always very quick to respond and made document management, signatures, and everything in between easy for me. I'm very thankful that Irene and Bryce were able to resolve what was the biggest headache I've ever had as a homeowner! read more

My name is Deniz Salon I needed a help for my ex-mother in law in Los Angles she got tricked by loan sharks and borrowed money on her house with fake documents prepared by loan agent . Of course she could not pay the payments. She was being evicted from her property. She came to me. When I brought the case to Mr Finkelstein he transfer me to his associate name Paul Lee. Ooh boy that was a big big mistake. He is the worst lawyer I have seen in my life. We followed his advice and guidance and pay him during the law suit and we end up loosing the house. Worst lawyer ever. His advice are bad, preparation is bad, he is afraid to talk and negotiate. Ooh my god my ex mother in law got evicted on the street now. I really hope he won't hurt anybody else. Please stay away. Deniz Salon read more

You never think you will need to retain an attorney until you need to. If you are not a lucky individual to know people who can refer a good attorney, the process of finding the right one can be extremely daunting and downright demotivating. One would say my case would be best supported by an attorney in this field or that field but not theirs. I nearly gave up. Enter Irene. Irene immediately offered empathy where so many others did not. She listened carefully and offered advice of how I could respond before I needed to retain her or possibly another attorney. Most importantly, she said I had a case and that she would be happy to take it on if I decided to retain one. My search ended there because her expertise in real estate law proved to be needed in my case. Her guidance, advice, and geniune care was appreciated as this was a brand new thing to me. Again, venturing down the legal process is not an easy one. She kept my head on straight and advocated for me not to sell myself short when I was ready to. In the end, we were able to settle this outside of courts, and while I did not get every penny I deserved, I got what I could to walk away with a moral victory. It was because of Irene that I got more than I was willing to take. Having your attorney advocate for you is one of the most validating things you can have. I could not recommend Irene more, and plan on using her firm for other areas in my life including establishing my will. There's no question that her and her firm are one of the best out there! read more

I had scheduled an hour consultation regarding real estate investing and the cost was $300. First of all the receptionist was quite abrasive and borderline rude. Upon calling in she picks up the phone and starts going "Hellooooo?! Helloooooo?! Anyone there?!!" Literally a half second after picking up the phone. No greeting, no how can I help you. She was so busy yelling hello repeatedly I barely had any chance to even respond. This should've been the first red flag and I should've looked elsewhere. But they were relatively highly reviewed on here so thought to give them a shot. Then the day of my appointment, the consultation is going ok, I had to really work to pull the answers out. There wasn't much proactiveness in terms of advice. 30min into our appt he says he has another appointment to get to and then just ended the call. But I was still charged for the full hour. Is this common practice in the legal community? I kind of felt scammed to be honest. Anyways buyer beware. read more

Irene helped our family create an agreement to sell a joint property with a family member who was uncooperative. From the moment we met Irene, she was empathetic, professional, and helped us understand legalities around the situation. Irene was extremely patient going back and forth with each version of the agreement helping both parties understand legalities. From the moment we met Irene, we felt she had our back. She always called to make sure we fully understood where we were in the process. When the property actually sold over the New Year holiday, Irene was on vacation. We had some urgent questions and the office staff took great care of us, contacting Irene for the parts they couldn't answer and she got back to us right away. We are grateful for her professionalism and highly recommend the office of Finkelstein & Fujii. read more

Glad to know there is an Irene with conscience to use her profession in doing the right thing. Whose integrity and principles cannot be match by any dollar amount. Who has proven empathy and compassion to her clients seeking for justice to correct our society and teach these contractors lessons to learn to do the right thing. Whose hard earned money of the people will not go into waste believing there is justice. I hope I can say the same thing with my lawyers but I can't. My first time experience was awful to the point that my husband had a heart attack in 11/2023. The hazards that this contractor planted on top of my water heater and the big hole he created for no reason but to lead this odorless, colorless gas upstairs where the household stay for the most part can cause illness and death without a trace. We have the facts and the condition of my house will remain the same until we find a lawyer with qualities like Irene. read more

We have been using Irene Fujii for 20 plus years. She has worked with us on our business's, writing up contracts and also on the personal side. Her and the office staff are always so friendly and very good with follow up. Irene is an exceptional attorney. She knows the law and guides you on your situation. She also listens to your concerns and gives you different options on how to proceed. She is very efficient and works in a timely matter. Its great to have an attorney just a phone call away to ask questions and advise. We would strongly recommend Irene. read more

