I had a Zoom consult with McLaughlin & Sanchez and was really impressed. Andres Sanchez knows San Francisco landlord-tenant law inside and out. SF regulations are layered and highly technical, but he broke everything down clearly and gave very pragmatic advice -- not just what the law says in theory, but what actually makes sense in practice. He was straightforward, thoughtful, and realistic about options and potential outcomes. I especially appreciated that he focused on practical next steps instead of overcomplicating things. It felt strategic and grounded, not alarmist. If you're dealing with a landlord-tenant issue in San Francisco and want clear, practical guidance, this firm is a solid choice. read more

From our very first Zoom meeting with Michael and Gabrielle, we knew they were the right fit for us. Our case was far from typical, yet Michael and Gabrielle guided us through every step, clearly explaining our options and what to expect. Throughout the entire lengthy process, they remained supportive, responsive to every email and call, and--most importantly--delivered results efficiently and on time. I appreciated their honesty; they never sugar-coated anything and made sure we understood exactly what was needed to move forward. No one wants to hire a lawyer, but if you need an exceptional firm with attorneys who truly specialize in landlord-tenant matters, look no further. Thank you, Michael, Gabrielle, and the entire team! read more

One of the WORST LAW FIRMS EVER to work with. Super shady, horrible communication, fake, will bill you nonstop, and condescending. Why work with trash like Michael when there are plenty of good attorneys out there thay won't rip you off. read more

Very happy with the service. The team was very communicative and made sure we were set up for success. I would highly recommend them.

If I could give them 10 stars, I would. We have had the unique experience of seeing their professionalism, respect and concern for tenants as well as landlords. The lawyers are ethical and keep you informed every step of the way. Should you have to go to court, they are honest about potential outcomes and costs. McLaughlin Sanchez has the knowledge to address issues and the experience to know how to follow through to get results. I can honestly say I would not pick anyone else. read more

The McLaughlin Sanchez LLP team was great to work with. They're very knowledgeable and explained everything as it was happening. They ensured I understood the steps and took reigns on the parts they needed to do or were a bit more complicated for us. Their price is reasonable, if not better, than other law firms I consulted with. I would work with them as they made the process smooth and efficient. read more

We worked with Shannon Burkhead at McLaughlin Sanchez LLP to evict a problematic tenant in San Francisco. SF tenant laws are arguably the worst in the country from the landlord's perspective. They're all on the side of the tenant, so we were prepared for an ordeal. Shannon worked hard to smooth out and streamline the process for us as much as possible. She explained all our options, advised us on the best course of action and kept us informed every step of the way. Shannon patiently explained the process, sometimes multiple times until it all sunk in. She's a terrific communicator and a teacher. Ultimately she delivered the results we needed and we couldn't be happier. If you are facing a difficult tenant situation, you can hardly do better than to have Shannon Burkhead and the McLaughlin Sanchez LLP team in your corner. read more

Shannon was very helpful and very informed. She guided me well with my situation and was good to work with. She is very prepared and knowledgeable. read more

Michael was a true professional and gave me a lot of time to discuss a potential tenant lawsuit. He was well recommended by his peers and also a listing agent I use for my properties. Overall, they are very professional and give great advice. I look forward to working with them in the future. I interviewed several attorneys and they were the most attentive and welcoming and offered advice even prior to going into a retainer agreement. read more

I'm sure that these attorneys are good but just try to engage with the receptionist, Claudia. She is extremely unprofessional, rude, and even snobby. She acted as though she was the Boss and didn't speak to me nicely or professionally. It was a surreal experience. It's hard to believe that people like this even have a job dealing with the public. To the attorneys at this firm, please record the conversations that she has with people and listen to her interaction with potential clients. She stands in your way of getting more clients. I'm told that this firm is good but if I have to go through her, forget it - too bad, because I have several properties that I wanted consultations about. But I will not engage SOLELY because of this Claudia. read more

