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Commercial Real Estate Litigation in Los Angeles: CEQA, Disputes & Defending Your Property Rights

By Peterson Law Group on March 15, 2025

Commercial property owners and developers in Los Angeles face a challenging legal landscape. From environmental regulations to valuation disagreements and government land acquisition, litigation is often an unfortunate but necessary part of doing business in LA real estate.

John S. Peterson is a Los Angeles real estate litigation attorney at Peterson Law Group PC. We represent commercial property owners, developers, and investors in high-stakes commercial real estate litigation. Whether you’re entangled in a CEQA lawsuit, a boundary dispute, or a valuation disagreement, our legal team delivers strategic, aggressive legal representation backed by decades of local experience.

CEQA Lawsuits: Navigating California’s Environmental Review Maze

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires that certain commercial developments undergo environmental review before they can proceed. While designed to protect the environment, CEQA has increasingly become a litigation weapon used to delay, block, or extract concessions from developers.

Common triggers for CEQA litigation in California include:

• Alleged failure to conduct a proper Environmental Impact Report (EIR)
• Claims that traffic, noise, or pollution impacts are underestimated
• Disputes over mitigation measures or alternatives
• Procedural errors in public notice or comment periods

CEQA lawsuits can stall a project for months or even years. Worse, they are sometimes filed by competitors or advocacy groups with non-environmental motives.

How Peterson Law Group PC can help:

• Ensure full CEQA compliance to prevent future challenges
• Defend against lawsuits with strong administrative records
• Work with environmental consultants to counter exaggerated claims
• Pursue early dismissal of meritless CEQA complaints

If you’re dealing with or hoping to avoid CEQA litigation in California, early legal intervention is critical.

Boundary Disputes

In Los Angeles, boundary lines aren’t always as clear as they appear on paper. Disputes often arise due to:

• Conflicting surveys
• Encroachments (fences, walls, structures)
• Prescriptive easements or adverse possession
• Ambiguous or outdated legal descriptions

These cases can delay development, sour partnerships, and threaten the usability of a valuable piece of land.

Whether you’re dealing with a residential encroachment or a multi-million dollar commercial boundary issue, these disputes often require:

• Expert land surveys
• Title history research
• Negotiation or litigation to quiet title or confirm easement rights

Peterson Law Group PC acts quickly to protect our clients’ property interests. As a trusted real estate boundary dispute lawyer, John S. Peterson knows how to resolve complex conflicts without unnecessary delays.

Valuation Disputes: Fighting for Fair Market Value

Property valuation issues arise in a variety of scenarios, including:

• Eminent domain proceedings
• Partnership breakups
• Commercial divorces
• Insurance disputes
• Tax assessments

The core issue in any valuation dispute is: What is the property really worth?

Factors affecting valuation include:

• Income generation potential
• Zoning and development capacity
• Market comps
• Environmental conditions

In eminent domain cases, for instance, the government may undervalue your property to minimize compensation. In business breakups, one partner may try to discount the property’s value to gain leverage.

We work with top-tier commercial appraisers to establish strong, evidence-based valuations. Courts are persuaded not by opinions, but by credible data and expert testimony.

Whether you’re dealing with property valuation in eminent domain or a commercial partnership dispute, we ensure your financial stake is fully represented.

Eminent Domain and Commercial Property

From Metro expansions to highway widening, government projects in Los Angeles regularly target commercial property. When the government takes all or part of a parcel, business owners face unique risks:

• Partial takings that reduce parking, visibility, or access
• Construction disruption that affects customer flow
• Relocation expenses
• Loss of goodwill or business value

While residential takings are difficult, commercial condemnations often involve higher stakes and more complex damages.

Your rights in an eminent domain case include:

• Just compensation for the value of the land
• Severance damages for loss of use or value to the remainder property
• Reimbursement for relocation costs
• Potential compensation for lost business income or goodwill

As an experienced eminent domain attorney in Los Angeles, John S. Peterson aggressively pursues full compensation and challenges the government’s valuation, necessity, and procedures when appropriate.

How a Commercial Real Estate Litigation Attorney Can Help

Legal conflicts involving commercial property are rarely simple. They often involve:

• Multi-party disputes
• Cross-claims and counterclaims
• Technical regulations and dense contracts
• Tight project timelines

Whether you’re a landlord, developer, investor, or tenant, a skilled commercial litigation attorney can:

• Intervene early to resolve disputes before litigation
• Draft and enforce property rights agreements
• Represent you in CEQA appeals, valuation hearings, or condemnation proceedings
• Manage expert witnesses, surveyors, and environmental consultants
• Handle mediation, arbitration, or trial

At Peterson Law Group PC, we offer strategic guidance tailored to the Los Angeles real estate market. We understand the business side of property ownership and development, and we work tirelessly to protect your investment.

Why Choose Peterson Law Group PC?

Our firm brings decades of litigation experience and an in-depth understanding of California real estate law. We serve as trusted counsel to developers, private investors, property managers, and corporate landowners throughout Los Angeles.

John S. Peterson brings a lot to the table:

• Deep legal knowledge of commercial real estate litigation in Los Angeles
• AV Rating from Martindale-Hubbell®
• Member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
• Trial-tested litigation skills
• Access to respected expert witnesses and consultants
• Named Lawyer of the Year for Los Angeles by Best Lawyers for Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law

Speak With a Trusted Los Angeles Real Estate Litigation Lawyer

If you’re facing a dispute over your commercial property, or if you want to prevent one, contact Peterson Law Group PC today. We can help you understand your options and chart the best path forward.

Call (213) 236-9720 to learn more.

The sooner you act, the stronger your position. Let us protect your investment before the dispute controls your outcome.