We unfortunately ran into an issue with a contractor that worked on our home and contacted Finkelstein & Fujii LLP to see what could be done about our issue. Irene Fujii was knowledgeable and clear with what our options were and what the potential outcomes could be. We were told that sometimes this type of case could last years, but with Irene's expertise we were able to get it settled in a timely manner. She fought aggressively for us, and we are very satisfied with the outcome. I hope never to be in the same situation again, but if we are, we know who to call. We will forever be grateful for Finkelstein & Fujii LLP (specifically Irene & Bryce) for their hard work on our behalf. read more

I am a local small business owner. I contacted Irene Fujii to draft the legal contracts for the sale of a longtime, successful business. She was personable and easy to work with throughout the entire process. The contract work was excellent, saving our company time and money in avoiding pitfalls of a commercial sale and escrow. Her expertise advice and contracts contributed to a successful sale. She, along with her staff, always responded timely. Her retainer and fees are reasonable for the area and straightforward. I highly recommend her services and advice on all commercial business affairs throughout your company's life. read more

We were lucky to have found Irene to help us deal with a contractor who abandoned the job half way. In the initial consultation, Irene impressed us with her extensive knowledge, sharpness and ease of communication, which led to us deciding to work with her. Throughout the negotiation with the other party, Irene always has a good judgement, sets right expectations, and is transparent and responsive. We felt like we could pretty much blindly trust her proposals. In the end, Irene helped us reach a favorable settlement which we are very grateful for. read more

I used F&F for years, and I highly recommend them. David and Paul Lee are real estate experts. They always try to work out any problem I had with the best business approach in mind. read more

Paul was extremely helpful with a last minute Unlawful Detainer Case This was my first time ever dealing with a non paying tenant, and Paul walked me through the upcoming process and what to expect. I will keep Paul as my contact for any Landlord/ Tenant legal needs Thanks again for the last minute help John Patterson read more

This is very unfortunate to write this review. I contacted the attorney offices for help with a simple deed issue with our property. I paid the $300+ fee and spoke with an attorney who advised me. Although I paid for an hour we only spoke for about 15 minutes. After the phone call I was very specific to follow his recommendations (which I have in writing to be sure they were followed) and spent a day of my time going down to the title office in the county which is a far distance from my home. I was told by county recorder the information I was provided was incorrect and I would need to revise and get different documents. When I contacted the attorney offices to discuss and ask for assistance nobody returned my calls and emails. I made several attempts. I have since contacted them multiple times and copied everyone in the office that I have had contact with, and not one person has responded. I eventually asked for a refund since the information provided was incorrect and services not provided as promised. I wasted a day of my time, a month of processing, the fee for the call and it's created more stress than help. I had to research and hire another attorneys office and that transaction went very smooth and the issue is now completed. The other attorneys office was quick to respond, assisted with documents, and answered any questions. I understand there could have been some issue why they were not familiar with the proper steps. However at the very least I expected a response. There was absolutely no correspondence whatsoever. I would definitely recommend looking elsewhere. The entire thing was handled very unprofessionally and and inefficiently. read more

My husband and I engaged with Irene Fujii on a couple of real estate matters and each time she was absolutely great. She's responsive, understanding and worked with us to make sure we had what we needed, and at the right time of the filing process. Thank you to Irene (and Bryce) for all your expertise and making sure we are legally sound as we move forward with our process. read more

We had an issue with water intrusion following construction on a neighboring property and we were lucky enough to have been referred to Irene Fujii. After our consult, I knew that I had to look no further to find someone who I felt heard me and understood what we were looking to accomplish. She and Bryce got up to speed quickly, were efficient, always quick to respond and were easy to communicate with. Irene presented us with options, outcomes and was honest about what each could look like financially. Couldn't have asked for a more knowledgeable, effective and understanding attorney. We hope to never be in another situation like this, but if we are, we know who to call. Irene is highly recommended! read more

I needed an experienced attorney to handle a large deposit I had made on a property in Orinda, and boy oh boy did Finkelstein and Fujii come highly recommended. When I met with them, I was certainly impressed: they claimed over and over again that their 100 years of collective real estate experience would ensure a very positive result for my case. Well, fast forward a month, and they single handedly and all on their own destroyed my case for me, losing me over $55,000. Their letters to the other party were filled with grammatical, factual, and syntactical errors; their reasons stated and statutes cited in their letters were specious and best and completely nonsensical at worst. They charge $475 per hour, and were more than happy to cash my checks, but accomplished absolutely nothing for me in my case, and I had a VERY GOOD CASE!!!! They even said as such. Avoid this firm, period. Believe me, you'll thank me later. read more

Paul Lee is a true professional and expert in his field of law. I contacted him about a real estate matter, a situation with a rental that was new for me. Paul was thoughtful and gave me detailed and important information about the best options on how to proceed. Paul goes the extra mile with clients! He is easy to speak with and approachable. I knew I was in good hands and was very relieved. I would highly recommend Paul Lee! read more

