Victor S. De la Cruz

Land use law can involve a lot more than blueprints and zoning codes. To make big urban projects happen, De la Cruz crafts legal, political and community relations strategies to gain regulatory approval and implementation. His broad expertise includes substantial experience with the California Environmental Quality Act, the Coastal Act, the Subdivision Map Act and other areas of law affecting development and conservation.

In Hollywood, he's land use counsel working on the environmental impact report for client Kilroy Realty Corp. in its $300 million Academy Square project off Sunset Boulevard and Vine Street. The marquee 3.5-acre development is to fill a city block; promoters call it the southern gateway to downtown Hollywood. It will include four-story buildings with 280,000 square feet of office and retail space and a 23-story tower with hundreds of apartments and a hotel.

To make those plans reality, De la Cruz said, "The bulk of my work will take off when community members, who try to stop every big project, get busy. We'll get our approvals, then try to address the concerns raised."

His familiarity with Los Angeles helps. "Every area has its own constituency. We are able to anticipate what homeowners' associations and other groups will do. Traffic is all to some. Elsewhere it's all about affordable housing and fair wages. It is important to have a proactive media strategy and community outreach. My practice is completely different from anything I ever learned in law school."

De la Cruz's profile elevated when he represented Manatt colleague Joseph Horacek III, the prominent entertainment lawyer, in a Bel Air neighborhood crusade against the notorious mega-mansion, Strada Vecchia, of celebrity developer Mohamed Hadid.

"Joe has a large house himself, and he was the wrong person to mess with," De la Cruz said. "Mr. Hadid had permits, but when we started work we had a gut sense that something was wrong. We did a forensic analysis and looked at old topographic maps."

That's when the aha moment happened. De la Cruz could prove to zoning officials that Hadid illegally graded the site to misrepresent its natural grade and the height of the project.

"When we walked into the Department of Building and Safety with our evidence, you could see the shock on their faces," De la Cruz said. Revocation of all Hadid's building permits followed and the mansion sits empty.

For client Live Nation Entertainment Inc., De la Cruz was able to wrest control of Los Angeles' iconic Greek Theater from 40-year incumbent The Nederlander Organization. He won the unanimous vote of the city's Board of Recreation and Park commissioners for the Greek to operate as an open venue where Live Nation and others can book concerts.

"A key move was convincing the city attorney that another extension for Nederlander would be illegal," De la Cruz said. "It was another example of working at the intersection of law and government."

- John Roemer