John Whitaker

Developers looking to put their mark on the Los Angeles’ skyline often hire this top-flight real estate attorney, not so much because he understands the latest city rules for expanding the size and scope of high-rise projects — but because he wrote them. By lobbying city leaders as chair of the Central City Association and other downtown business and planning groups, he has played a major role in new zoning laws that allow builders to pay for public benefits in exchange for more vertical building space. He also helped create the downtown job programs that incorporate construction training and worker placement into new skyscraper construction. The volunteer hours have paid off. Last year, he represented the developers of downtown’s Park Fifth Towers and Grand Avenue in securing public entitlements. He’s now putting together another downtown high-rise deal for Vancouver developer Amacon.