Amelia Sanchez has a proven track record of achieving business objectives, resolving issues, and completing transactions through strategic and efficient legal negotiations. She adds a layer of sophistication and practicality to the legal matters she handles and understands what it takes to successfully negotiate and close deals to achieve the business needs of her clients. Her in-depth knowledge of the market based on representing both landlords and tenants allows her to find solutions to complete complex lease transactions.
With over 20 years of commercial real estate and transactional experience, Amelia has successfully represented national, regional, and local companies in all asset categories. She has developed deep expertise in supporting and advising business clients on leasing transactions that include retail, office, financial, life science, mixed-use, industrial, telecommunications, and solar leases and on purchase and sale transactions. In addition to her breadth of commercial real estate experience, Amelia has handled a variety of business and transactional matters, including licensing, consultant, easement, access, vendor, co-marketing, service, and management agreements.
Prior to joining CGS3, Amelia worked in-house as Senior Legal Counsel at Cricket Communications, Inc. (now Cricket Wireless) and Regional General Counsel at Newland Communities, LLC. Prior to her in-house work, she was a member of the commercial real estate transaction practice group in the San Diego office of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP. Amelia is the co-founder of the SES Tennis Center, a non-profit that built public tennis courts and provides the children of Tecate, Mexico with access to tennis lessons, equipment, and transportation. She helps organize an annual pro-am tournament to raise funds for both the SES Tennis Center and other local non-profits.
Notable Deals/Cases
- Represented a San Diego-based life science real estate investment trust in leasing over 88,000 square feet to a viral immunotherapy company at an 18-acre research and development campus near Boston, Massachusetts. The work involved negotiating a complex work letter for building and tenant improvements in excess of $40 million.
- Represented a California financial institution in the relocation of its ground floor retail bank branch in the financial district of San Francisco, California. The new lease resulted in substantial savings to the client and favorably addressed various COVID-19 issues related to the construction of tenant improvements, rent commencement, and force majeure.
- Represented a real estate investment trust in various mixed-use commercial tenant retail and restaurant leases and other real estate matters related to the company’s portfolio of more than 295 high-end multifamily apartment communities within mixed-use projects located in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Diego, and other West Coast markets.
- Represented a California financial institution in negotiating and securing rights for its bank branch in connection with an adjacent redevelopment and termination and creation of ingress and access easements in Cupertino, California. The work included resolving complex easement, title, and lender issues.
- Represented a San Diego hospital in connection with the assumption of a solar power purchase agreement and related leases for a solar system serving multiple buildings as part of an acquisition of a 60,000 square foot office building campus in San Diego, California. Successfully obtained bifurcated purchase and termination rights on behalf of the client.
Accolades
- Recipient, “Top 50 Women of Influence Over 50,” San Diego Business Journal (2024)
- Recipient, “Business Women of the Year,” San Diego Business Journal (2024)
- Recipient, “Top Women in Business,” SD Metro Magazine (2024)
- Recipient, “Women of Influence in Law,” San Diego Business Journal (2022-2024)
- Recipient, “Women Who Mean Business,” San Diego Business Journal (2015-2016)
News
Education
- J.D., University of San Diego School of Law
- B.A., Psychology, Dartmouth
Bar Admissions
- California
Involvement
- SES Tennis Center, Co-Founder