Overview
Paul Rohrer represents governmental entities, nonprofit educational institutions, health care providers, developers, and other property owners in land use and entitlement matters and in the acquisition, sale, optioning, and ground leasing of real property. He has extensive experience working with governmental entities and private developers to create public infrastructure, provide affordable housing, fully utilize government property, and create development opportunities. He has experience negotiating and drafting various land use and real estate agreements, including agreements between governmental and private entities and construction-related agreements.
Paul has worked extensively with public/private transactions, air-rights transfers, and the creation of special use districts for signage. He has worked on the formation or use of various special tax or fee districts. He has appeared in front of state legislative bodies and commissions and municipal bodies and commissions in support of his clients’ projects. He has helped draft and pass state laws and city ordinances.
Paul represents clients developing projects through the administrative entitlement process and defends those entitlements when they are challenged in court under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) or by other writ action. He is highly familiar with CEQA and other laws governing entitlements and the strategies used by project opponents.
Prior to becoming an attorney, Paul worked for 15 years in nearly every area of the real estate industry, and his business experience provides background and texture to his law practice.
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Bisnow's Downtown LA Renaissance
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5th Annual Evolution of Downtown Los Angeles
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West Coast Urban District Forum 2015
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2011 Conference on Academic Workforce Housing, Irvine Campus Housing Authority
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“BILLBOARD WARS: Signs and the Urban Streetscape,” Westside Urban Forum
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International Downtown Association's World Conference
Education
- Yale Law School, J.D., Coker Fellow, Tercentennial DeVane Fellow, Book Review Editor, Yale Journal of International Law, Founder, Brazil Linkage Program
- University of California at Los Angeles, B.A., summa cum laude, College Honors, University Honors
Court Admissions
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
Bar Admissions
- California
Clerkships
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
Recognition
- Named in Chambers USA, America's Leading Lawyers for Business, in California Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use (2012-2024)
- Named in the Los Angeles Business Journal’s “Who’s Who in L.A. Real Estate Law” report (2013)
- Named "Southern California Super Lawyer" in Real Estate and Land Use/Zoning by Thomson Reuters (2013-2021)
- Rising Star, Southern California Super Lawyers, Los Angeles magazine (2012)
- Named among "California's Top 50 Development Lawyers" by the Daily Journal (2014)
- Named "Best Lawyer" in Real Estate Law, by The Best Lawyers in America, published by Woodward White, Inc. (2017-2025)
- Named in The Legal 500 US in Real Estate (2020-2021, 2024) and Land Use/Zoning (2024), published by Legalease Limited and John Pritchard
Affiliations
- Member, Board of Directors, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce
- Executive Committee Member, Central City Association