Womble Adds Leading Real Estate Partner David M. Van Atta in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO (May 5, 2026) – Womble Bond Dickinson announced today that David M. Van Atta has joined the firm as a partner in its Real Estate Practice Group in San Francisco. Van Atta brings more than five decades of experience advising clients on complex real estate transactions, development projects, and land use matters. Since 1970, he has been a leading practitioner in common interest developments and community association law, helping shape the field through his work with developers, lenders, investors, and associations across California and beyond.

His practice spans the full lifecycle of real estate matters, including acquisitions, financing, development, zoning and land use, and the structuring and operation of residential, commercial, hospitality, resort, and mixed-use projects. He has extensive experience with master-planned communities, condominium developments, and large-scale mixed-use and airspace projects, and regularly appears before local and state agencies on regulatory and development approvals.

“Dave’s arrival significantly strengthens our national real estate platform and deepens our capabilities in California, particularly in the highly specialized area of common interest developments and complex mixed-use projects,” said Real Estate Practice Group Co-Leader Sam Chang. “His practice adds important depth in a niche area of real estate that aligns with our continued growth strategy and enhances our ability to serve sophisticated development clients.”

Van Atta has extensive experience advising on regulatory strategy, development structuring, financing arrangements, and governance frameworks for large-scale real estate projects. He has worked closely with developers, institutional investors, lenders, and community associations on projects involving multifaceted ownership structures and long-term operational considerations.

He is widely recognized as a national authority on common interest developments and has co-authored one of the leading treatises in the field. He is a Fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL) and a frequent speaker and thought leader on mixed-use developments, community association governance, and evolving issues in real estate law. He also has extensive experience as an adjunct professor and lecturer, training generations of lawyers on real property and secured transactions.

Van Atta has been consistently recognized in Best Lawyers in America® and Super Lawyers for his work in real estate, land use, and community association law, and is frequently cited for his long-standing contributions to the field. He earned his J.D. from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings) and his A.B. from the University of California, Berkeley.