My husband and I worked with Irene Fujii and David Finkelstein on several projects including contract review, landlord disputes, and real estate taxes over the last several years. They were an absolute pleasure to work with, highly responsive, and always provided a clear path forward. Irene is very knowledgeable, thorough, and honest. She was super supportive during our difficult time through the pandemic and was always quite reassuring of potential outcomes. We highly recommend DGF Law firm! read more

We highly recommend David Finkelstein and Paul Lee as legal counsel at Finkelstein & Fujii LLP as they successfully and professionally won us a settlement. We hired their firm for a Real Estate Fraud case for a property in the Lake Tahoe area as plaintiffs. We are demanding and detailed clients with high expectations, and I can say we very pleased with their timely follow ups, meeting a brisk timeline, professionalism of their correspondence and of course the exceptional expertise of their Real Estate Legal experience. The rest of their staff at the office we worked with were extremely professional too. We started working with them in April 2022 and by September 2022 we had concluded a successful mediation settlement in our favor. The amount settled in the case was very close to what David Finkelstein projected when we first spoke with him in April. Think about, David set our expectations and met what he projected. David and Paul explained to us the various scenarios of Mediation, Arbitration and Court as well as the costs and return on our investment. They both clearly guided us on the most effective approach for the highest return on time and money as mediation. The demand letters and complaint letters they crafted and filed were superbly written and captured the complexity of the details of our case yet had powerful call to action and expectations. Our mediation process was managed skillfully and included their negotiations to get the desired settlement amount. They are an outstanding team and we were delighted work with them. Thank you to both of them for resolution on our Real Estate Fraud Case. Gary and Nancy read more

We used Irene Fuji for contract review for a real estate 1031 exchange as well as to enable us to collect unpaid rent from various tenants. She is very knowledgeable in real estate law, a quick study, very communicative and clear, and overall a pleasure to work with. Over the decades, we have needed to work with many various attorneys, including real estate attorneys and she is at the top of our list. We highly recommend her. read more

I have worked with Paul Lee and David Finkelstein for over 5 years. They represented multiple clients for which we manage properties around the San Francisco Bay Area. The service has always been fast, reliable and reasonably priced. We have always had good results and benefited from their extensive knowledge of the real estate industry. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for attorney in real estate. read more

We first contacted Irene because we were nearing a settlement with our neighbors after a harrowing 3+ years during which they refused to take ownership of a crumbling retaining wall that was a safety hazard for our tenants. I had graduated from law school and was able to navigate the majority of the lawsuit myself, but I was not a real estate expert, and I wanted to bring in someone who was before signing on the dotted line. Irene was the perfect attorney for us to turn to. She was compassionate, responsive, knowledgeable, and practical. We especially appreciated that she was willing to take on a job that was small in scope. Yet she gave us the attention and care of a major client, even returning phone calls very late at night when we approached deadlines. With Irene's guidance, we had peace of mind knowing we were negotiating the best possible deal for ourselves and were not missing any key details. We were so impressed, we immediately returned to Irene again when we had to record a new deed after having granted a sliver of land to our neighbors. Highly recommend her services! read more

We have been working with David and his excellent team of lawyers for almost 30 years now. They have been invaluable partners on our life journey, which has revolved around building out a Real Estate business spanning decades. David is one of the most creative and 'out of the box' thinkers I have ever met. And in a lawyer, that is an incredible talent. Many a time, he has helped figure out solutions, without which we would have ended up in costly and emotionally destructive litigation. David is truly a partner, in more ways than one! read more

Paul is great. He gives me honest and sincere advice. He listens to my lawsuit patiently and directs me to the right direction. Thank you, Paul! read more

I was so glad I consulted with Paul Lee on a complex issue that I was having with the owners of a property that I rent. Paul's expertise far exceeded anything I had found by Googling, reviewing California State landlord-tenant laws, or asking questions of landlord-tenant attorneys on the Internet. After our consultation, I left with a clear plan for how to proceed with my issue. Paul also provided me with clarity on what to do if things should get worse with the property owners. Paul is also super easy to talk with. I appreciated that as an immunocompromised person he wore a mask during our in-person meeting in solidarity with masked me. If I should have further questions on the current issue or future real estate issues, I will not hesitate to reach out to him. Also, I want to give a shout out to Bryce who set up the initial consultation for me and who answered many questions along the way via email. All around great legal office! read more

