Top 5 Real Estate Lawyer in Los Angeles

Sell a house inside the City of Los Angeles for $5.5 million this year and the city collects $220,000 in transfer tax at closing, which is one reason a real estate lawyer in Los Angeles now gets called long before escrow opens. Measure ULA, the so-called mansion tax, has changed how owners time sales, structure deals, and even choose which side of a city boundary to buy on.

Taxes are only part of the story. Developers face CEQA challenges and long entitlement timelines. Families in Pacific Palisades and Altadena are still rebuilding after the January 2025 fires. Landlords and tenants deal with some of the most layered rent rules in the country. The five firms below each lead in a different part of that landscape, and each holds current 2026 rankings from Chambers USA or Best Law Firms.

LA Real Estate Law: What Matters in 2026

These rules and recent changes shape most Los Angeles property deals this year:

• Measure ULA thresholds: For deals recorded on or after July 1, 2026, the tax is 4% on sales above $5.4 million and 5.5% at $10.9 million and up. The thresholds adjust every July 1.
• Taxed from dollar one: Once a sale crosses a threshold, the tax applies to the full price, not just the amount above it.
• City limits only: ULA applies only within the City of Los Angeles. Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Culver City, and West Hollywood are separate cities and aren’t covered.
• Palisades ballot measure: On November 3, 2026, city voters will decide whether to exempt homes damaged or destroyed by the Palisades Fire from ULA until early 2030.
• Statewide challenge withdrawn: In June 2026, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association pulled its initiative to cap local transfer taxes after lawmakers advanced a substitute constitutional amendment, ACA 22.
• Statewide rent cap: Under AB 1482, annual rent increases on most covered units are limited to 5% plus inflation, with a 10% maximum.
• Escrow, not attorneys: California home sales usually close through escrow companies without a lawyer at the table. That makes reviewing the contract before signing more important.

Five Real Estate Law Firms Leading in Los Angeles

1. Allen Matkins: Tony Natsis and Dean Pappas

Few California firms can match Allen Matkins’ run at the top of the real estate rankings. In 2026, Chambers USA placed Allen Matkins in Band 1 for Southern California real estate for the 25th year in a row. Tony Natsis and Dean Pappas each hold individual Band 1 rankings.

Chambers says the firm is especially known for sophisticated leases, acquisitions, and dispositions. Its 2026 rankings also cover environmental law, zoning and land use, construction, and water law. That breadth matters on a contaminated industrial site or a project that needs water supply approvals.

• Typical client: institutional investors, developers, and major landlords
• Office: 865 South Figueroa Street, 28th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90017

2. Cox, Castle & Nicholson: Andrew Fogg and the Land Use Team

When a project needs city approvals, the land use lawyers often matter more than the deal lawyers. Cox, Castle & Nicholson holds a 2026 Chambers Band 1 ranking for California land use and zoning, the highest tier in the field.

Andrew Fogg is the firm’s highest-ranked land use lawyer, at Band 3. Senior real estate partner Ira Waldman is recognized as a Senior Statesperson. The firm also covers environmental, construction, and Southern California real estate work, so one team can take a project from site acquisition through building permits.

• Typical client: housing developers, mixed-use builders, and public-private projects
• Office: 2029 Century Park East, Suite 2100, Los Angeles, CA 90067

3. Armbruster Goldsmith & Delvac: Dale Goldsmith

Some of Los Angeles’s most recognizable development projects have passed through this small Westside land use firm. Its work has included the Hollywood & Vine transit-oriented project and redevelopment plans for the Century Plaza Hotel site in Century City.

Dale Goldsmith, a Yale and University of Chicago Law graduate who has practiced since 1985, holds a 2026 Chambers Band 2 ranking for California land use. Chambers highlights his skill with CEQA, the state environmental law opponents often use to delay or block projects.

Boutiques like this one can have deep working relationships with city planning staff and council offices. That can matter as much as legal arguments.

• Typical client: developers seeking entitlements for large or politically sensitive projects
• Office: 12100 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1600, Los Angeles, CA 90025

4. Greenberg Glusker: Steven Lurie

Greenberg Glusker ranked sixth on the LA Times Studios list of the 25 largest real estate law practices in Los Angeles County in 2025. It holds a 2026 Chambers ranking for real estate, with three individually ranked lawyers.

Steven Lurie leads that group with a Band 3 ranking, and he has an unusual specialty: golf course real estate. Golf courses bring their own issues, including land use restrictions, club membership agreements, and redevelopment fights when a course closes. Colleagues Kenneth Fields and Kevin Sher handle acquisitions, leasing, and financing.

The firm also has strong practices in entertainment and private wealth. That helps when a property belongs to a family trust or a high-profile owner who values discretion.

• Typical client: private investors, family offices, and owners of unusual properties
• Office: 2049 Century Park East, Suite 2600, Los Angeles, CA 90067

5. Ervin Cohen & Jessup: Business-Focused Real Estate in Beverly Hills

Not every buyer or seller is an institution. Ervin Cohen & Jessup serves mid-market investors, family-owned property companies, and business owners. Best Law Firms ranked its real estate practice Tier 1 in Los Angeles for 2026, and Tier 2 nationally.

The firm closely tracks the rules that affect its clients. In August 2026, one of its partners published a detailed breakdown of the new ULA thresholds, including how the tax applies from dollar one. Its land use lawyers, including Allan Cooper, add entitlement support when a deal involves a change of use.

• Typical client: family investors, small developers, and companies buying their own buildings
• Office: 9401 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA 90212

The Tax Line That Stops at the City Limit

ULA’s biggest surprise for newcomers is geography. Bel Air, Brentwood, Westwood, Century City, and Pacific Palisades are all inside the City of Los Angeles, so high-end sales there trigger the tax. Cross into Beverly Hills or Santa Monica, often just a few blocks away, and the city’s ULA doesn’t apply. Santa Monica, however, has its own transfer tax, Measure GS.

The math can be striking. On an $11 million sale recorded after July 1, 2026, ULA adds $605,000. A similar house a few blocks away in Beverly Hills carries no ULA charge.

That’s why experienced real estate lawyers now check three things early on high-value deals:

• Whether the property sits inside City of Los Angeles limits
• When the deed will record, since thresholds change on July 1
• Whether any exemption, such as the proposed Palisades fire exemption, might apply

Landlord and Tenant Disputes Are a Separate Field

Most large real estate firms don’t handle individual evictions. Landlords usually hire firms that focus on unlawful detainer cases. Tenants facing eviction in the City of Los Angeles can look to Stay Housed L.A., a coalition of nonprofit legal groups led by the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, which has provided free representation to eligible renters.

This content is general information, not legal advice. Real estate transactions and taxes depend on specific facts, so speak with a licensed California attorney before you sign.

Quick Answers on LA Real Estate Law

Q1. Do I need a real estate lawyer to buy a house in Los Angeles?

A: It isn’t required, since escrow handles most closings. A lawyer is worth hiring for high-value deals, trusts, disputes, ULA questions, or unusual contract terms.

Q2. How much is the mansion tax in Los Angeles in 2026?

A: For deals recorded on or after July 1, 2026, the tax is 4% above $5.4 million and 5.5% at $10.9 million or more, applied to the full sale price.

Q3. Does Measure ULA apply in Beverly Hills or Santa Monica?

A: No. ULA covers only properties inside the City of Los Angeles. Santa Monica has its own separate transfer tax, so check local rules before pricing a sale.