Matthew M. Gorman specializes in the fields of land use, solar rights, government relations, environmental law, and litigation. As an expert on California's Solar Rights Act, Mr. Gorman represents property owners, solar energy companies, developers, and others in solar energy disputes. Additionally, Mr. Gorman represents individuals and companies in international disputes concerning the manufacture and marketing of solar energy equipment, and provides legal counsel to foreign residents and businesses on a variety of commercial and non-commercial legal matters. With a unique expertise on the on the intersection of private sector and public sector interests, Mr. Gorman is active in public agency representation and serves as legal counsel for several local government agencies in California.
A long-time advocate for environmental causes, Mr. Gorman works in the forefront of the Sustainable Development movement in California, serving as water counsel on a number of matters in both northern and southern California, and serving as environmental counsel to a project in Sonoma County, California, known as "Sonoma Mountain Village" - the first project in North America, and one of just a few in the entire world, to be endorsed by the prestigious One Planet Communities program.
Mr. Gorman has been active both in the firm's transactional section as well as in litigation, routinely working on matters such as: representing companies and individuals in contract disputes with foreign companies and government agencies; negotiating real estate transactions; advising government agencies on housing issues, environmental compliance, and constitutional law; and advocating for private and public sector clients on governmental affairs and regulation.
Mr. Gorman is a graduate of Loyola Law School (J.D. 2000) and the University of California, Davis (B.A. 1994), which included study at Fudan University in Shanghai, China.
PUBLICATIONS AND SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
- Presentation to Yancheng City Municipal Training Delegation (Jiangsu, China) - Municipal Regulation of Land Development and Environmental Protection in California, presented September 18, 2012 at Montebello, California.
- Honored as as one of THE Magazine's "50 Innovative Men" for 2012.
- Redevelopment Woes and Opportunities - An overview of California's current redevelopment issues, presentation to the REALTORS® Commercial Alliance of Orange County, June 13, 2012 and the Arcadia Association of Realtors, July 5, 2012. A copy of the PowerPoint presentation can be accessed by clicking the title posted above.
- Land Development in California - An Overview of Planning and Zoning Laws, presentation to Training Delegation, Lianyungang, China, February 14, 2012
- Laws of the Solar City: How to Avoid 'Solar Spats,' Westlaw Journal Environmental, January 4, 2012
- How Bankruptcy Affects the Landlord-Tenant Relationship, presentation before the Realty Investment Association of California, October 18, 2011
- The Southern California Recovery Summit, panelist before the Sober Living Network and the Los Angeles County Sober Living Coalition, October 15, 2011
- Top 5 Reasons Why Owners and Builders Need an Attorney When Incorporating Solar Energy in a Project, published in Apartment Age Magazine, September 9, 2011
- Addiction, Recovery and the Right to Housing: The Important Intersection Between Sober Living Homes and the Fair Housing Act, published in The Municipal Lawyers Magazine, March/April 2011
- Fair Housing for Sober Living: How the Fair Housing Act Addresses Recovery Homes for Drug and Alcohol Addiction, republished in "At The Cutting Edge 2010-Land Use Law from The Urban Lawyer." © 2011 American Bar Association.
- Redevelopment Law in California, presentation before the San Diego County Association of Realtors, Commercial Division, November 2010
- Urban Development in a Down Economy -- Using Redevelopment to Expand Business and Improve Communities, presentation before Industry Manufacturers Council, October 2010
- How to Use Redevelopment Law in Your Real Estate Practice, presentation before the Realtors Commercial Alliance of Orange County, August 2010
The Move-In, Move-Out Process, presentation before Apartment Owners Association of Los Angeles, March 2010
Avoid Discrimination Lawsuits in the Tenant Screening Process, published in Apartment Owners Association News, March 2010
EDUCATION
Juris Doctor, Loyola University School of Law (2000)
Bachelor of Arts, University of California, Davis (1994)
ADMISSIONS
PRACTICE AREAS
Land Use, Environmental, and Real Estate Development
Successor Agency (formerly Redevelopment) Law
Public Agency - Municipal Law
Federal and State Litigation
Construction Law and Contractor Disputes
Water Law
Environmental Law and CEQA