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

Council File 24-0971

Approved — the City has authorized legal counsel to defend against five interconnected lawsuits over a Venice Boulevard affordable housing and parking project, with contract amendments approved through January 2026 as the litigation remains active and unresolved.

Introduced
2024-08-21
Last changed
2026-09-02
Status
open
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

Brief

The City Attorney initiated this file in August 2024 to hire outside counsel (Nossaman LLP) to defend the City in LA Forward Institute et al. v. City of Los Angeles, a Superior Court lawsuit. Council adopted the legal services agreement on August 28, 2024. The contract was subsequently amended in April and June 2025 to add representation for two additional lawsuits: Venice Community Housing v. City and People Organized for Westside Renewal v. City. Council adopted the amended agreement in January 2026 by a 9-3-3 vote. The file remains open with recent City Attorney filings in August 2026.

Full summary

This file documents the City's engagement of outside counsel to defend against a cluster of lawsuits centered on the City's development, approval, and land disposition activity for 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 (LASC Case No. 24STCV17156), was filed in 2024, and the City Attorney moved quickly to retain Nossaman LLP for the defense. Council adopted the initial legal services agreement on August 28, 2024, following a Budget and Finance Committee waiver, and the action became final on September 9, 2024. As litigation expanded, the City Attorney submitted amendments to broaden Nossaman's scope of representation. By mid-2025, four additional related cases had emerged challenging different aspects of the Venice Boulevard project and associated City actions. These include a writ challenging Board of Transportation Commissioners activity (Venice Community Housing et al. v. City, LASC Case No. 25STCP00892), a Brown Act lawsuit (People Organized for Westside Renewal v. City, LASC Case No. 25STCP01091), a lawsuit under the Disposition and Development Agreement (Venice Community Housing Corporation et al. v. City, LASC Case No. 25STCV20355), and a California Public Records Act case (Venice Community Housing Corporation et al. v. City, LASC Case No. 25STCP03578). The Budget and Finance Committee approved the amendment covering the first two of these additional cases on June 17, 2025, and Council adopted it on June 25, 2025. In January 2026, the City Attorney submitted a further amendment to the Nossaman contract. The Budget and Finance Committee waived consideration on January 22, 2026, and Council adopted the item as amended on January 28, 2026 by a vote of 9-3-3. The file remains active: on August 11, 2026, City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto submitted a request for the Council to hold a closed session under Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(1) to receive legal advice on all five pending lawsuits, reflecting that the litigation is ongoing and unresolved. That report was referred to the Budget and Finance Committee on August 12, 2026.

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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