About The Author:
Whitney Skala has practiced law since 1983. Mr. Skala is admitted to the California and federal (Southern District of California) bars. Based on a survey of the San Diego legal community, Martindale-Hubbell (a nationwide attorney directory) has awarded Mr. Skala its highest rating for legal expertise and ethical conduct, "AV."
Mr. Skala received his B.A. degree (1980) from the University of California at Berkeley, double-majoring in Political Science and Economics, and his J.D. degree (1983) from Georgetown University Law Center. His commitment is to build the leading San Diego small-firm practice in the area of real estate and business sales, acquisitions, financings, leasings, entity formations, and related matters.
In October, 2012, the California State Bar Association recognized Mr. Skala’s writing and speaking contributions to the legal profession by honoring him with the “Spirit of CEB” award, presented at the annual State Bar Convention. Mr. Skala was the only recipient of this award from the San Diego region.
In the corporate field, Mr. Skala is the author of an article entitled, "Ten (or more) Pitfalls in Incorporating a Business," published in the Winter 1995 issue of the California Business Law Practitioner, an article entitled, "Closing Letter to Client After Formation of a Closely Held Corporation," published in the Spring 2001 issue of the Business Law Practitioner, and a chapter entitled, "C and S Corporations," contained in the Continuing Education of the Bar ("CEB") book, Selecting and Forming Business Entities. He is also the reviewing author of two other chapters in Selecting and Forming Business Entities, entitled, "Closed Corporations," and, "Converting Existing Entity to Limited Liability Company." Mr. Skala is the only author in this State Bar-associated publication who is a contributor to three chapters. He recently wrote, “Flexible Purpose Corporations and Benefits Corporations: California’s Two New Forms of Corporate Entity,” published in the Summer 2012 issue of the Business Law Practitioner. Mr. Skala presently is the Recorder (the second-highest position) of the California State Bar Working Group on Reports on Legal Opinions Concerning Partnerships and Limited Liability Companies, which is scheduled to issue its Report in the latter half of 2014. On the twelve-member committee, Mr. Skala is the only attorney from the San Diego region.
In the area of real estate, Mr. Skala is the author of the series of real estate articles entitled, "Strategies For A Changing Economy," published in the San Diego Daily Transcript's quarterly law journal and reprinted on his web site; his topics include, "Assignments and Subleases of Commercial and Office Space," "Real Property Purchases in a Sloppy Market," "Representing the Out of State Real Estate Client," and, "Single-Member LLC's." His current writing project is to author a series of articles entitled, "The World From The Ground Up," focusing on international real estate issues. These articles are posted on his web site, and discuss topics as diverse as the planned renovation of the Hong Kong Waterfront, to the residential real estate development on the Gulf of Aqaba. The Urban Land Institute recently asked him to moderate a panel discussion, featuring panelists Ron Roberts, San Diego County Board of Supervisors, Ann Moore, Chair of the San Diego Port Authority, and Steve Weathers, Executive Director of the World Trade Center/San Diego, addressing San Diego’s world trade and region’s trade infrastructure.
From 2002 to the present, Mr. Skala has served as one of several speakers at six all-day professional education seminars sponsored by the National Business Institute ("NBI"). In that same time, Lorman Educational Services retained Mr. Skala to speak at five professional seminars, on corporate, partnership, and limited liability company matters. A third company, Sterling Education Services, twice engaged Mr. Skala to speak on a variety of investment entity issues. In June, 2006, the accounting firm of Moss Adams, LLP, invited Mr. Skala to speak at its firm-wide construction department retreat, held in San Diego, on new developments in real estate law. Most recently, Mr. Skala spoke for Lorman in a real estate-related seminar, entitled "Negotiating Complex Real Estate Transactions," and for NBI on limited liability company formation issues. NBI again asked Mr. Skala to speak in June, 2012, on, “Helping Your Client Buy or Sell a Small-to-Medium Sized Business.” In July, 2013, he spoke for NBI’s conference, on “Business Contracts A to Z,” where his topic will address negotiating strategies and the use of letters of intent and non-disclosure agreements.