The lawyers and office are unresponsive. My tenants owe rents for a few months. That's the reason I sought for legal advice. After hired this office, there were back and forth phone calls with the lawyer from April 5 to April 12. None of the calls provided any legal advice. After April 12, he didn't even return my call. However, the office forced to charge me $455 to close the account even though they didn't do anything. They also held up the refund. I needed to follow up in order to get the fund. Bad services. read more

McLaughlin is one of the worst attorneys I've ever dealt with in my life. He's one of those lawyers who sends out articles to make themselves look like they care and that they're experts in a subject but he is NOT. He likes to bill you every chance he gets too. He also likes to care more about the opposing party's attorney so he can build relationships with them in the legal world. He'll basically sacrifice you to do it. He could care less about his client's well being and best interest nor does he make any effort to actually fight for you. He'll tell you he won some award in law school for something he wrote like that means anything to me. Do your job, do it well, and stop overbilling your clients cuz that's all your client wants clown. read more

This review is long overdue. I've been working with Andres Sanchez for years. He is attentive & responsive and really, really smart. Whatever the situation is, if it's being handled by Andres I know I can relax and it will be done correctly. He keeps me informed along the way which is really good since I'm a control freak. Most recently I've also had the pleasure of working with his associate Shannon Burkhead who is also great to work with. She is a problem solver and communicates well along the way as well. I recommend Andres Sanchez & Shannon Burkhead 100% without reservations to anyone looking for innovative, proactive real estate lawyers. read more

Working with Shannon Burkhead of McLaughlin Sanchez was a pleasure considering my difficult situation. She assisted me through a very emotional, stressful, and difficult problem. I understand that it's the S.F. laws which made my situation difficult and not the inability of McLaughlin Sanchez. What needs to change are the "Tenant" laws for non-paying family members. It was certainly one of the most difficult times for me especially during Covid. However, having Shannon on my side was a huge plus. Shannon delivered my options very clearly and although it was not always what I wanted to hear, it was of no fault of hers or McLaughlin Sanchez. I highly recommend this company. read more

What can I say about Michael McLaughlin...He is the most honest and knowledgeable attorney I have ever come across, and I have come across quite a few, being in the real estate business for 25+ years. I highly recommend Michael, other than being one of the best landlord attorney's in San Francisco, he is truly one of the nicest guys you'll ever have the pleasure of working with. I'm super grateful to him for helping me with some tenant issues I was having, I can go on and on... Michael all I can say is THANK YOU!!! read more

I needed to evict an tenant and Darryl and Elidia Bird did a great job and got that tenant out. I am grateful.

I am writing this review to share my very positive experience with this law firm and particularly Mr. McLaughlin. I had a quick consultation with Mr. McLaughlin for a tenant issue.  In my situation, the tenant had a month to month lease and was trying to use the city rental laws to their advantage even though there was no suffering from moving out of my house and we had discussed it multiple time over the prior 6 months. Mr McLaughlin was very straight and to the point regarding his advice and the important aspects that I needed to consider in making my decisions on how best to deal with the situation. I appreciated his forthrightness in the conversation and for providing clarity to the situation. I was able to handle my issue to a positive resolution.   I recommend Mr. McLaughlin to anyone looking for legal help on tenant issues in support of the landlord. read more

I had a difficult tenant, was looking for a lawyer to help with buyout negotiations, and found McLaughlin Sanchez where Shannon Burkhead worked with my problem. She was very easy to communicate with and afforded me support when I most needed it. While the buyout failed, (my tenant rejected the concept), Shannon gave me the kind of support that I most needed to handle the issue, and helped me learn important points about the process. I enthusiastically recommend her. read more

I had an issue with The city in regards to my short term rental unit. The city decided to cut me off due to an unresolved issue that I had no idea about. Instead of spending hours on fighting the city I called up Andre Sanchez. I've talked for him a couple months ago when I had tenant issues and he was kind , professional and helpful to me. This time his partner Michael McLaughlin helped me with my property issues , talked to me , addressed my problem and helped me resolve it that day with no resistance from the city. I am now running my STR property with less stress due to these great lawyers. They are prompt and professional and I'm pleased that my issue was solved quickly. The whole process was a breeze . These guys try to resolve the issues quickly , without it costing a heavy load ( they refunded me my entire retainer after I made payment for the job). I will use these folks again in the future for any property/landlord issues in the future. Recommended ! Thank you guys! Appreciate you helping me out. read more

