John came highly recommended by two of the most real estate involved people I know in the Bay Area. He is incredibly knowledgeable about real estate law I only wish I would have reached out earlier to have understood that I could have kept more of my deposit! read more

He was pleasant enough to deal with but I left without any new information. He was highly recommended by our real estate broker. As a reluctant landlord I had some questions about a shady entitled tenants, estoppel and leases and John's answer was "it's a grey area". That seemed to be his answer to almost everything. His general advise seemed to be to just roll over while reciting Berkeley rent laws which are all available free of charge in a pamphlet from the Berkeley Rent Board. IDK, maybe its just that Berkeley screws landlords and he's giving sound advise which is to avoid a fight at all costs. I've been lucky enough to not have to test that hypothesis (fingers crossed). I can't speak to his acumen in fillings, contracts, etc...so take it as offered. read more

Mr. Gutierrez was responsive and empathetic and quick to hone in on the flawed contract that we brought to his attention. He gave us clear examples of what should be the case and resources and recommendations on how to remedy the confusing and sparse situation we were in. We feel LOADS better now thanks to him and have greater confidence in our project. He's done our colleague, who recommended Mr. Gutierrez, many solids on multiple project so it's nice to work with someone who's in our social network. He is definitely invested in making sure his clients are in good hands and are not having the rug pulled out from under. Thank you, Mr. Gutierrez! We so appreciate your consultation, time, and expertise on supporting us! read more

Save your time and hard-earned money and find a better attorney, one who will actually go to court and litigate on your behalf. This one didn't, and we only found out about it after months and months, and thousands of dollars. Needless to say, we ended up holding the short end of the proverbial stick. read more

I have read the other reviews and, frankly, find the negative ones to be highly inconsistent with my impressions of John. I have been an attorney in the East Bay for 48 years. In my experience, John Gutierrez is among the best with whom I have worked. read more

John is extremely personable when you first meet him, and as he was referred to me by my real estate agent, I didn't question his professional knowledge. I just went to the Berkeley Rent Board to file a legal notice I received from John and was horrified to find that all of the required elements for this notice were actually not included. Had the Rent Board not advised me, I would have left myself open to being sued and potentially losing the case due to this technicality. Note that there were like 6 items. Had I just filed the form myself, I would have done a much better job and not wasted time and money. Also, it turned out that there was a mediation option offered by the Rent Board which I believe John should have told me about, as it would have prevented the end result which was the worst case scenario. I should have known that he didn't know what he was doing when I frequently had to tell him the legal specifics/limitations about my specific situation that I had gleaned from reading city ordinances. It really made me wonder why I was paying $400+/hr for legal expertise. John clearly does a good job of building relationship with real estate brokers who refer him to clients, but in my particular instance, I found John's legal counsel to be detrimental and his mistakes to be costly. I would not recommend him to anyone who is looking for accurate legal advice and services. read more

This guy wrote our CC&Rs by photocopying some boilerplate for a different condo. Except he forgot to change things that only pertained to the original condo. The discrepancies are causing us all kinds of headaches. I called him with a question about a clause and he returned my voicemail with a rude message about how wasn't his problem since I wasn't his client. (I inherited the CC&Rs from the developer who worked with John.) Since then our lawyer has found dozens of illegal or poorly-worded sections in our CC&Rs. I don't think Gutierrez has any idea what he's doing. He just slaps stuff together, collects his money, and goes on his way. read more

I needed an attorney to read through a more complex than usual purchase agreement, title, and easement restrictions. These come with urban density and can be real brain-twisters. Also, I was under a deadline, in part because I could not find the expertise I needed in an elaborate condo-style title and governance structures, so I lost a day finding a good real estate lawyer. John came highly recommended by two attorneys I trust, and he nailed it. Good communications, clarity as to fees, happy to ask "do you want to pay me to dig here?" before digging. Most of all, he did not try to teach me about the complexities -- just boiled it down to what I as a buyer needed to know. I'd call him again in a heartbeat if I had to. And I hope I don't. read more

I have had a variety of legal needs over the past 12 years as a real estate broker. I have been able to count on John Gutierrez to be responsive to my real estate legal inquiries in a very timely manner. My projects, as well as my clients' projects, have benefited from his depth and breath of knowledge on a variety of issues, ranging from tenant law to arcane subdivision requirements city by city in Alameda County. John has a personal touch that all other real estate attorneys in the Bay Area seem to lack. I don't feel like I pay extra for the simple human prerequisite talk that reminds us that we are simply trying to get through our respective challenges so we can enjoy life. I have referred Mr. Gutierrez to countless clients and colleagues and have received nothing but positive feedback. read more

John has been a huge asset to my real estate development business. His knowledge of national, state and local laws as well as his expansive relationships with financial, real estate brokerages and developers makes him a terrific source for the most current requirements and business practices. That detailed knowledge has paid off for me in advice in areas as diverse as city building department process to tenancy law in the Bay Area. His "local savvy" has also contributed to the development of critical documents such as deeds and CCRs. And perhaps best of all, as busy as John is, he finds a way to help when I'm in a pinch. read more

John helped my business partner and me do a condo conversion for our tenancy in common. John helped us sail through the process. I just called him 10 years later to ask about a detail in our CC&Rs. He responded promptly and provided sound advice. read more

Full disclosure- John never represented me so I cannot give an adequate review. However, I was referred by my realtor after a new home purchase. I contacted John through his website. He left a detailed message explaining his hourly rates and he'd only have time for a brief conversation. I then left him a message and he left me another message again explaining his hourly rate. I don't know if I sounded like a child on his voicemail or he thought I had some developmental problems, but I do understand billable hours and attorney expenses. I felt like Pretty Woman in that upscale store with clerks telling me that it's too expensive for me to be in there. After I left a few voicemails and contacted him on his website I realized he was ghosting me. I found another real estate attorney who has been really nice, not condescending, and available for a brief conversation to see if there's a case. I really would have appreciated some follow up that he is too slammed or doesn't practice that kind of law or he had a conflict of interest. John and I never actually had a conversation but he did make me feel like he thinks I'm an idiot. read more

I cannot recommend John's services. I had a simple lease matter that he told me would take an hour of his billable time. He ended charging me over 2.5 times the original quote. If he had told me 2 hours from the outset, I might not have balked. But as it stands, it felt like a bait and switch to me. He came recommended by my real estate agent, but BEWARE! read more

In 2004 (eleven years ago) I bought a condo adjoining my condo with the intention of changing the property lines between the two, enlarging my residence and artist studio by 200 s.f, and decreasing the new unit by the same amount. My real estate agent recommended John E. Gutierrez to me. At the time I had no idea that my heretofore small, friendly home owners association would rise up in revolt over this seemingly simple plan. John successfully steered me clear through the morass. I believe that every litigant/complainant needs to be vigilant, that their job is to make sure their attorney is on top of their case, that their attorney understands their "employer's" point of view, and doesn't just sit back passively. That was how I approached John Gutierrez. He did not disappoint me. read more

THE best! Knows Berkeley and Alameda law like the back of his hand. one hour with him and I was completely set as a new rental owner. Just incredible. Call him first. ~Steph read more

John is an expert at real estate law, he recently helped me in my case and saved me from further costs and time that could have been wasted on minor issues concerning the city of Berkeley constructions rules. I recommend him as a reliable lawyer who would protect his clients from harm. If you have john on your side you can sleep at night when in trouble. read more