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Allan J. Abshez concentrates his practice on land use development law and related litigation. He has represented private and public clients in connection with major development projects across every use sector, including housing, shopping centers and retailing, office/commercial, master-planned communities and centers, entertainment centers, motion picture studios, hospitals, sports stadiums, educational facilities at all levels, redevelopment projects and public infrastructure.
Mr. Abshez has experience in the following areas of practice:
- Land use permitting, including litigation
- The California Environmental Quality Act
- The Subdivision Map Act
- General planning and zoning law
- Community redevelopment law
- The California Coastal Act
- Wetlands regulation
- Endangered species protection
- Air and water quality regulation
- Historic preservation law
- Design review
- Land use and growth control initiatives
- Inverse condemnation/takings law
- Congestion and growth management regulation
Mr. Abshez formerly served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Kaufman and Broad Home Corporation. He also was a legal extern for California Supreme Court Justice Allen E. Broussard.
Mr. Abshez was part of the Law360 2011 Real Estate Practice Group of the Year and the team that received the 2010 Chambers and Partners USA Award for Excellence in Real Estate. He has been recognized as a California Super Lawyer (2006) and has received an AV Preeminent 5 out of 5 rating from Martindale-Hubbell. He is a member of the American Bar Association.
Representative Experience
Housing Projects
- Howard Hughes Center, proposed 275-unit condominium building and 325-unit apartment building at Howard Hughes Center in Los Angeles: CEQA compliance, development agreement amendment and extension, subdivision approvals and unified development plan.
- Ponte Vista Specific Plan, proposed 1,400-unit residential community to be located on 61-acre former U.S. Navy housing site in San Pedro, California: CEQA compliance, general plan and zone changes, specific plan and subdivision approvals before the City of Los Angeles.
- “The Wilshire,” a 27-story high-rise luxury condominium building along the “platinum mile” of Wilshire Boulevard: Design review approval and other City permits.
- “The Remington,” a 23-story high rise luxury condominium building along the “platinum mile” of Wilshire Boulevard: Design review approval and other City permits.
- Marina Pointe “Regatta” Condominiums, 812-unit three-tower luxury high-rise condominium development in Marina del Rey, California: Acquisition and disposition of property, negotiation of entitlement responsibilities, City of Los Angeles entitlement compliance.
- Sunset Astra Hotel, approved 189-room luxury hotel on Sunset Strip in the City of West Hollywood: Zoning and specific plan approvals, and CEQA compliance.
- UCSB North Campus Faculty-Student Housing Plan, Masterplan for 174-acre North Campus of the University of California at Santa Barbara, including open space plan and 351 units of faculty and student housing: Long Range Development Plan Amendment, CEQA compliance, and representation before The Regents of the University of California and the California Coastal Commission.
- Inglewood Renaissance, 376 single-family home project in Inglewood, California: CEQA compliance, subdivision approval, planned area development approval, general plan amendment and zone change, and post-approval litigation.
- Stonefield Indio Estates, 132 semi-custom single-family home private community in Indio, California: CEQA compliance, zone changes, subdivision and representation before the City Council, litigation defense of project approvals.
- Library Gardens, 176-unit mixed-use multifamily/commercial project in Berkeley, California: CEQA compliance, representation before the City of Berkeley and rent control issues.
- Chase Knolls, addition of 141 multifamily apartments to existing 260-unit apartment complex designated as a historic monument: Subdivision approval and site plan review, CEQA compliance, National Historic Register and City monument approvals, and Mills Act contract approval.
- Lincoln Place Masterplan, proposed residential development consisting of 850 residential units in Venice, California: Subdivision approvals, CEQA compliance, rent control compliance, historic preservation issues, and litigation of Ellis Act and rent control issues.
- Central City West Specific Plan, Specific Plan for mixed-use development of downtown Los Angeles west of the Harbor Freeway, including 24 million square feet of commercial development and 18,000 residential units: CEQA compliance and litigation defense of City approvals against third-party litigation.
Shopping Center Projects
- The Farmers Market Masterplan (The Grove), one million square foot mixed-use project located at the Farmers Market in Los Angeles: Subdivision approvals, zoning and conditional use approvals, historic preservation review and CEQA compliance. The Masterplan has been developed as “The Grove” by Caruso Affiliated Holdings.
- Village Center Westwood, proposed 588,000 mixed-use retail, entertainment, and housing project to be located in Westwood Village in Los Angeles: CEQA compliance, Specific Plan amendment, subdivision approvals, street vacations, design review, development agreement and historic preservation approval.
- The Home Depot Marketplace, a 500,000 square foot power center project located in Inglewood, California: Planned assembly development approval, CEQA compliance and subdivision approval.
- Sherman Oaks Fashion Square, enclosure and various expansions of the Sherman Oaks Fashion Square shopping center: Zoning, conditional use approvals and CEQA compliance.
- Janss Marketplace Expansion, renovation and expansion of Janss Marketplace in Thousand Oaks, California, to 664,000 square feet: Mello-Roos and City participation in financing of parking structure and other public facilities, ground lease for parking structure, reciprocal easement agreement, tenant relocation agreements and owner participation agreement.
- Walgreens, various Walgreens in Southern California: Conditional use permits and variances, redevelopment permitting and CEQA compliance.
- Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, various Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Markets in Southern California: Conditional use permits and variances, redevelopment permitting and CEQA compliance.
Entertainment Projects
- The 20th Century Fox Historic Preservation and Studio Expansion Project, 1.1 million square foot renovation and expansion of Fox’s 53-acre motion picture and television production and distribution facilities in Century City, California: Specific and general plan amendments, managing existing and proposed subdivision approvals, CEQA and Air Quality Management Plan compliance, and litigation defense of project processing.
