PRACTICE  AREAS

      Eminent Domain

      Business and Real Property Litigation

      Inverse Condemnation

      Land Use

      Oil and Gas

      Water Rights

      Redevelopment

      CEQA Compliance

      Inverse Condemnation

 

ADMITTED

      California Bar, 1979

 

EDUCATION

      J.D., University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California (1979)

      A.B., University of California, Berkeley, California (1974)

 

BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE

            Mr. Springer is an experienced trial lawyer, recognized as one of the leading eminent domain attorneys in Southern California. His litigation practice specializes in all types of eminent domain, inverse condemnation, water rights, CEQA, environmental regulation, oil and gas, zoning and other land use matters.

With over 20 years of experience, Mr. Springer has successfully represented private landowners, business owners and government entities in highly complex eminent domain cases.  The broad range of these cases encompasses retail stores, manufacturing plants, liquor stores, hotels, industrial plants, restaurants, service stations, supermarkets, swap meets, shopping centers, warehouses, billboards, commercial office buildings, multi-family residential buildings, and unimproved parcels.  Frequently advocating creative valuation theories, Mr. Springer has built a considerable reputation based upon his unparalleled trial success record.

In the governmental sector, Mr. Springer has overseen many major condemnation projects for public entities, including the County of Los Angeles, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Tulare Irrigation District, and Colton Joint Unified School District.  Mr. Springer was responsible for the acquisition of almost half of the Metro Red Line Project station sites, including Universal City, Hollywood and Normandie, Wilshire and Vermont, Hollywood and Vine, Vermont and Beverly, and Alvarado Street Stations.  

Mr. Springer=s experience in land use related litigation matters includes project entitlement challenges, general plan and zoning consistency, and CEQA compliance.

Mr. Springer also has an active practice in general business litigation and environmental compliance, enforcement, and litigation.  He routinely counsels his clients regarding compliance with environmental statutes and regulations, cost-recovery and remediation of contaminated properties, hazardous waste clean-up projects, regulatory agency requirements, insurance coverage for environmental claims, and environmental issues in real property and corporate transactions. Mr. Springer frequently negotiates contracts and settlements with federal and state environmental agencies involving clean air, clean water, CERCLA, and other environmental issues.   He has defended corporations and persons accused of civil and criminal violations of environmental laws and regulations.

 

PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION

   President, Chapter 1, International Right of Way Association (1998).

   Profiled in the Los Angeles Daily Journal (April 4, 1997)  in connection with his record setting $2.3 Million jury verdict on behalf of two business owners in Pasadena Community Development Commission v. Milsztein et al.  The Los Angeles Daily Journal, the preeminent daily publication providing legal news in Southern California.

 

PUBLICATIONS (Partial List)

      "Mitigation of Loss of Goodwill Claims," Redevelopment Journal (February 1997) (with Nevin Sanli)

      "Valuing Contaminated Properties - Rights of Reimbursement Should Not Be Ignored," Published nationally in numerous appraisal newsletter format journals to date, including Environment Newsletter, IRWA (Fall 1992), Crossroads, IRWA Los Angeles Chapter (March 1992) and Compensable Loss Review (July/August 1992)

      "Untangling Leasehold Interests from Goodwill Claims," Compensable Loss Review (April/May 1988)

      "California Developments in the Law of Oil and Gas Exploration and Production," American Bar Association, "Natural Resources Law - The Year in Review" 1985, 1986, 1987

      "Avoided Costs and Other Issues Under PURPA," Geothermal Resources Council Bulletin (March 1984)

 

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS (Partial List)

    ATwice the Results: Coupling the Power of Eminent Domain with the Polanco Act@, California Redevelopment Association=s Legal Issues Symposium, Huntington Beach, California (August 13, 2003)

    AValuation of Contaminated PropertyA, CLE International=s Fourth Annual Conference on Eminent Domain, Advance Theory and Practice,  Los Angeles, California (June 20, 2002)

    AState of the Art in Trial Presentations,@ Appraisal Institute, Litigation Seminar (Nov. 17, 2000).

    "Mitigation of Acquisition Damages - A Case Study in Taking Billboards" California Redevelopment Association Annual Conference & Expo (Mar. 6, 1997).

    "The Standard of Review in Right to Take Challenges,"

    Los Angeles County Bar Association Condemnation and Land Valuation Committee (Nov. 17, 1995).

    "High Rise, High Dollar Property Condemnation," International Right of Way Association, Mock Trial Presentation (Oct. 20, 1994).

    "An Introduction to California Eminent Domain Pretrial Procedure," Los Angeles Paralegal Association (Oct. 16, 1993).