Procopio Real Estate Partner Sara Neva has been named to the 2026 40 Under 40 Leaders list by the San Diego Business Journal, the third time she’s earned this recognition. This is only the latest of many accolades for this accomplished real estate attorney. For example, earlier this year she was named to the SD Metro 40 under 40 list for the second straight year. Sara was also named to Best Lawyers in Real Estate Law for 2026 after two years as a Best Lawyers One to Watch.

Sara counsels clients on real estate, finance and general business transactions. Her practice involves real estate property purchase and sale, commercial leases and easements, joint venture formation and other equity investments, and financing. Sara is experienced with developers, builders, lenders, borrowers, commercial real estate investors, entrepreneurs, non-profit organizations and commercial landlords and tenants.

Here’s a short summary of Sara’s accolades:

• Best Lawyers®, Real Estate Law, 2026
• Best Lawyers® Ones to Watch, Real Estate Law, 2024-2025
• Super Lawyers® Rising Stars, Real Estate Law, 2020-2026
• 40 Under 40, San Diego Business Journal, 2020, 2024 and 2026
• San Diego Top Attorneys, SD Metro, 2020, 2024, 2025, 2026
• 40 Under 40, SD Metro, 2021, 2025 and 2026
• Leader of Influence in Law, San Diego Business Journal, 2023, 2024
• Women of Influence in Law, San Diego Business Journal, 2021-2024
• Business Women of the Year, finalist, San Diego Business Journal, 2020-2025
• Woman of Influence, SD Metro, 2023
• Leaders in Law finalist, San Diego Business Journal, 2020
• Leaders in Law Rising Star, San Diego Business Journal, 2019

Procopio’s Real Estate practice attorneys have received numerous recognitions, including from Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers, and Legal 500, and the practice has a Tier 1 Ranking for San Diego from Best Lawyers-Best Law Firms. The practice’s attorneys represent developers, institutional investors, lenders, operators, and family offices across the full life cycle of real estate projects. They structure and close acquisitions and dispositions, form and negotiate joint ventures, secure and document construction and mezzanine financing, guide projects through entitlement and development, and protect client interests in high-stakes disputes. The attorneys combine transactional depth with strong land use, environmental, tax, finance, and litigation capabilities. That integration allows them to anticipate risk, align capital structures with business objectives, and keep projects moving in highly regulated markets such as California and the broader Southwest. Procopio staffs matters efficiently and deliberately, aligning experience and cost with the client’s objectives and bottom line.