Testimonials

"When you are having your worst day, David Semel and his team are who you want at your side. I was in a nightmare not unlike “Pacific Heights”. A friend recommended David. From the first telephone conversation with David until my renter signed her surrender statement, David expertly guided me each step of the way. He was professional but firm with opposing counsel; I was never in doubt that he was fighting for my best interests.

San Francisco tenant laws are extremely complex and I could have made very costly mistakes at any point without David’s sage counsel. He and his expert team were worth every dollar I spent on legal fees. Do yourself a favor, and don’t be a DIY lawyer, hire David."

"Steve was very good and knew the laws which kept changing daily.  Steve and Marena were very responsive and not like the other attorney that I had prior to Fried, Williams & Grice Conner. I would recommend them to anyone who has problematic tenants."

David has helped me on various matters. He is calm, patient and kind as he gives the most knowledgeable advice. Trust is a tough thing to come by and I trust David. I am so grateful he is in my corner. 

"I called Clifford Fried when a commercial tenant stopped paying rent. He had provided excellent representation to me years ago. Clifford introduced me to David Semel. We kept him in the loop in the beginning, but it became clear very early on that David knew exactly what to do. He was familiar with the provisions of all the laws and regulations. He sagely advised me on the process of negotiations, settlements, court procedure, what to do, when. He was diplomatic with the defendant's attorney, but firm. He consulted with me as needed. We went to the brink of a trial, but managed to reach a sensible settlement. I could not recommend him highly enough."

"Your team performed flawlessly."

"A successful real estate investor advised me to utilize your office, if I wanted an affirmative result in recovering possession of a rental unit. Your office certainly delivered and I thank you and your fine staff for shepherding the buyout negotiation to a positive conclusion."

"Thank you so much, Jane, for your usual excellence.  Whenever I think of Fried and Williams and now Fried Williams & Grice Conner, LLP - excellence is definitely the word that springs to mind.

As you know, this past year was a completely unforeseen nightmare to me and I would not have made it through without your firm.  As much as I deeply appreciate your firm's legal expertise AND I DO - I am also keenly aware from my work experience that the frontline team - in your firm's case  - the attorneys - are only as good as the team that stands behind them to handle the plethora of accounting and other details.  They could not operate anywhere as effectively as they do - without people of your caliber and efficiency. They are most blessed to have you and I am so grateful that with all my questions you have been nothing but as fast as lightning in responding to me and always with such courtesy and professionalism."

"I can't thank you enough for your wise counsel, steadfast calm, and expert representation, not to mention mindfulness of hours, throughout this process. As you know, it was an enormously taxing experience for my parents and brother. We are relieved with the outcome, it could have been far worse without your counsel."

"This is a great law firm that serves landlords, which is extremely difficult to find...Steve Williams and Matthew Quiring are the best! Their law firm has assisted us with a tenant issue and we had a successful outcome to our case. They're very responsive, knowledgeable, patient and always willing to listen and come up with the best plan of action. We keep them on retainer just in case we have another tenant issue. And if you're a landlord, you know the next tenant issue is just around the corner!
I would highly recommend this law firm to any landlord in need of representation."

"David, we are so grateful for the role you played, not just in the property sale, but helping us settle the rent dispute with the tenant, dealing with the accessible business entrance issue and dealing with the city's bureaucracy which could have been a nightmare but thanks to you, it was handled and history. Throughout these adventures you've been available for every question and issue, and were always prompt about getting back to us. We always felt you were in our corner, and that was a great feeling."

"Clifford, thanks for your excellent CEB webinar on Introduction to Local Rent Control and Residential Landlord-Tenant Laws in California (taped earlier this year). I’ve been doing UD as part of my practice and this was one of the best-organized webinars I’ve seen in years, perfect for the rookie or a veteran like me. Deeply appreciate the work you put into it."

“Wow! This is great news! Thank you so much, Clifford!!!! The whole family just did a happy dance. I don’t know how you did it, but you got them to respond. Terrific!!!!!!! You’ve probably seen way worse, but this was very stressful for us. You are our Superman!!!!!!!!!!

"After speaking with some highly recommended but also "the-sky-will-fall-if-you-don't-do-this" landlord attorneys, I was relieved to find David Semel at Fried Williams. He is calm, thorough, knowledgeable, and, most importantly, extremely helpful when it comes to helping landlords like me avoid legal issues or worse lawsuits with their tenants. What can I say? I will hire David again if I need more help navigating the complex tenant/landlord laws in San Francisco. David's guidance helped me avoid my tenants escalating a terrible situation with their lease agreements. Thanks, David, you are worth every penny and more." 

"In the Bay area, it's easy as a small landlord to make an unintended mistake and be liable for nest-egg destroying damages due to landlord-punitive laws. I was up against a difficult-to-win tenant lawsuit and pursued by an aggressive Bay area tenant-oriented law firm claiming a 99% success rate on their website. David Semel and Steve Williams of Fried & Williams held my hand through the whole
process, helping me develop a winning strategy that let me land in that 1%. I didn't have to pay a dime to the plaintiffs in the end."

"I am an administrative law judge and a client of Mr. Fried’s. He is an extraordinarily diligent, tenacious, thorough, and talented lawyer. He listens to me as a client and responds to me as a person. He does the difficult research and preparation necessary to achieve the outstanding results that he has already achieved for me. He is at home in the courtroom, both when trying a case to a jury (as he did in
my case) and when arguing to a judge. He has good objectivity and can represent and advise people on any side of a case. I endorse him without reservation.”

"I'm a real estate broker who has worked with Steve in the past. He has helped me many times and I have always had a good experience. He is very knowledgeable and helpful to me and all my clients that I have recommended."

"My family found Matthew Quiring to be efficient and supportive in what was a difficult case regarding my father, as a longtime landlord in Berkeley/Oakland, and a tenant who is an old family friend. Ultimately, Matthew was able to resolve issues for us and to help us move forward, amicably. We appreciate Matthew's help and expertise."

“I am writing in advance of the verdict in our case because my satisfaction with David Semel’s work and my opinion [are] not dependent on the verdict. Win or lose, you did an outstanding job. I appreciate your preparation, professionalism, and superior advocacy. I am copying this email to Clifford Fried because I want him to know that he chose well when he hired you. In this season of gratitude, I am
especially grateful that you are my lawyer.”

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[The verdict came in. We won.]

"I am a property manager in San Francisco and understand how important it is to work with a strong, experienced attorney. We hired Clifford to help with a difficult tenant with a long history of nuisance behavior. Clifford's meticulous preparation and attention to detail led to a successful buyout of the tenant even as Clifford was preparing to take the case to a jury. I was very impressed with his professionalism and successful result for the property owner. We continue to work with Clifford, and his knowledge and experience with San Francisco rent control issues [are] invaluable."