Andrew J. Brady
SocioAndrew Brady, Partner in DLA Piper's Downtown Los Angeles office, represents clients in administrative processes before local, state and federal governmental agencies and in litigation matters in state and federal courts. Andrew has helped clients obtain land use entitlements, government contracts, and permits for local and complex multi-jurisdictional development projects across California. His expertise includes a deep working knowledge of state and local zoning laws and land use regulations, the California Environmental Quality Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, contaminated site remediation, and water rights. His experience also includes winning court cases and helping clients successfully navigate regulatory enforcement matters involving the California Environmental Quality Act, land use entitlements, soil and groundwater contamination, Clean Water Act permits, and air quality permits.
EXPERIENCE
Andrew has represented:
- A developer in obtaining entitlements, permits and the approval of a CEQA exemption for a 102-unit mixed use student residential project one block away from the University of Southern California. Andrew successfully defended the Project against CEQA appeals by two neighborhood groups and obtained final entitlement approvals from the City of Los Angeles in December, 2019
- A cruise ship company in defending a Port of Long Beach terminal facility improvement project against five administrative appeals filed by various community and environmental groups on CEQA and other environmental groups. The appeals were denied and the project was obtained final approvals from the City and Port of Long Beach in December, 2019
- A developer in litigation involving CEQA and the State Redevelopment and Planning laws. Andrew and the DLA team obtained a final judgment in favor of the client in June, 2019, following a trial on the merits. and successfully got the Petitioners' appeal dismissed in August, 2019
- A developer in litigation involving claims challenging a project approval under federal fair housing laws. Andrew and the DLA team, working with a group of co-defendants, obtained a judgment in favor of our clients in November, 2019, obtaining a full dismissal of the case on a demurrer
- A developer in obtaining entitlements and successfully defending against an administrative CEQA appeal by a community group against a 50-unit residential project in the Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles. The Project obtained final approvals from the City of Los Angeles in March, 2020
- A developer in obtaining entitlements, permits and the approval of a CEQA exemption for the Hub Project, a 79-unit mixed use student housing residential and retail tower project adjacent to Exposition Park in South Los Angeles.
- A developer in obtaining entitlements, permits and the certification of a CEQA environmental impact report for the College Station project, a 725-unit mixed use residential and retail project in the Chinatown neighborhood of the City of Los Angeles.
- A developer in obtaining building permits, alcohol permits and approving environmental review for ROW DTLA, a 1.8 million square foot mixed-use adaptive reuse retail, restaurant, and creative office park project adjacent to the Arts District in Downtown Los Angeles.
- A developer in obtaining entitlements, permits and the approval of a CEQA exemption for a 236 unit, 26-story mixed use residential and retail tower project in Downtown Los Angeles.
- A developer in in obtaining entitlements, permits and the approval of a full CEQA exemption for a 178-unit, 27-story mixed use residential and retail tower development in the Chinatown neighborhood of the City of Los Angeles.
- A developer in successfully defending two administrative appeals by a union group on various grounds including CEQA against the Mart South Project, a 149-key adaptive reuse hotel project in the Fashion District in Downtown Los Angeles.
- A developer in CEQA litigation against the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) challenging a light rail turn-back facility project that threatened to condemn a portion of a site being developed by the client in the Arts District in Downtown Los Angeles. The litigation resulted in a settlement wherein Metro purchased the client's property.
- A developer in obtaining entitlements, permits and the approval of environmental review for a 122-unit mixed use residential and retail tower project in the Westlake neighborhood of the City of Los Angeles.
- A developer in obtaining permits and entitlements and the approval of environmental review for 102,679 square foot cutting-edge private artists club and showcasing facility in Downtown Los Angeles' Arts District.
- A developer in obtaining permits and entitlements and the approval of environmental review for a 99-unit student and public housing project in South Los Angeles.
- An ready mix concrete manufacturer in defense Clean Water Citizen Suit claims by environmental organizations claiming violations of the Clean Water Act. Resolved case outside of court with zero liability for client.
- An aggregate mining facility in defense of Clean Water Citizen Suit claims by private citizen claiming violations of the Clean Water Act. Resolved case with low, nuisance settlement that was a small fraction of the liability sought by the Plaintiff.
- A developer in an administrative appeal of a denial of permits and entitlements for 203-unit eldercare residential facility located in the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles. Successfully obtained reversal of denials on appeal to the City's Central Area Planning Commission, obtaining full project approvals for all required entitlements, including an eldercare facility unified permit.
- A large energy company in the successful defense of an environmental organization's CEQA challenge to a port facility lease project
- A city in a successful CEQA challenge to a proposed rock quarry project
- A private school in the successful defense of a CEQA challenge to a project to expand the school facilities
- A large cement manufacturer in negotiating a lease, conducting environmental review and obtaining permits and entitlements for a large port development project
- A solar energy developer in obtaining permits, entitlements and water rights and conducting an environmental review for a commercial solar power station project
- A nonprofit in conducting an environmental review and filing a CERCLA suit for recovery of response costs for a public park and community center project
- A utility in conducting an environmental review for a gas pipeline project
- A large concrete manufacturer in nine separate Clean Water Act citizen suits brought by an environmental NGO
- A group of Los Angeles County cities in negotiation and an administrative challenge to the Los Angeles County MS4 NPDES permit
- A group of landowner water rights holders in Antelope Valley groundwater adjudication
- A California municipality in a published appeal regarding the application of the Cullen Earthquake Act
- The Association of California Water Agencies as amicus counsel in two California Court of Appeal cases challenging the Cadiz water project
Awards
The Legal 500 United States
- Recommended, Land Use / Zoning (2019-2020, 2024)
Seminars
- Speaker, Hot Topics in CEQA, CEB, March 11, 2020
- Speaker, "California's Environmental Choices," Association for Environmental Health and Sciences (2016)