Phillip Wang

Phillip Wang practices in the areas of commercial litigation, real estate, and bankruptcy and creditors’ rights.
Phil’s commercial litigation practice focuses on representing companies and individuals in complex business disputes including prosecuting and defending litigation of commercial contract, real estate, intellectual property, and related matters in federal and state courts.

Phil’s real estate practice includes representation of commercial developers, owners, landlords, tenants, lenders and borrowers in all aspects of disputes and litigation concerning commercial properties, such as complex commercial lease defaults, breaches of guaranty, mortgage fraud, real estate secured transaction issues, lender liability, easements, title and boundary disputes, nuisance abatement and other real estate-related controversies.

Phil’s bankruptcy and creditors’ rights practice includes representing secured and unsecured creditors, commercial lessors, and financial institutions, in nearly all facets of corporate bankruptcy reorganization cases. He handles complex litigation, workout, restructuring and insolvency matters for lenders, lessors, and borrowers involving securitized commercial mortgage loans, commercial leases, guarantees, and extension and forbearance agreements. Phil has extensive experience in multiple jurisdictions with foreclosures and workouts related to troubled loans, distressed assets, the appointment of receivers, and other pre-judgment remedies.

In addition, Phil represents receivers utilized in commercial real estate matters to stabilize distressed assets and manage property. The underlying real property assets are varied and include office towers, multi-family apartment complexes, retail shopping centers, and industrial buildings.

Prior Experience:

Before joining Strategy Law, Phil was a partner at Rimon P.C. Prior to that, he was a partner at Duane Morris and Gordon & Rees. Phil was also previously with Lubin Olson & Niewiadomski (formerly Stein & Lubin) and Hopkins & Carley.

Education:

• Princeton University, A.B., Men’s Varsity Lacrosse
• Golden Gate University, J.D., Associate Editor, Golden Gate University Law Review

Professional & Bar Association Memberships:

• Former Member of Board of Directors and Current Member of Legislative Action Committee for NAIOP – San Francisco Bay Area Chapter.
• Former Member of Government and Public Affairs Committee and BOMA-PAC Board for Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), San Francisco Chapter.
• Former Member of Executive Committee for Real Property Law Section of State Bar of California.
• Former Member of Real Property Section and Commercial Law and Bankruptcy Section of Bar Association of San Francisco, California Minority Counsel Program and Asian American Bar Association.
• Licensed Real Estate Professional (inactive)

Admitted to Practice:

• State of California
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
• U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Practice Areas:

• Commercial Litigation
• Real Estate
• Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights

Honors:

• Northern California, Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters Corporation), 2009-present
• The Best Lawyers in America, Litigation-Bankruptcy, 2025
• AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell (Internet Brands), 2007-present
• Corporate Counsel Edition, Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters Corporation), 2010

Publications & Presentations:

• Legal Insight: “Coronavirus and Its Effect on the Supply Chain,” February 26, 2020
• “Observations from the Front Lines: Potential Conflicts of Interest Between Senior and Subordinate Investors May Result in Significant Litigation, “Structured Finance and Securitization in Context of Bankruptcy, Duane Morris – Risk & Recovery 2011 –
• Developments in Business Bankruptcy and Commercial Finance Law
• “Commercial Lease Termination Damages – Calculation and Application of the Bankruptcy Cap,” California Real Property Journal, Vol. 26, No. 2, 2008
• “Recent Bankruptcy Law Amendments Affecting Commercial Real Estate – A Historical Perspective,” California Real Property Journal, Silver Anniversary Edition, Vol. 24, No. 3, 2006
• “Bad Faith Filings and Solvent Tenant Bankruptcies,” Business Law News of State Bar of California, Spring 2005
• “Finally, a Limit on a Solvent Tenant’s Ability to Use Bankruptcy to Shortchange a Landlord,” Real Estate Finance Journal, Spring 2005 Webinar, “Leases and Loans, Feeling the COVID 19 Effects”, NAIOP San Francisco Bay Area chapter, April 9, 2020
• Speaker, “Real Estate 101: When Real Estate Goes South,” Real Property Law Section Webinar, The State Bar of California, February 26, 2014
• Moderator, “CRE Market Trends and Opportunities in 2013, 2014, 2015,” Distressed Debt Summit, CRE Finance Council, Santa Monica, CA, May 13, 2013
• Moderator, “Options and Strategies for Loan Workouts,” San Francisco After-Work Seminar, CRE Finance Council, September 13, 2012
• Moderator, “Options and Latest Strategies for Workouts,” High Yield Debt Investment Conference, CRE Finance Council, May 8, 2012
• Moderator, “Sunnyvale Town Center: Use of Receivers in Partially Completed Projects,” TEAM A (The Equity Asset Managers Association), February 28, 2012
• Speaker, “Purchasing Debt in Today’s Market,” Duane Morris Real Estate Roundtable, May 18, 2011
• Speaker, “What Real Estate Lawyers Should Know About Bankruptcy: Overview of Bankruptcy, Treatment of Leases in Bankruptcy, Restructuring
• Secured Debt in Bankruptcy,”
• Bar Association of San Francisco, Real Estate and Insolvency Sections, November 9, 2010
• Speaker, “The Rise After the Fall in the CMBS World: Restructuring Securitized Debt,” The State Bar of California Real Property Law Section 29th Annual Retreat, April 30-May 2, 2010
• Faculty Member, “Real Property Law Boot Camp 2010,” State Bar of California Real Property Law Section, February 26-28, 2010
• Speaker, “Interaction of Real Property Law and Bankruptcy in Litigation,” 82nd Annual Meeting of the State Bar of California, San Diego, September 12, 2009
• Speaker, “Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights Issues in Construction Law,” DRI Construction Law Seminar, September 10, 2009 Speaker, “Trouble in Commercial Leases – Default and Bankruptcy Issues,” 27th Annual Retreat for Real Property Law Section of State Bar of California, May 2008
• Instructor, 2008-2009, “Real Property Lawyer Boot Camp – Real Property Law Section of State Bar of California,” an intensive 48-hour program to train attorneys on real estate transactions, real estate litigation and bankruptcy issues
• Speaker, “What Commercial Real Estate Owners & Tenants Should Know About the 2005 Bankruptcy Reform Act,” Bar Association of San Francisco, Barristers’ Club, Bankruptcy Section, September 2005
• Speaker, “Bankruptcy Issues in the Real Estate Market After the Boom,” Bar Association of San Francisco, Barristers’ Club, Bankruptcy Section, July 2002

Causes & Charities Supported:

• CORA (Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse)

Community Activities:

• Burlingame High School – Girls Varsity Lacrosse – Head Coach – 2021 – present

Phil and his wife Deborah are happy empty nesters with an adult son and daughter. In addition to being a husband and father, Phil loves to play golf, fly fish, cook and travel.