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LA Forward Institute et al. v. City of Los Angeles et. al / Nossaman LLP

Council File 24-0971

In progress — the City is defending itself against five lawsuits over a Venice Boulevard housing and parking project, with outside counsel now authorized through March 2026 at a total cost of $1.27 million. Legal strategy remains unsettled.

Introduced
2024-08-21
Last changed
2026-09-02
CFMS file status
File open See note on file status
Expires
2028-08-11
Committee
Budget and Finance Committee
Initiated by
City Attorney
References
Los Angeles Superior Court Case No. 24STCV17156City Attorney Report: R24-0412; R25-0208; R25-0590; R26-0464Related Council Files: 15-1138-S42; 24-0971; 25-0169; 25-1225; 26-0460

This is the City Clerk's status for the council file itself, not the outcome of the measure. A file often stays open after the Council has already adopted an item. The summary above reflects the latest recorded action.

Brief

The City Attorney initiated a legal services agreement with Nossaman LLP to defend the City against LA Forward Institute et al. v. City of Los Angeles, a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court (Case No. 24STCV17156). Council approved the initial agreement in August 2024, then approved amendments in June 2025 and January 2026 to expand Nossaman's scope to cover additional related lawsuits. The file passed Council 9-3-3 on January 28, 2026, and was transmitted to the Mayor. A subsequent City Attorney report from September 2026 is being forwarded to a related council file.

Full summary

Council File 24-0971 tracks the City's legal defense against a cluster of lawsuits challenging the City's development, approval, and land disposition activity related to a proposed affordable housing community and public parking facility at 200 N. Venice Boulevard in Venice (Council District 11). The lead case, LA Forward Institute et al. v. City of Los Angeles, was filed in 2024 and seeks injunctive and declaratory relief along with damages. The City Attorney initiated the file in August 2024, proposing a legal services agreement with outside firm Nossaman LLP to handle the City's representation. The scope of the Nossaman engagement has grown substantially as related litigation has multiplied. Four additional lawsuits have been added to the firm's assignment: a writ challenging Board of Transportation Commissioners activity (Venice Community Housing et al. v. City), a Brown Act lawsuit (People Organized for Westside Renewal v. City), a challenge under the City's Disposition and Development Agreement (Venice Community Housing Corporation et al. v. City), and a California Public Records Act lawsuit (Venice Community Housing Corporation et al. v. City). Together, the plaintiffs in these cases contest multiple aspects of the Venice Boulevard project, from how city bodies approved it to how public records related to it were handled. Financially, the contract with Nossaman LLP has been amended twice. In June 2025, the Budget and Finance Committee added the two BOTC and Brown Act cases to the firm's scope. In January 2026, Councilmembers Traci Park and Imelda Padilla moved to authorize an additional $650,000 in funding, bringing the total contract value to $1,270,000 through March 2026, and directed the City Administrative Office to identify and transfer $760,000 to the outside counsel account to cover the cost. Council adopted that amended item 9-3-3 on January 28, 2026, and it was transmitted to the Mayor shortly after. The file remains open and active. As of August 2026, the City Attorney requested another closed session with the Council to receive legal advice on strategy across all five pending cases. A subsequent City Attorney report has been routed to the related Council File 15-1138-S42, which covers the underlying Venice Boulevard project. The file does not expire until August 2028, and continued committee activity suggests the litigation defense is ongoing with no resolution yet in sight.

Activity (27)

  • 2026-09-02 CITY ATTORNEY REPORT DATED SEPTEMBER 1, 2026 (R26-0503) RECEIVED BY CITY CLERK ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2026. REPORT WILL MOVE FORWARD ON COUNCIL FILE 15-1138-S42.
  • 2026-08-12 City Attorney document(s) referred to Budget and Finance Committee.
  • 2026-08-11 Document submitted by City Attorney, dated August 11, 2026.
  • 2026-01-29 City Clerk transmitted file to Mayor. Last day for Mayor to act is February 9, 2026.
  • 2026-01-29 Council action final.
  • 2026-01-28 Council adopted item, as amended, forthwith.
  • 2026-01-23 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on January 28, 2026.
  • 2026-01-22 Budget and Finance Committee waived consideration of item .
  • 2026-01-16 City Attorney document(s) referred to Budget and Finance Committee.
  • 2026-01-16 Document submitted by City Attorney, dated January 15, 2026.
  • 2025-12-09 City Attorney document(s) referred to Budget and Finance Committee.
  • 2025-11-25 Document submitted by City Attorney, dated November 25, 2025.
  • 2025-06-25 Council action final.
  • 2025-06-25 Council adopted item forthwith.
  • 2025-06-20 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on June 25, 2025.
  • 2025-06-17 Budget and Finance Committee approved an amendment to Contract C-146250 with Nossaman LLP to include legal services in connection with the lawsuits of Venice Community Housing, et al. v. City, LASC Case No. 25STCP00892 and People Organized for Westside Renewal v. City, LASC Case No. 25STCP01091.
  • 2025-06-13 Budget and Finance Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on June 17, 2025.
  • 2025-04-25 City Attorney document(s) referred to Budget and Finance Committee.
  • 2025-04-24 Document(s) submitted by City Attorney, as follows:City Attorney report, dated April 24, 2025, relative to a proposed amendment to the legal services agreement with Nossaman, LLP, related to LA Forward Institute, et al. v. City of Los Angeles, et al.
  • 2024-09-09 Council action final.
  • 2024-08-30 City Clerk transmitted file to Mayor. Last day for Mayor to act is September 9, 2024.
  • 2024-08-28 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2024-08-27 Council continued item to August 28, 2024 .
  • 2024-08-23 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on August 27, 2024.
  • 2024-08-22 Budget, Finance and Innovation Committee waived consideration of item .
  • 2024-08-22 City Attorney document(s) referred to Budget, Finance and Innovation Committee.
  • 2024-08-21 Document(s) submitted by City Attorney, as follows:City Attorney report R24-0412, dated August 21, 2024, relative to a proposed legal services agreement with Nossaman, LLP, related to LA Forward Institute et al. v. City of Los Angeles et. al.

Documents (33)

Council votes (1)

  • 2026-01-28 Adopted as Amended Forthwith — 9-3-3 · Regular

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