Attorney Bio

Elisa Paster

Managing and Founding Partner

As an experienced land use lawyer, Elisa Paster is a committed advocate for her clients, guiding and assisting them with development and environmental approvals, planning and placemaking.

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About Elisa

As an experienced land use lawyer, Elisa Paster is a committed advocate for her clients, guiding and assisting them with development and environmental approvals, planning and placemaking. She specializes in navigating complex entitlement and environmental processes across California, including Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Culver City, Long Beach, Glendale, Beverly Hills, Orange County, the unincorporated County of Los Angeles, and Northern California. Elisa is involved in all aspects of the development process: assisting in due diligence stages, strategizing on development and redevelopment of land, processing applications and overseeing environmental compliance (CEQA/NEPA), representing clients in front of public bodies, including appellate bodies, and defending the entitlements in litigation.

Elisa regularly represents private developers in development of hotels and large-scale developments, mid- size developers in transformative urban mixed- use projects inside and outside former redevelopment areas, and a wide variety of property owners in the Coastal Zone. An important part of Elisa’s practice involves working with affordable housing developers and streamlining the process for these projects. She has consistently taken on complex land use challenges, big or small, and provided the necessary level of advice and guidance to get the job done through effective legal advocacy, strategic advice and personal relationships. Whether a project involves strategic advisement or a full environmental and planning process, Elisa’s extensive range of experience in land use and environmental law is an asset to her clients.

Before law school, she worked as a planner for five years and she is well respected in the professional planning community. Her previous “behind the counter” experience allows her to think creatively about legal issues and provides clients with a unique perspective.

Elisa is a long time Boardmember of Menorah Housing, a provider of low-income senior housing, and the past president of the Westside Urban Forum. She is former member of the City of Santa Monica Planning Commission and a frequent speaker at law, real estate and planning conferences. She is a frequent guest lecturer for Urban Land Institute panels as well.

Elisa is admitted to practice law in Missouri, New Mexico and California.

Experience

Subject Matter Expertise

Coastal Zone

Successful and ongoing representation and defense of entitlements in the Coastal Zone of Los Angeles, including adaptive reuse in San Pedro, and multiple residential, hotel and mixed-use projects in Venice. Representation has included CEQA review, entitlements advice, political strategy, Coastal Commission review and approval and litigation defense.

Mixed Use Project

Successful representation of national client in a large mixed-use development in Culver City that will be a gateway to the City and provide substantial housing to the City’s inventory. Representation includes CEQA and entitlement advice, along with government affairs and strategy.

Affordable Housing

Representation of client in approval of development of housing for veterans at the West Los Angeles Veterans Administration property, including NEPA and CEQA advice, coordination with multiple jurisdictional entities and strategic advice.

Affordable Housing

Ongoing representation of a large affordable housing project in the Coastal Zone of Los Angeles, including CEQA review, entitlements advice and political strategy. This project is a joint public private partnership with the City of Los Angeles.

Mixed-Use Infill

Representation of developer in the approval of a mixed use project, including hotel, restaurant, office, and residential in Los Angeles, including CEQA review, political strategy for a controversial project, and planning and entitlement advice.

Creative Billboard

Representation of outdoor advertising company to successfully obtain entitlements for a cutting edge creative billboard in the City of West Hollywood.

Master Planned Community

Representation of client in the successful planning and entitlement of a former military base as a master planned community, including environmental compliance and review of environmental impact reports, preparation of entitlement applications, and participation in public hearings. Representation included negotiation of a CEQA settlement in litigation.

Press

Media Mentions

Beverly Press / 2023

WeHo allows development to continue

At the April 3 West Hollywood City Council meeting, an appeal was heard for a planning commission approval of the demolition of a one-story commercial building at 8500 Santa Monica Blvd.

“This is actually exactly what should happen at the appeal process,” Paster said. “Someone should raise a concern, there should be a response to it, and then we should move on with our lives. And that’s what we’ve done here.”

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Global Newswire / 2022

Prominent Land Use Attorneys Join Forces to Launch Boutique Law Firm

The new firm brings an incredible collective background with decades of combined experience, including ground-breaking land use matters and cutting-edge real estate-related litigation. As land use issues continue to evolve and become more complex, Rand Paster & Nelson attorneys help clients find creative solutions.

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Law 360 / 2016

4 Ways LA Ballot Proposal Would Stymie Development

A Los Angeles group is attempting to get a measure on November’s ballot that would severely restrict zoning changes in the city, and attorneys say if it passes, the measure would cripple development across L.A. and exacerbate what is already a growing housing crisis. Here, Law360 looks at four ways the measure would affect development in the City of Angels.

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