Current Employment Position(s)

Partner

Lawyer Overview

Thomas W. Casparian is a partner in Gilchrist & Rutter. His trial and appellate practice focuses on commercial, business, real estate, environmental and employment litigation.

Mr. Casparian has been honored as a Southern California Rising Star in Business Litigation in both 2005 and 2004 by Law & Politics Media, Inc.

Mr. Casparian co-authored Unfair Competition Claims (Practising Law Institute 2004). He also wrote Good Deed Punished, California Law Business (January 31, 2000),Shared Responsibility, Los Angeles Daily Journal (December 13, 2000) and The Road(blocks) to El Dorado, WMA Reporter (June 2002).

Mr. Casparian has extensive appellate experience and is named as counsel on ten published state and federal decisions including: Carson Harbor Village v. County of Los Angeles, 433 F.3d 1260 (9th Cir. 2006); Carson Harbor Village, Ltd. v. Unocal Corp., 287 F.Supp.2d 1118 (C.D. Cal. 2003); El Dorado Palm Springs, Ltd. v. Board of Supervisors, 104 Cal. App. 4th 1262 (2002); El Dorado Palm Springs, Ltd. v. City of Palm Springs, 96 Cal. App. 4th 1153 (2002); and Carson Harbor Village, Ltd. v. City of Carson Mobilehome Rental Review Board, 70 Cal. App. 4th 281 (1997).

Prior to joining Gilchrist & Rutter, Mr. Casparian served as Deputy Attorney General, California Department of Justice.

Mr. Casparian received his J.D. from Boston University School of Law, which he represented in the American College of Trial Lawyers' National Moot Court Competition. He was awarded a National Final Rounds Certificate of Merit and Regional Medal for Excellence in Advocacy. Mr. Casparian's achievements were further recognized by Boston University in his selection to the Albers Honors Moot Court Board.

Mr. Casparian earned his B.A. at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, where he earned Dean's List honors.

Representative Cases:

Lead counsel in successful, ground-breaking California case involving conversion of a manufactured housing estate (mobile home park) from rental to condominium resident ownership.

Lead counsel in successful prosecution of claim for damages against public entity for regulatory taking that set limitations on a local municipality to impose conditions on real estate development.

Lead counsel in successful prosecution of an appeal against a county board of supervisors that established an important principle on Proposition 8 regarding reductions in property values.

Prosecution of claim seeking remediation costs from responsible parties under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA).

Prosecution of claims against public entity that established appropriate standards for local rental review board.

Represent clients in employment, real estate, insurance, contract, corporate and general tort disputes.

Prior to entering private practice, represented the State of California as Deputy Attorney General before the California Court of Appeals, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, and 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Areas of Practice

• Litigation & Appeals
• Business & Commercial Law
• Employment Law -- Employer
• Insurance Law
• Real Estate Law
• Property Taxation
• Environmental Litigation

Representative Cases

• Carson Harbor Village v. County of Los Angeles, 433 F.3d 1260 (9th Cir. 2006)
• Carson Harbor Village, Ltd. v. Unocal Corp., 287 F.Supp.2d 1118 (C.D. Cal. 2003)
• El Dorado Palm Springs, Ltd. v. Board of Supervisors, 104 Cal. App. 4th 1262 (Cal. 2002)
• El Dorado Palm Springs, Ltd. v. City of Palm Springs, 96 Cal. App. 4th 1153 (Cal. 2002)
• People v. Grant, 20 Cal. 4th 150 (Cal. 1999)
• Carson Harbor Village, Ltd. v. City of Carson Mobilehome Rental Review Board, 70 Cal. App. 4th (Cal. 1997)
• People v. Chinchilla, 52 Cal. App. 4th 683 (Cal. 1997)
• People v. Cuevas, 51 Cal. App. 4th 620 (Cal. 1996)
• People v. Green, 50 Cal. App. 4th 1076 (Cal. 1996)
• People v. Flores, 39 Cal. App. 4th 1811 (Cal. 1995)
• People v. Irizarry, 37 Cal. App. 4th 967 (Cal. 1995)

West Practice Categories

Business & Commercial Law, Employment Law -- Employer, Environmental Law, Insurance Law, Litigation & Appeals, Real Estate Law, Property (Ad Valorem) Taxes

Bar Admissions

• California, 1994
• U.S. District Court Central District of California, 1995
• U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1995
• U.S. Supreme Court, 2002

Professional Associations and Memberships

• California State Bar Association (Member, Real Property Section)
• California State Bar Association (Member, Labor and Employment Section)
• Los Angeles County Bar Association (Member, Real Property Section)
• Los Angeles County Bar Association (Member, Labor & Employment Section)

Honors and Awards

• Advocate of the Year; honored by Public Counsel for pro bono contributions to the Children's Rights Project (2006)
• Super Lawyers "Rising Star" in Business Litigation; selected by Law & Politics Media, Inc.; www.SuperLawyers.com (2006, 2005, 2004)
• Medal for Excellence in Advocacy, American College of Trial Lawyers

Past Employment Positions

• California Department of Justice, Deputy Attorney General, 1994 - 1997

Education

• Boston University School of Law, Boston, Massachusetts, 1993
  J.D., Doctor of Jurisprudence
  Honors: National Moot Court Competition
• Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 1990
  B.A., Bachelor of Arts
  Honors: Dean's List
  Major: Law and Society

Published Works

• Housing Boon, Daily Journal, October 18, 2007
• Tensions Between Class Actions And The Liberal Standing Requirements For Private Attorney General Actions Brought Under California's Unfair Competition Law, Business and Professions Code Section 17200 (Co-Author), Unfair Competition Claims, Practising Law Institute, 2004
• The Road(blocks) to El Dorado, WMA Reporter, June 2002
• Shared Responsibility, Los Angeles Daily Journal, December 13, 2000
• Good Deed Punished, Cal. Law Business, January 31, 2000

Address

Professional Corporation
1299 Ocean Blvd.. Suite 900
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Phones

310-393-4000

Faxes

310-394-4700

Emails

Contact Us

Websites

http://www.gilchristrutter.com