I had documents drawn up 8 years ago for a real estate transaction by David Finkelstein. Eight years later in a much more complicated situation, I needed to enforce those documents and have another document rejected. It involved both Civil and Family Law. Paul Lee was the trial led from my side working with my Family Lawyer and he quickly picked up the key details. He successfully defended my claims. He was easy to work with and was available when needed. He is very knowledgeable and talented and cares. Legal cost are significant but I feel the charges were fair. read more

David Finkelstein provided sound guidance and leadership in our recent settlement conference. As a result of his depth of experience we avoided further litigation. Thank you David. read more

I have rescind a real estate offer after I put in 3% deposit. I did went another attorney and he told me most likely I will loss my deposit. then my friend introduced me the law office Finkelstein & Fujii LLP. I talk to attorney Paul lee and his partner. they contacted sellers attorney which know as a very aggressive attorney firm. the end result is very good. I got most my deposit back from the escrow company excluded some of seller's attorney fee and escrow company fees. I'm very happy with the results. Highly recommend . read more

Paul Lee was very knowledgeable about the rental laws in the peninsula. We had disagreements with our tenants, and Paul was able to give me a lot of detailed information about our rights and explained patiently how to proceed. We felt much better after consulting with him as the tenant's situation was new to me. We highly recommend Paul Lee and thank you for giving me back peace of mind. read more

I needed legal advice to deal with a big builder regarding a purchase contract. I reached out to another law firm first and they were not able to assist me. But Irene Fujii decided to help me. She listened thoroughly to all the details and handled it professionally. She also set reasonable expectations. I was very happy with the end result, which exceeded my expectation. One suggestion for the law firm is to improve the payment process. read more

I know known Paul Lee for twenty years and have sought legal advice from him regarding family estate planning, employment, real estate, and business issues over the years. He is smart, prompt and ALWAYS found a way to address the legal issues, find viable solutions that have avoided litigation or minimize the precious time for related matters, or get a resolution for both sides. He is very attentive to your concerns and always transparent with key factors, delays, and updates. He is the first person I call or refer for legal advice for all topics especially landlord-tenant laws and commercial litigation. I would definitely recommend Mr. Paul Lee. read more

I have rental property in San Mateo County and with the new landlord-tenant laws and eviction moratoriums due to the corona-virus I needed some guidance. I had an hour consultation with Paul who was knowledgable and provided me with useful information. The consultation cost $250 but I received more information from him than other attorneys I called. read more

I needed legal assistance on a home I was selling in Foster City. From the moment I spoke to Irene to final resolution, I felt very well taken care of. She knows her stuff! I am so grateful to have found her office. Legal issues are never fun but working with Irene and Gisselle made it so much easier. Highly recommend! read more

Paul Lee has gotten me out of an extremely dire situation involving a non paying and violent tenant during covid which I thought was almost impossible to accomplish an eviction but Paul did it and for that I will always consult him for future legal action and advice. Not to mention he is extremely thoughtful, honest, and kind of which I cannot express my gratitude enough. read more

Finkelstein & Fujii is a "lawyers' lawyers" real estate firm. They are experienced, smart and successful attorneys. As a lawyer, I often refer difficult cases to them, and in fact have hired them myself. I was very pleased with their solid work product and responsiveness. David Finkelstein and Irene Fujii and their staff are the legal team you want on your side! read more

David Finkelstein has the best Legal team to handle multi-faceted Legal issues. Where the rest of the Big and Small Law firms saw a mess, confusion and fear, David Finkelstein and his solid team identified a pattern and saw clarity and executed a winning legal strategy that prevailed at Trial. Super pleased to have engaged David Finkelstein and his team on multiple legal issues and each time exceeding our expectations. Strongly recommend David Finkelstein and his team. - T.S. Chowdhry read more

Had a quick call with Paul Lee regarding landlord/tenant dispute. He calmed me down and gave me some very good sound advice. Needless to say, we will definitely call on Paul again for future help. read more

Wednesday, 2:30 PM. Quickie: - Quality of work (e.g., attention to detail, skill) + Customer service And then...? The Law Offices of David G. Finkelstein is expensive. We were expecting higher quality insurance. Unfortunately, they missed a significant detail in a pending case that negatively affected our party. There was no apology or effort to mitigate the mistake. read more

My family has lived in the Bay Area since the early '70s and we have had many opportunities over the past 45 years to engage the services of David Finkelstein as well as his associates. They resolved a fraudulent bankruptcy on a home we were purchasing in the '80s and we were fortunate that David's expertise was real estate law. Associates in David's firm did our original wills and then trusts. The firm is ethical and caring and they always provide excellent advice. David and his firm have their clients' best interests at heart and I have referred many people to them for these reasons. You can rest assured that David and his firm will do an outstanding job representing you for all your legal needs. read more