WHO’S WHO IN L.A. LAW: BENJAMIN M. REZNIK

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BENJAMIN M. REZNIK

, 57

Firm: Jeffer Mangels Butler & Marmaro LLP

LAW SCHOOL: USC

CLIENTS: Belmont Village, Bond Capital, Mitsubishi

Benjamin M. Reznik didn’t want to be an attorney, he wanted to join the Foreign Service as a diplomat. But above all, he wanted to marry the love of his life, Janice, and her father would only give his blessing if Reznik went to law school.

Fortunately, law turned out to be a good fit for Reznik, who would go on to specialize in land-use and environmental issues.

Reznik decided to become a land-use attorney in 1978 when he was investing in property. He needed some minor entitlement changes, and he couldn’t find a lawyer who knew about that area of the law.

“Around 1980, the no-grow movement began to take hold and property owners and developers were having problems getting projects approved,” Reznik said. “Back then, I was only one of the very few lawyers who could navigate the process.”

Throughout the 32 years of his law career, he has won many challenging cases. Recently, Reznik represented G.H. Palmer Associates, an L.A. real estate firm, in an action against the city of Los Angeles, which tried to block a project. The city was punishing Palmer for demolishing a historic landmark on a downtown site where the company intended to build the third phase of its Orsini multifamily project. Jeffer Mangels Butler & Marmaro LLP sued the city and won a settlement allowing the real estate firm to proceed with its development.

Another of his notable cases was California Coastal Commission v. Trancas Property Owners Association. The homeowners were bulldozing an area of Broad Beach to create a berm, and the commission sued to stop the work. Reznik represented the property owners association and successfully defended alleged violations of the California Coastal Act. The issue was settled by mediation.

Even as a veteran of environmental and land-use law, Reznik still finds much of his work challenging.

“What I like most about my job is that it puts me in the middle of the four-way intersection of law, politics, public policy and public relations,” he said. “That makes every day a new experience.”

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