I needed an eviction attorney, I was recommended Mclaughlin/Sanchez. Darryl reached out from the firm, and he did an amazing job. He was efficient, and was able to get a quick result on my eviction. I have several rentals and this is the first real eviction I've had to use an attorney for. I would highly recommend McLaughlin/Sanchez to represent me if I ever have to serve another eviction. Happy client, Pete M read more

I was referred to Michael McLaughlin, and so glad I was! He quickly understood my issue, and recommended an approach that will keep our options open down the road. Clearly knowledgable, and insightful, he was also a pleasure to talk to. I won't hesitate to contact him again in the future. read more

Managing rental property in S.F. can be tricky, and Michael McLaughlin has been helpful and concise when I've reached out to him a few times with questions. While I may have a different perspective because I am also an attorney, I feel that Michael strives to provide practical advice and his main motivation is not the billable hour. I really appreciate his pragmatic approach and am glad to have him as a useful resource concerning landlord-tenant law! read more

I was ripped off by Michael McLaughlin, he missed the deadline; wasted mine fortune on paying him. Arrogant, pay no attention, just to get your money, while he was having a fight with his partner; having a breakup. Incompetent, no ethics. Will move to disbar him and get mine legal fees back. read more

Please do your do diligence. The lawyers at this firm are incompetent. They always bill on time though.

Shannon Burkhead from McLaughlin Sanchez law firm was handling my OMI case in SF. She was detailed oriented and thorough, used systematic approach in handling the case, gave great advice and always followed up with you prior to the deadline. Her rate is top end in the firm, but, due to her high efficiency in completing the tasks, I ended up saving money having her as an attorney. When I was transferred to the partner lawyer in the middle of the case due to her maternity leave, I found that, even though the partner lawyer was efficient but the attorneys assisted him were quite inefficient, unfamiliar with the case, scrambling around at the deadline and have you checked everything the last minute, and therefore led to unnecessary billable hours charged to me. My recommendation is to have Shannon handling your case or more cases all the way. If she does not have time or is not familiar with certain cases, she would recommend another firm for you. I believe this is better than taking any of your cases and providing lower than average service. read more

I have no idea if the lawyers here are any good, but the receptionist was terrible. I tried twice to book and pay for a consult ($525 per hour!) and was told no one was available and they would call back after checking the calendar. Ok fine, but they never called back. When I called back 2 days later we went through the same story, there is no availability and she has no idea when there will be any availability. The receptionist wouldn't let me pay upfront for the consult and tried to send me elsewhere. It was very strange. read more

I have the highest respect for Michael and his legal team as the finest advocates for property owners in the San Francisco/ Bay Area. Michael has helped dozens of our clients exercise their legal rights while lessening the often high emotion and headache that surround tenant matters. Michael leads his team in a most methodical, professional and calm manner (but, always with a passionate degree of enthusiasm and purpose!). Michael frequently makes time to speak to building owners in order to explore and carefully discover their situation to the most precise degree of legal detail and human concern at heart. Michael is a refreshingly honest, direct and humble representative for owners seeking clarity and their freedom to exercise their ownership rights absent intimidation. Michael has my highest recommendation. read more

We reached out to McLaughlin Sanchez for a property management matter. Working with Shannon Burkhead there was a pleasure. She gave us up to date information, guidance, and supported us through the whole process. I am glad we found her and will keep McLaughlin Sanchez at the top of our list for legal representation. read more

We needed legal guidance and help with preparing notices to tenants during a very complicated and stressful sale of a property. Shannon was our main contact throughout the entire process. She kept us sane, she made sure notices were prepared properly and expediently, and was ultimately a kind and calming voice of reason during all the ups and downs. Her pride of doing right by her clients shows in her dedication and impeccable standards. We highly recommend McLaughlin Sanchez if you are looking for a firm that is honest, accurate, timely responders, and puts protecting their clients at the forefront of their business. Many thanks! read more

