Comerica Bank Building
15303 Ventura Blvd.
Suite 1400
Sherman Oaks, CA
91403
| Tel: (818) 817-3600 |
| (310)557-9200 |
| Fax:(310) 557-0224 |
|   |
 Mr.
Siegel has been a practicing attorney since 1975.
He has an “AV” rating (the highest rating)
as reflected in the nationally recognized Martindale-Hubbell
Law Directory.
For over 28 years, Mr. Siegel has specialized in
the representation of homeowners associations, including
condominiums, stock cooperatives, planned unit developments
and other community association (including retirement
communities) and their respective officers and directors
in a wide variety of litigation and non-litigation
matters. The firm has served as counsel for over
several hundred associations directly and is also
frequently retained as counsel through insurance
carriers issuing general liability and directors’
and officers’ insurance for associations.
The association clients range in size from as little
to two units to over several thousand.
Mr. Siegel has been a member of the Community Associations
Institute (“CAI”) for over 23 years.
CAI is a national organization which provides educational
and related information to associations throughout
the country. Mr. Siegel was on the Board of the
Los Angles Chapter of CAI for eight years and served
as president for two years. He is also a member
of the CAI California State Legislative Action Committee
(“CLAC”), which formulates and monitors
legislation in California. He has testified on community
association issues before the state legislature
on matters pertaining to the Davis Stirling Common
Interest Development Act. He previously served as
member of the California State Bar Committee on
Condomium and Stock Cooperatives.
Mr. Siegel received his Bachelor of Arts Degree
in Economics from UCLA and studied economics and
business for one year at the Netherlands School
of Business. He received his law degree from Loyola
University in 1975 and served as staff editor of
the Loyola Law Review and received various academic
awards. He was also admitted to the St. Thomas More
Law Honor Society.
Among the highlights of Mr. Siegel’s work
in representing community associations was his representation
of the association in the landmark California Supreme
Court case of Narhstedt vs. Lakeside Village
Condominium Association, 8 Cal 4th 361 (1994),
now cited with considerable frequency by courts
in California and other jurisdictions, establishing
a standard for enforcement of CC&R’s.
Mr. Siegel has represented associations in hundreds
of matters at the trial court level and in numerous
other appellate cases, some of which have set important
legal precedent. Some of these cases include: 14589
Moorpark Homeowners Association vs. VRT Corporation,
63 Cal. App. 4th 1396 (1998) (established scope
of right of “partition” of common interest
development after the Northridge earthquake); Miller
vs. Lakeside Village Condominium Association,
1 Cal. App. 4th 1611 (1991) (established application
of statute of limitations in toxic mold exposure
claims in a condominium development); Coleman
vs. Nosrati (constitutionality of assessment
collection and lien rights procedures; Eisenberg
vs. Wilshire Marquis Homeowners Association
(election dispute and entitlement to attorneys fees);
Cambridge Townhomes Homeowners Association vs.
Truck Insurance Exchange (upholding the enforceability
of “exculpatory” clauses, i.e. no liability
provisions in CC&R’s); Park Access
Restoration Committee vs. City of Laguna Niguel,
El Niguel Heights Association, (“privatizing”
streets in a gated community).
The firm is currently handling appeals which address,
among other things: (1) the right of directors to
recover attorney’s fees where they are prevailing
parties in an action brought against them by a member
of the Association, and (2) application of provisions
in the Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development
Act dealing with right of members to amend the governing
documents; (3) Association liability for failure
of developer to comply with conditions for approval
imposed on development; and (4) application of the
California “Anti-SLAPP” statute as applied
to an HOA’s enforcement procedures.
Mr. Siegel and the firm have represented associations
and/or directors and officers in wide variety of
litigation and non-litigation matters in addition
to those above, including, for example, vendor and
construction contract negotiations and disputes,
construction defect cases, mechanic’s lien
matters, developer disputes and related Department
of Real Estate matters, CC&R enforcement, land
use matters, class actions, time share issues, architectural
controls and other use restrictions, disputes involving
breaches of fiduciary duty, assessment collection
and foreclosure matters, lender disputes, fair housing
and discrimination claims, etc.
Mr. Siegel has written many articles concerning
condominium and homeowner association matters and
has lectured extensively in the field. He has served
as an expert witness in litigation matters and served
as a judge pro tem of the Los Angles Superior Court.
He is also a former board member of a homeowners
association and has testified before the State Senate
Committee on Housing regarding the California Davis
Stirling Act.
Prior to joining Kulik, Gottesman, Mouton &
Siegel, LLP, Mr. Siegel was a partner at the firm
of Wilner, Klein & Siegel.
Download Leonard Siegel's Bio
Other Founding Partners:
Glen Kulik
Don Gottesman
Kent Mouton
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