Victor De la Cruz , chair of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP’s land use practice, advises a broad range of clients on high-stakes development, entitlement, and regulatory matters across California. His recent work includes representing a leading waste management company in franchise agreements, facility entitlements, and litigation defense on projects exceeding $1bn in value. He also counsels a major Los Angeles university in litigation and entitlement disputes tied to campus expansion, with matters valued at over $100m. Beyond these, De la Cruz advises cultural institutions, nonprofits, and international event organizers on large-scale, complex projects.
L'éditorial du Legal 500

Distinctions

Los Angeles Elite

Clients clés

  • Athens Services
  • Mount Saint Mary’s University
  • Self-Realization Fellowship
  • The American Musical and Dramatic Academy
  • Bicycle Transit Systems
  • Orange Barrel Media
  • Ike Smart City
  • The California Endowment
  • LoanCore Capital
  • Toll Brothers
  • Sun Communities
  • Rising Realty
  • The Peninsula Beverly Hills Hotel

Points forts

Representing Athens Services in its Southern California expansion, including securing a contested Thousand Oaks franchise agreement and entitlements for a $1bn Irwindale facility capable of processing 6,000 tons of waste daily.
Successfully represented Mount Saint Mary’s University in preserving critical easement rights in a high-profile lawsuit against the Getty Center and in defending entitlements for its $100m Wellness Pavilion, overcoming three CEQA lawsuits and neighborhood opposition to secure unanimous city approval.