Michael's the best. I hope you never need him, but if you are dealing with a complicated tenant situation he is the guy to have in your corner. He's calm, competent, ethical and makes the process as enjoyable as possible. I'm super grateful to him for helping us navigate a stressful eviction and keep us centered throughout. read more

I spoke with Michael for an intro conversation about being a landlord in San Francisco. I had never been in the landlord/property management game before, so a lot of my questions were probably pretty basic. Michael was smart, effective and understanding. He helped explain a lot of the more complicated concepts in simple ways. He also was super adept at telling me what things were super, super important and which things were things I didn't need to worry about. If you are looking for advice on your first time as a landlord or need some experienced help, Michael and the team get my highest recommendation. read more

Andres is excellent. I spoke to probably 5 different attorneys before meeting him and wished I'd met him first. (Honestly, finding a good lawyer in this city, who is qualified in the realm of expertise you need, and is willing to LISTEN to your needs and cater to you is akin to dating.) When I first called Andres, he gave me a quick phone consultation to assess how helpful he could be to me, and then scheduled me that week for a vis-a-vis meeting. He was thorough, let me know when the clock started, kept my finances in mind, asked me a myriad of questions, answered all of MY questions, gave me solid advice, and tailored a detailed contract, drafted specifically for my needs. He followed up all my phone calls and emails in a very timely manner, and was very professional -- even with a sense of humor. I would definitely go back to Andres in the future, and I would recommend him, as well. He is great at what he does. read more

Warning: law office is a complete rip off. I wish I took time to read the other reviews on here before contracting their services. Events that transpired are as follows: services were contracted on December 17, 2019 late in the afternoon. We agreed on a flat fee $1800 eviction for non-payment of rent. Andres Sanchez the lawyer we met with printed a contract and told my mother that she needed to get wrongful eviction insurance in place before proceeding and that as soon as she did he would serve the three days notice. On the following day the 18th we called Andrés Sanchez to inform him that the insurance was in place. Later that day we get a call from a complete stranger (Darryl Yorkey) saying he was assigned to my case because Mr Sanchez was too busy and had a scheduled vacation (This was news to me because Andres never mentioned anything of this sorts at the meeting when the contract was signed) this other lawyer Darryl wanted me to fax all the information because he said my file was empty (I refused because I told him I was present when copies of all my records were made). Next thing I know Darryl Yorkey wants me to do a history check of the property something I didn't asked for. He made a draft of a three days notice that was incorrect full of errors (we did all the corrections). Notice was never served. I went back to the office on December 23 and spoke to his secretary (through the mailbox drop) and was told that no one was in the office and that they were closed for the week. I told her that was my official notice that I was terminating my contract and I wanted my money back and she assured me that she was going to give my money back. Services were never rendered. Transparency would have been greatly appreciated in this situation. I signed up for Andrés Sanchez to represent me not Darryl Yorkey. This was supposed to be a clear cut case; eviction for non-payment of rent. No notices were ever served and nothing done on this firm's end. Simply put I signed a contract with them and nothing was ever served or done on their end. The mistake of hiring them for a couple days cost me $1000 for I was only refunded $800 of the $1800 I paid upfront. Currently filing a complaint with the bar association and BBB. This firm is a complete rip off and will steal your money and do nothing to help you!!! Stay away!! read more

Johnny helped to analyze my startup's partnership agreement and to examine potential pitfalls and scenarios that could arise if anything should ever happen between my partner and me. I respect and trust my business partner, but he encouraged me to seek legal advice before signing our partnership. While no one likes to think about a partnership going sideways, Johnny was able to provide me with really incisive observations from the perspective of litigation, and how the contract terms would affect the outcome of a lawsuit. His thoughts actually motivated us to change a few terms in our agreement as well. Overall, I found Johnny to be an extremely bright and knowledgeable attorney. He was patient throughout the process and was able to explain otherwise arcane legal aspects to a scientist such as myself. I wouldn't hesitate to come back to him with legal questions, and I definitely recommend him to anyone or any business facing potential legal disputes. read more

