Guillermo A. Frias

Guillermo A. Frias is an experienced litigator with more than 20 trials. In representing public agencies, business entities and individual entrepreneurs, he works on highly complex cutting-edge legal issues in such areas as eminent domain, inverse condemnation, municipal law, CEQA, validation actions, and real estate, contract and commercial disputes.

Serving as a partner in Best Best & Krieger LLP’s Municipal and Environmental Law & Natural Resources practice groups, Guillermo’s extensive litigation experience gives him the requisite perspective for providing the creative and strategic legal advice often needed to resolve disputes without resorting to the courts.

Guillermo’s litigation, trial and appellate efforts include:

• Prevailing in a 30-day eminent domain trial resulting in a $21.9 million verdict against a school district
• Prevailing in an eminent domain trial on behalf of the Los Angeles Unified School District that resulted in a defense verdict denying a fraudulent $2 million claim for loss of business goodwill
• Prevailing in CEQA action on behalf of the City of Huntington Beach that resulted in a large senior center project being found CEQA compliant and authorizing the issuance of a conditional use permit
• Prevailing in CEQA challenge to City of Monrovia’s plan to expand its redevelopment area
• Prevailing in trial on behalf of the City of Palmdale in complaint and writ of mandate action against the City of Lancaster for violating the prohibition against paying a relocation subsidy to a relocating car dealer
• Prevailing in reverse-validation action that invalidated the City of Los Angeles’ financing agreement for the Convention Center Hotel
• Prevailing in trial on behalf of the City of Redondo Beach in action seeking specific performance of disposition and development agreement against a developer
• Prevailing in quiet title action and adverse possession trial that preserved ownership of real property about to be lost to a real estate development company through fraudulent financing
• Prevailing in arbitration on behalf of the City of Culver City in construction defect case where contractor claimed $3 million in damages
• Representing numerous cities and successor agencies in challenging Department of Finance determinations in redevelopment dissolution cases
• Challenging California Coastal Commission environmental determinations relating to a proposed Bolsa Chica development

Reported appellate cases include: City of Palmdale v. City of Lancaster (2014) 223 Cal. App. 4th 978 and City of Pasadena v. Cohen (2014) 228 Cal. App. 4th 1461.

Guillermo’s public agency clients include LAUSD, CRA-LA and the cities of Culver City, Huntington Beach, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Pasadena, Glendale, Ontario, Palmdale, Orange, Coronado and Inglewood. He has represented some of the country’s most recognizable brands and companies in a variety of industries, including ConocoPhillips Corporation, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, Yum Brands, Office Depot, Argent, MeriStar Hospitality, WNC Insurance, Chaya Tequila, Firelink Entertainment and Interco Brands. He is admitted to the U.S. District Court for the Central, Eastern, Southern and Northern districts of California.