- Hollywood Park Stadium, proposed 65,000-seat stadium in Inglewood, California: Zoning approvals, CEQA compliance, owner participation agreement with Community Redevelopment Agency, regional and federal clearances, and litigation defense of entitlements.
- The Hollywood Promenade, 1.1 million square foot mixed-use redevelopment project in Hollywood, California: Property assemblage, subdivision and other discretionary approvals by the City of Los Angeles, CEQA compliance and owner participation agreement with Community Redevelopment Agency. Later constructed as the “Hollywood/Highland” project.
- Nighttime Broadway, proposed Specific Plan to create an entertainment zone along Broadway in downtown Los Angeles with the goal of spurring historic renovation and downtown revitalization.
Office/Commercial Projects
- Howard Hughes Center, proposed 500,000 square foot office buildings at Howard Hughes Center: CEQA compliance, development agreement compliance, subdivision approvals and unified development plan.
- Santa Monica Civic Center Specific Plan, representation of RAND Corporation in specific planning process for the Santa Monica Civic Center: Specific plan process, subdivision approvals, CEQA compliance and Coastal Act permitting.
- The “New Wilshire” Project, redevelopment of the former Carnation Company headquarters site adjacent to the Miracle Mile on Wilshire Boulevard with 350,000 square feet of office buildings, single-family homes and a community park: General plan amendment, development agreement, zone change, floor area averaging permit, street vacations and CEQA compliance.
- Playa Vista, a mixed-use development of an approximately 450-acre site adjacent to Marina del Rey in Los Angeles, California: Summa Corporation team subdivision processing, CEQA compliance and Coastal Act compliance.
- Malibu Village Civic Center Specific Plan, representation in connection with proposed Specific Plan and related entitlements for the Malibu Civic Center: Management of litigation regarding zoning and inverse condemnation issues arising from the City of Malibu’s moratorium activities.
Education/Hospital/Museum/Public Facility Projects
- The J. Paul Getty Fine Arts Center, 450,000 square foot museum complex in Brentwood, California: Conditional use approval of project by the City of Los Angeles, CEQA compliance and general project management (e.g., preparation of attendant contracts). Representation also included the J. Paul Getty Museum in Malibu, California, with respect to real estate and land use issues.
- University of California Long Range Development Plans, representation of U.C. Santa Cruz, U.C. Santa Barbara and U.C. Berkeley in connection with their campus Long Range Development plans. Also coordinated approach to long range development issues for the University of California, including assuring CEQA and Coastal Act compliance, and drafting University CEQA guidelines.
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, development of 151,000 square foot medical research facility: Zoning approval, CEQA compliance and representation of other hospital facilities in connection with SCAQMD permitting of medical waste incinerator.
- Maimonides Academy, expansion of Orthodox Jewish day school in West Hollywood and Los Angeles, California: Zoning variances and CEQA compliance.
- Yeshiva University of Los Angeles (YULA) Boys High School, expansion of Orthodox Jewish Boys High School in Los Angeles, California: Conditional use permits, variances and CEQA compliance.
- Leo Baeck Temple, Temple/Cultural facility Masterplan in Los Angeles, California: Conditional use permits, variances and CEQA compliance.
- Pacific View Cemetery, Masterplan for cemetery located in Newport Beach, California: General plan amendment and zone changes, development agreement and CEQA compliance.
Public Infrastructure Projects
- Sunshine Canyon Landfill, 100 million ton landfill serving northern Los Angeles County: CEQA compliance and general plan, zoning and conditional use approvals.
- Azusa Land Reclamation Project, expansion of major Class III landfill serving the San Gabriel Valley: Waste discharge approvals, CEQA compliance, superior court and appellate litigation regarding waste discharge approvals, basin plan amendment proceedings before regional and state boards, and negotiating owner participation agreement.
- Various renewable energy projects throughout California.
Memberships and Affiliations
Mr. Abshez plays an active leadership role in the community. He is a member of the Land Use Leadership Committee for the Los Angeles Chapter of the Urban Land Institute and a member of the Los Angeles Business Council Chairman’s Circle, an executive board member of the Central City Association of Los Angeles, and a cabinet member for the Real Estate and Construction Division of the Jewish Federation. Mr. Abshez also serves on various policy-making committees of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation.
Mr. Abshez’s public appointments include serving as a planning commissioner on the City of Los Angeles-Central Area Planning Commission, and as a mayoral appointee to the City of Los Angeles Miracle Mile North Historic Preservation Overlay Zone Board and the City of Los Angeles Rent Stabilization Ordinance Oversight Committee. He also served as chairman of the Los Angeles Mayor’s Task Force for the Nighttime Broadway Revitalization Project and as a member of the Los Angeles Tennis Club Board of Directors.
Education and Bar Admissions
Mr. Abshez received his Bachelor of Arts degree, with highest honors, from the University of California at Berkeley in 1978, where he was Phi Beta Kappa, an Edward Kraft Memorial Scholar, an Alumni Scholar and a California State Scholar, and received the Bank of America Social Sciences Award. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of California at Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall) in 1984, receiving American Jurisprudence Awards in Constitutional Law and Antitrust Law. Mr. Abshez is admitted to practice in California.
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Education
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B.A., University of California at Berkeley, 1978
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J.D., University of California at Berkeley School of Law, 1984
Memberships
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American Bar Association
- Land Use Leadership Committee for the Urban Land Institute Los Angeles Chapter
- Los Angeles Business Council's Chairman’s Circle
- Central City Association of Los Angeles
- Real Estate and Construction Division of the Jewish Federation
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