In the community, Mr. Skala served a two-year term as Co-Chair of the San Diego County Bar Association's Real Property Section. He is a past President of the Board of Directors of the San Diego Repertory Theatre, past President of the San Diego Chapter of the University of California, Berkeley Alumni Club, has sat on the Session of the Pt. Loma Community Presbyterian Church, and has served as a Board member to the Peninsula YMCA (for which he chaired the "Major Gifts Committee" of the Peninsula YMCA's $5.2 million capital campaign). He also has served as a member of the Executive Committee of the San Diego Crew Classic and as a member of the Executive Council of the Desert Pacific Council (comprising San Diego, Imperial, and Yuma Counties) of the Boy Scouts of America. In 1990, Mr. Skala was awarded the University of California, Berkeley, Alumni Association's highest young alumnus honor, the Bradford S. King Award, as "Young Alumnus of the Year." He is a 1992 graduate of the LEAD-San Diego program. He has been a member of the Austin Guild board of St. Augustine High School and of the Foundation board of Point Loma High School. In March, 2008, Mr. Skala was a member of the World Trade Center San Diego's eight-member Trade Mission delegation to China. Later that same year, Mr. Skala joined the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce in a three-day series of presentations to governmental leaders in Washington, D.C. He again served as a delegate on the Chamber's trip to Washington, D.C., in 2011.
In 2011, the World Trade Center/San Diego and the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce asked Mr. Skala to organize an association to promote commercial trade between the San Diego region and Europe. The association, known as the "SIG Europe," grew to over thirty individual and corporate members, and the effort concluded successfully when, in 2013, the World Trade Center/San Diego was awarded a grant by the European Union to fund a staffed position to further enlarge the trade efforts between San Diego and Europe.
Mr. Skala presently sits on ULI/San Diego’s Executive Advisory Board.
Whitney Skala has practiced law since 1983. Mr. Skala is admitted to the California and federal (Southern District of California) bars. Based on a survey of the San Diego legal community, Martindale-Hubbell (a nationwide attorney directory) has awarded Mr. Skala its highest rating for legal expertise and ethical conduct, "AV."
Mr. Skala received his B.A. degree (1980) from the University of California at Berkeley, double-majoring in Political Science and Economics, and his J.D. degree (1983) from Georgetown University Law Center. His commitment is to build the leading San Diego small-firm practice in the area of real estate and business sales, acquisitions, financings, leasings, entity formations, and related matters.
In October, 2012, the California State Bar Association recognized Mr. Skala’s writing and speaking contributions to the legal profession by honoring him with the “Spirit of CEB” award, presented at the annual State Bar Convention. Mr. Skala was the only recipient of this award from the San Diego region.
In the corporate field, Mr. Skala is the author of an article entitled, "Ten (or more) Pitfalls in Incorporating a Business," published in the Winter 1995 issue of the California Business Law Practitioner, an article entitled, "Closing Letter to Client After Formation of a Closely Held Corporation," published in the Spring 2001 issue of the Business Law Practitioner, and a chapter entitled, "C and S Corporations," contained in the Continuing Education of the Bar ("CEB") book, Selecting and Forming Business Entities. He is also the reviewing author of two other chapters in Selecting and Forming Business Entities, entitled, "Closed Corporations," and, "Converting Existing Entity to Limited Liability Company." Mr. Skala is the only author in this State Bar-associated publication who is a contributor to three chapters. He recently wrote, “Flexible Purpose Corporations and Benefits Corporations: California’s Two New Forms of Corporate Entity,” published in the Summer 2012 issue of the Business Law Practitioner. Mr. Skala presently is the Recorder (the second-highest position) of the California State Bar Working Group on Reports on Legal Opinions Concerning Partnerships and Limited Liability Companies, which is scheduled to issue its Report in the latter half of 2014. On the twelve-member committee, Mr. Skala is the only attorney from the San Diego region.