Thank you Johnny and Michael for your expertise and professionalism. It took 4-5 excruciating months to evict some problem tennants and that's pretty short compared to some horror stories I hear about housing crisis. These guys know their stuff and very thorough in the process. Bottom line is problem solved got possession of my house and I can move my family in after being homeless and living inboxes for a few months. Hopefully we won't have this problem in the future but if it does--- I have a high caliber counsel on my team! Thank you Johnny and Michael! read more

I had a difficult tenant issue when I tried to do someone a favor. I called around and was eventually referred to McLaughlin Sanchez. I'm one of those very candid and open people that hasn't had much experience with legal issues in my past. They did the bare minimum to get the job done and charged me as much money as they could possibly squeeze out of the situation. Ironically their billing person seemed to be the most empathetic but I'm guessing that's cause she's used to having to hear about how expensive getting minimum help to take care of situations like this in the Bay Area is these days. I can't really recommend them because of how much money they drew out of me but I suppose that's what you get these days when you don't have very much experience with the legal system. Expensive lessons learned. read more

For the past year I've been having a very frustrating problem with my neighbor in the condominium complex where I live. Finally I decided I should seek legal help. Based on Yelp reviews, I phoned this firm and was able to speak to Michael McLaughlin. That was a great start! Right away I could tell that he "got it" as he was familiar with the problems condo owners can have with neighbors, as well as the challenges of dealing with HOA boards. We frankly discussed the initial costs of retaining him. I appreciated how forthright he was, and I felt hopeful. An hour later, I called back to ask if I could submit a few more questions to him by email. He was completely agreeable to that, and so I even sent my condo's CC&Rs for review. As promised he called the following week at the appointed time. Unfortunately for me, he said that my situation was a tough one and would not be all that easy to resolve. From experience he told me how lengthy (and likely costly) a lawsuit might become. He said he was sorry to give me this news, but I could tell that he was pretty familiar with how HOA boards function. At least it rang true with my own long frustrating experience with my own board. He also mentioned that California law doesn't closely govern the liability of board members and management companies in the enforcement part of their CC&Rs. This lead to a candid discussion of the financial costs and possible risks of going forward. It was depressing news, but I appreciated his candor. Michael did suggest other strategies I could pursue, but he also agreed that I have a big problem with no clear path to winning in the courts. My five-star review is not based on work he's actually done for me. It is entirely based on my perception that he is honest, efficient, experienced, and gets to the point in conversation. He really loves taking bad guys to court and winning for his clients! Michael was available by phone when I needed to talk, never charged me a dime, and his explanation of the facts made complete sense. I know he would represent me if I wanted to spend two or three years (and a small fortune) on this problem. read more

We are so fortunate to know Michael McLaughlin In our lives. Besides being a lawyer, he's someone that truly cares and will help you make the right decisions especially when other professionals think they are entitled to bully you! If you have real estate and need professional advice Michael is your man. He's a genuinely generous and kind person who is in the law profession. He's truly one of a kind. I hope you don't need to see a lawyer. However Michael is there to give you sound reasonable advice. In my case, it was "just let it go"! It's not worth pursuing legally! read more

Michael worked with me on a project where tenants had to be vacated out of the building due to some emergency maintenance that needed to be done, Michael represented the landlord and handled all the communications with the tenants and have been coordinating the project in between the contractor, the owners, the tenants and the real estate management company, at times there were 30 emails a day coming from all different sources, some parties did not know about project timelines, some complained and some violated the agreement but Michael made it all run smoothly from start to finish. Michael is like a fine synthetic oil that made all different parts of the system work seamlessly. Great professional, straight to the point and knows the tenant law like nobody else! Would recommend Michael in a heartbeat read more

I worked with Michael McLaughlin on matter relating to my lease in San Francisco. He was pragmatic, responsive, and very knowledgable about real estate law in SF. With his guidance, I was able to have several conversations with my landlord to resolve the issue without any need for legal escalation. I would high recommend Michael's services! read more