Ryan Michael Leaderman

Ryan Leaderman is a Los Angeles land use attorney who focuses his practice on obtaining entitlements for complex land use planning and mixed-use developments in California. Mr. Leaderman represents clients in all aspects of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

In recent years, Mr. Leaderman's practice has grown to include a particular focus on housing (single-family, townhouse/small lot subdivisions and multifamily), as well as mixed-use developments. He uses his knowledge of rapidly evolving California laws, including the Housing Accountability Act (HAA), State Density Bonus Law (SDBL), Housing Crisis Act (Senate Bill 330), accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and Builder’s Remedy to obtain approvals for his clients' projects.

Mr. Leaderman has extensive experience in guiding high-profile residential, commercial, mixed-use, hotel and medical/hospital development projects, including master-planned communities, through the approval process. Mr. Leaderman's experience encompasses all types of land use permits, such as variances and conditional use permits, as well as general plan and zoning amendments. He also interacts regularly with governmental agencies at all levels, including local governments and California's Housing and Community Development Department (HCD). Mr. Leaderman assists developers in complying with CEQA and planning and zoning regulations throughout the state. In particular, he advises on mixed-use housing development projects in Southern California, including various jurisdictions within Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties.

Mr. Leaderman has successfully navigated projects to completion by balancing community concerns with the rights and needs of clients. He is well-versed in assisting with variances, general plan amendments, zone changes, conditional use permits, site plan reviews, subdivision maps, development agreements and other entitlements or permits necessary to move a project forward. As necessary and appropriate, Mr. Leaderman litigates land use and CEQA matters. Recently, he successfully led the Builder's Remedy land use litigation for a client against the City of La Cañada Flintridge, California, overturning a denial of a housing development project in a notable decision.

Mr. Leaderman's wealth of knowledge of CEQA allows him to assist clients with compliance, including streamlining tools such as addenda to an environmental impact report (EIR), environmental consistency documents, sustainable communities environmental assessments (SCEAs), sustainable communities project exemptions (SCPEs), statutory and categorical exemptions, as well as more traditional EIRs and mitigated negative declarations (MNDs). He has experience detailing the expected impacts of a project on the environment and assists with all aspects of mitigation measures. Mr. Leaderman has reviewed and supervised the preparation of many EIRs and other environmental review documents, including exemptions, and provides counsel with regard to the air quality, coastal, climate change/greenhouse gases, historic resources, noise, transportation and wildfire issues that may confront clients and their projects. In addition, Mr. Leaderman can advise on water rights issues and water supply sufficiency in order to aid clients in the project development.