With a focus on growing its transactional practice on the West Coast, Nixon Peabody has expanded in Southern California with the arrival of land use partner Bryan LeRoy. Based in Nixon Peabody’s Los Angeles office, Bryan represents private and public entities in planning, land use, energy and infrastructure as well as other real estate development matters.

Bryan counsels clients on entitlement strategy and the processing of land use permits. He secures approvals for zoning and General Plan amendments and manages environmental concerns and other project impacts. Well-versed in the application of the California Environmental Quality Act and the National Environmental Policy Act, Bryan reviews and processes environmental assessments, environmental impact statements and reports, and negative declarations. Bryan also advises on residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional developments, and the permitting of regional energy projects involving multiple state and federal agencies.

“Bryan’s strong knowledge of planning, land use, and navigating state and federal government processes is a perfect complement to our real estate practice,” said Denise Pursley, leader of Nixon Peabody’s Real Estate practice. “We look forward to bringing Bryan’s land use expertise to our clients.”

The latest addition to Nixon Peabody’s West Coast transactional and real estate practice, Bryan joins Nixon Peabody from Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, where he was a partner. In his new role, Bryan will work closely with Los Angeles real estate partner Justin Thompson, who also joined the firm last year.

“Adding land use expertise to our real estate and transactional practice in California has been a top priority of ours here in Los Angeles. We are extremely excited to add someone of Bryan’s caliber to fill this crucial role,” said Seth Levy, managing partner of Nixon Peabody’s Los Angeles office. “Bryan’s vast array of experience adds to and amplifies the broad range of services we are able to offer clients here in California.”

Bryan has served in many city and county legal roles in Southern California. He worked as an attorney for the city of Los Alamitos and he served as legal counsel to the planning commissions of Dana Point, Lake Forest, and City of Industry. Bryan was also general counsel to the Orange County Council of Governments, a joint powers agency made up of 29 cities and eight special agencies. Bryan earned his J.D. from University of California’s Hastings College of the Law, where he was the Judicial Affairs director and an editorial board member of the Hastings Constitutional Quarterly. He received his B.A. from University of California Los Angeles.

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