Robert Gates has been a partner of Erskine & Tulley for well over a decade. His practice focuses on four major areas:

• Real estate transactions
• Contract review, preparation and negotiation
• Business organization (corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies)
• Litigation in real estate, contract and business matters.

Gates has worked with a variety of clients, including credit retail tenants, individual investors, owners of large and small businesses, property owners, brokers and lenders. He helps his clients limit their liability, while also advancing their financial, legal, and other interests.

Clients of Gates have included Alvin B. Chan, Inc., Bay Area Automotive Services, Inc., Berdex International, Inc., Brannan Street Partners, CSE Insurance Group, Hogan & Vest, Inc., Swedish Society of San Francisco, W. Laney Thornton and numerous small businesses and individual investors.

The success of Gates' practice comes directly from the sound advice he provides his clients. "Beware of printed forms," he says. "With computers, printed forms are no longer standard and must be read carefully. And remember -- everything is negotiable."

In addition to his admission to the California bar, Gates is also a licensed real estate broker and has taught seminars for those in the real estate business.

Gates' pro bono work includes volunteering as a hearing officer for the San Francisco Rent Control Board during the 1980s and current work on the San Francisco Bar Association's Volunteer Legal Services Program. From 1984-1986, he served on the California Bar's Committee on Partnerships and Unincorporated Associations. Since 2000, he has been a Judge Pro Tem with the San Francisco Bar Association's Early Settlement Program.

Gates received his undergraduate degree in Economics from Occidental College and his law degree from the University of Michigan. Prior to joining Erskine & Tulley, he was a partner at Hancock Rothert & Bunshoft, LLP.

Gates is rated A-V (highest rating) by Martindale-Hubbell.

What clients have to say about Robert P. Gates:

"Because we are a small company, collection of payments for past due services is most critical for our ongoing business operations and survival. We were quite pleased to receive favorable judgment on our last Arbitration case . . . This happens to be the third case that we have won together as a team, receiving past due money owed, interest on that money and all legal fees. We haven't lost yet." --from a small business client; dated August 30, 2001

" . . . In the nearly two years that we were partners in battle, we learned to completely trust you; to be amazed at your commitment; to respect your expertise; look forward to your humor; and above all, that you were fellow Giants fan! . . . We could endure this process because we knew that you were always one step ahead in strategy -- from the mountain of correspondence, to the important meetings, to knowing the right experts to involve in the process, we always felt that you were in charge and that our outcome was personally important to you. . ." --from a litigation client; dated August 30, 2001

"Thank you for swiftly resolving my case . . . I appreciated your experience in dealing with insurance claims, and knowing how to bring about a favorable settlement so quickly . . ." --from a real estate client; dated September 4, 2001

Telephone: (415) 392-5431, Extension 202
E-mail: bob@erskinetulley.com