Land Use and Development Partner Returns to Manatt in Los Angeles
Seasoned land use attorney, C.J. Laffer, enhances Energy, Environment and Real Estate group amid increasingly complex regulatory landscape
LOS ANGELES, May 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, a multidisciplinary, integrated professional services firm, today announced the return of C.J. Laffer to the Firm’s Energy, Environment and Real Estate group as a partner in the Los Angeles office. Laffer focuses on land use and real estate development matters, assisting commercial and multifamily property owners, investors and institutions in navigating complex regulations and obtaining approvals for development projects, expansions of operations and changes in use, and advising clients on real property transactions.
“We’re thrilled to welcome C.J. back to Manatt as we strategically expand our teams in Los Angeles and across the country, with a continued focus on growing our premium capabilities through strategic growth and client needs,” said Manatt CEO and Managing Partner Donna Wilson. “We are committed to investing in talent that strengthens our ability to partner with our incredible clients as we help them navigate the increasingly complex opportunities and challenges they face across industries.”
Laffer brings a notable background advising clients on land use, entitlement and environmental compliance matters across Southern California. He counsels clients on a broad range of issues, including zoning and planning, subdivisions, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and coastal development. He also advocates for clients before city councils, planning commissions and other administrative agencies. His land use work also includes CEQA and land use litigation.
Previously, Laffer was an associate in Manatt’s Los Angeles office, before leaving to become a partner at a boutique law firm focusing on land use entitlements and permitting in Southern California. Prior to beginning his legal career, he worked on land use, municipal finance and development projects for an economic consulting firm, and on transportation policy in the U.S. House of Representatives as an American Planning Association Congressional Fellow.
“Manatt has an exceptional reputation for handling sophisticated land use and environmental matters in all stages of the development process, from acquisition to approvals, and, where necessary, litigation. I’m very excited to return to such a collaborative, integrated platform,” said Laffer. “The Firm’s multidisciplinary approach allows us to deliver comprehensive, strategic guidance that helps clients effectively advance their complex projects. I look forward to working with the Manatt team to support its most critical development initiatives.”
Laffer is the latest addition to Manatt’s expanding bench of professionals across Energy, Environment and Real Estate, including National Advisor Tom Ewald, former Los Angeles County Deputy Fire Chief, and National Advisor Mike Stoker, former Southwest Regional Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Laffer serves on the Board of Trustees of Wilshire Boulevard Temple and is a member of the Pacific Palisades Park Advisory Board. He earned his J.D. from the University of Southern California, Master of City Planning from the University of California, Berkeley, and B.A. from the University of Michigan.
About Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, is a leading professional services firm, providing integrated legal and consulting services to a global client base. With offices strategically located in California (Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento and Silicon Valley), New York (New York City and Albany), Chicago, Washington, D.C. and Boston, the Firm represents sophisticated clients—including Fortune 500, middle-market and emerging companies—across a range of industry sectors such as health care; financial services; entertainment; digital and technology; and energy, environmental and real estate. For more information, visit www.manatt.com.
CONTACT:
Samuel Eisele 212.704.1998
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
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