Matthew James is a Shareholder in Hopkins & Carley’s San Jose office and is a member of the firm’s Real Estate Practice. Matt has extensive experience in all phases of construction and real estate matters, including contract negotiation, alternative dispute resolution, and trial.
Matt’s clients include commercial and residential property owners, prime contractors, subcontractors, material suppliers, architects, engineers, and bonding companies, who he regularly assists on matters involving:
- Contract drafting and negotiation
- Complex, multi-party construction defect litigation
- High end residential construction disputes
- Large scale public works claims
- Mechanics liens, stop notices and bond claims
- Collection matters
A licensed real estate broker since 2006, Matt uses this experience in a variety of real estate related disputes, including tenant improvement projects and litigation related to breaches of real estate purchase agreements.
Matt also lectures on new developments in construction and real estate law and best practices.
- Obtained a $17 million judgment related to defective construction work after a trial lasting approximately 100 days.
- Obtained a judgment defeating a half-million dollar material supplier claim against a large prime contractor on a sizeable public works project.
- Obtained a judgment evicting a commercial tenant following a contested unlawful detainer trial.
- Obtained a defense judgment on behalf of a contractor creditor following a bench trial in a bankruptcy preference action.
- Represented owners against a contractor’s claim for payment, resulting in an arbitration awarding damages against the contractor.
- Following a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing by the owner of a large high-rise condominium project, obtained payment on behalf of his subcontractor client through contract and mechanic’s lien litigation.
- Business Network International , Member since 2018
- First Community Housing, Secretary and Board Member since 2016
- Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce Ambassador since 2014
- Happy Hollow Foundation, Former Board Member
- State Bar of California (2000)
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of California
- J.D., Santa Clara University School of Law
- B.A., University of California, Berkeley