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Mayer Brown

Mayer Brown

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United States • Real estate

2

Land use/zoning

With notable expertise in entitlement, Mayer Brown LLP’s land use and zoning practice advises on complex development projects across Southern California, including major Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) initiatives. The team is led by Edgar Khalatian, who represents investors and developers across all aspects of real estate entitlement and development, ensuring compliance with state and local regulations, including the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Working alongside the firm’s broader real estate and public policy, regulatory & political law practices, co-led by Philip Recht, the team regularly represents clients before federal, state, and local authorities. Dario Frommer advises on legislative, regulatory, enforcement, and investigative matters, while litigator Dan Queen and associate Richard Bruckner focus on CEQA compliance. Nedda Mahrou represents commercial and residential developers in transactional land use matters and related litigation, and Patricia Tubert is a key contact for project entitlements and environmental compliance. All aforementioned attorneys are based in Los Angeles.  
Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘The Land use team on our project was led by Edgar Khalatian. Edgar and his team curated a perfect execution of a difficult project with density and political barriers. They brought together the right strategy from PR to code variance obstacles and achieved entitlement in the end. The ownership did not make things easy, as there were continuous multiple design changes that had an impact on code compliance, including parking, FAR, and Fire Life Safety compliance. Edgar and his team were patient and persistent in providing counsel and solutions to get the job done.’

  • ‘Relentless determination to find a way, bringing the experts and relationships together to overcome obstacles.’

  • 'Mayer Brown land use has great people, talented, knowledgeable, and collaborative, which sets them apart from other firms.'

  • 'Edgar Khalatian is one of the partners I work with, and he is committed to providing great service.'

Key clients

  • 8150 Sunset
  • AvalonBay Communities
  • Bank OZK
  • Cold Storage
  • Felix Gardens Hotel
  • Harvard-Westlake School
  • Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City
  • Maxxam Enterprises
  • Millennium Partners
  • Mitsui Fudosan USA
  • Museum of Latin American Art
  • Prologis, Inc.
  • Sentinel Peak Resources
  • The Reef

Work highlights

Representing Los Angeles Cold Storage Company to entitle a transformative mixed-use community (Fourth & Central) adjacent to Downtown LA that will include 10 buildings totalling over 2 million square feet of area and over 1,500 new housing units. Governor Gavin Newson certified the project as an environmental leadership development project.
Representing Sentinel Peak Resources in the redevelopment of the largest urban oil field in the United States. The project involves the transformation of an approximately 1,200 acres oil field into a sustainable and resilient mixed-use community, with entitlements including a specific plan to allow for up to 8,000 residential units and significant publicly accessible open space.
Represented Millennium Partners in securing entitlements for a 400-foot residential high-rise with nearly 250 units at 8300 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills, creating a new eastern gateway from Los Angeles.
Practice head

Edgar Khalatian; Nedda Mahrou

Other key lawyers

Phillip Recht; Dario Frommer; Dan Queen; Richard Brucknet; Nedda Mahrou; Patricia Turbert