In the area of real estate, Mr. Skala is the author of the series of real estate articles entitled, "Strategies For A Changing Economy," published in the San Diego Daily Transcript's quarterly law journal and reprinted on his web site; his topics include, "Assignments and Subleases of Commercial and Office Space," "Real Property Purchases in a Sloppy Market," "Representing the Out of State Real Estate Client," and, "Single-Member LLC's." His current writing project is to author a series of articles entitled, "The World From The Ground Up," focusing on international real estate issues. These articles are posted on his web site, and discuss topics as diverse as the planned renovation of the Hong Kong Waterfront, to the residential real estate development on the Gulf of Aqaba. The Urban Land Institute recently asked him to moderate a panel discussion, featuring panelists Ron Roberts, San Diego County Board of Supervisors, Ann Moore, Chair of the San Diego Port Authority, and Steve Weathers, Executive Director of the World Trade Center/San Diego, addressing San Diego’s world trade and region’s trade infrastructure.
From 2002 to the present, Mr. Skala has served as one of several speakers at six all-day professional education seminars sponsored by the National Business Institute ("NBI"). In that same time, Lorman Educational Services retained Mr. Skala to speak at five professional seminars, on corporate, partnership, and limited liability company matters. A third company, Sterling Education Services, twice engaged Mr. Skala to speak on a variety of investment entity issues. In June, 2006, the accounting firm of Moss Adams, LLP, invited Mr. Skala to speak at its firm-wide construction department retreat, held in San Diego, on new developments in real estate law. Most recently, Mr. Skala spoke for Lorman in a real estate-related seminar, entitled "Negotiating Complex Real Estate Transactions," and for NBI on limited liability company formation issues. NBI again asked Mr. Skala to speak in June, 2012, on, “Helping Your Client Buy or Sell a Small-to-Medium Sized Business.” In July, 2013, he spoke for NBI’s conference, on “Business Contracts A to Z,” where his topic will address negotiating strategies and the use of letters of intent and non-disclosure agreements.
In the community, Mr. Skala served a two-year term as Co-Chair of the San Diego County Bar Association's Real Property Section. He is a past President of the Board of Directors of the San Diego Repertory Theatre, past President of the San Diego Chapter of the University of California, Berkeley Alumni Club, has sat on the Session of the Pt. Loma Community Presbyterian Church, and has served as a Board member to the Peninsula YMCA (for which he chaired the "Major Gifts Committee" of the Peninsula YMCA's $5.2 million capital campaign). He also has served as a member of the Executive Committee of the San Diego Crew Classic and as a member of the Executive Council of the Desert Pacific Council (comprising San Diego, Imperial, and Yuma Counties) of the Boy Scouts of America. In 1990, Mr. Skala was awarded the University of California, Berkeley, Alumni Association's highest young alumnus honor, the Bradford S. King Award, as "Young Alumnus of the Year." He is a 1992 graduate of the LEAD-San Diego program. He has been a member of the Austin Guild board of St. Augustine High School and of the Foundation board of Point Loma High School. In March, 2008, Mr. Skala was a member of the World Trade Center San Diego's eight-member Trade Mission delegation to China. Later that same year, Mr. Skala joined the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce in a three-day series of presentations to governmental leaders in Washington, D.C. He again served as a delegate on the Chamber's trip to Washington, D.C., in 2011.
In 2011, the World Trade Center/San Diego and the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce asked Mr. Skala to organize an association to promote commercial trade between the San Diego region and Europe. The association, known as the "SIG Europe," grew to over thirty individual and corporate members, and the effort concluded successfully when, in 2013, the World Trade Center/San Diego was awarded a grant by the European Union to fund a staffed position to further enlarge the trade efforts between San Diego and Europe.
Mr. Skala presently sits on ULI/San Diego’s Executive Advisory Board.
