Bio

Matthew Rips is a partner at Russ August & Kabat, where he practices in the real estate and corporate and finance departments. Mr. Rips’ practice focuses on the representation of developers and financiers of retail shopping, multifamily housing, office development and redevelopment projects. Mr. Rips combines his extensive business management and finance background with his legal expertise to represent a wide variety of clients including real estate investment trusts, pension funds, equity funds, private developers, lenders and others, in their endeavors as developers, owners, investors, buyers and sellers. Equity financing is a key element of any development project. Mr. Rips has developed a finely tuned approach to structuring and negotiating the partnerships that provide such financing. In a wide range of circumstances, he has guided clients through the complexities of managing the risks and allocating the rewards of developing billions of dollars worth of real estate. Public-private partnerships have become a cornerstone of urban redevelopment. Mr. Rips has successfully negotiated a variety of agreements between public and private entities, such as disposition and development agreements, ground leases, purchase and sale agreements, loans and grant agreements. Whether converting an office building to residential condominiums or building a retail shopping center, developers face a multitude of risks. Through the use of contracts, insurance and other tools of the trade, Mr. Rips regularly works with his clients to manage the risks of design errors, construction defects, delays, accidents and related risks associated with most high end real estate developments. Prior to joining Russ August & Kabat, Mr. Rips served as General Counsel and Chief Operating Officer for the second largest vision insurance plan in the western United States. Mr. Rips guided the company through a major restructuring ultimately leading to a ten-fold increase in net income. Later, he negotiated the merger of the company with a major East Coast vision insurance plan, resulting in a combined enrollment of 6 million families and individuals. Mr. Rips was recognized as a Southern California Super Lawyer from 2015-2022 by the publishers of Los Angeles Magazine. He was named a Commercial Real Estate “Visionary” in the L.A. Times Commercial Real Estate Magazine in 2021.