26 May 2026
Land Use and Development Partner C.J. Laffer Returns to Manatt, Phelps & Phillips in Los Angeles
"Manatt, Phelps & Phillips names C.J. Laffer partner in its Energy, Environment and Real Estate group in Los Angeles to work on land use and real estate development, including CEQA and entitlement matters."
Laffer focuses on land use and real estate development matters, assisting commercial and multifamily property owners, investors and institutions with regulatory navigation and obtaining approvals for development projects, expansions of operations and changes in use. His practice includes zoning and planning, subdivisions, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), coastal development, advocacy before city councils, planning commissions and other administrative agencies, and CEQA and land use litigation. He is joining Manatt at the partner level.
Previously, Laffer was an associate in Manatt’s Los Angeles office before leaving to become a partner at a boutique law firm focused 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 served on transportation policy in the U.S. House of Representatives as an American Planning Association Congressional Fellow. Laffer serves on the Board of Trustees of Wilshire Boulevard Temple, is a member of the Pacific Palisades Park Advisory Board, and holds a J.D. from the University of Southern California, a Master of City Planning from the University of California, Berkeley, and a B.A. from the University of Michigan.