Joseph Larsen

Areas of Focus

• Municipal/Governmental Agency Law
• Condemnation/Property Valuation
• Public Sector Labor and Employment
• Education Law

Representative Matters/Cases

• General and Special Counsel to Public Agencies. Have provided general and special counsel services to cities, school districts, community college districts, and special districts throughout California, including the Cities of Huntington Park, Irvine, Adelanto, Anaheim, Claremont, Dana Point, Twentynine Palms, La Quinta, Cerritos, Duarte, Poway, and Yorba Linda; Redondo Beach Unified School District, Huntington Beach Union High School District, Laguna Beach School District, Whittier Union High School District, Saddleback Valley Unified School District, Placentia–Yorba Linda Unified School District, Fullerton Elementary School District, Alta Loma School District; and numerous community college districts, including Coast Community College District, Palomar Community College District, MiraCosta College, and Lake Tahoe Community College District.
• Eminent Domain and Property Valuation – Public Agency Representation.
  • Adelanto Public Utility Authority v. Aquino. Obtained a judgment authorizing condemnation of property for public use on the public agencies’ valuation terms following a jury trial. Managed all aspects of the acquisition process, from title review and negotiations through trial.
  • City of Anaheim – Resort Area Street Widening Projects. Represented the City in numerous partial-take acquisitions for major roadway expansions, including Harbor Boulevard, Katella Avenue, Ball Road, Lincoln Avenue, and Euclid Street. Handled complex eminent domain issues involving severance damages, soil contamination, business goodwill, alternative access, nonconforming uses, and sign abatement.
  • City of Yorba Linda – A Street Project. Oversaw acquisitions for a major east–west circulation improvement project, including joint-use negotiations with a water district regarding impacts to public easements. All matters were favorably resolved prior to trial.
  • City of Anaheim v. Raymond B. Terry et al. Represented the City in the valuation phase of an eminent domain action for a public roadway project.
  • SANDAG v. Vista Irrigation District. Represented a public irrigation district as an easement holder in multiple eminent domain actions, negotiating numerous joint public use agreements.
• Eminent Domain and Property Valuation – Property Owner and Lessee Representation.
  • Orange County Flood Control District v. Young’s Holdings. Represented the landowner in a partial-take action involving a 10.74-acre flowage easement for the Prado Dam project. After the District deposited $1.268 million, Mr. Larsen litigated valuation and severance damage issues and obtained a $17.5 million settlement for the property owner.
  • Orange County Flood Control District v. HRB Properties, LLC. Represented the landowner in a major flowage easement acquisition for the Prado Dam project. Following a District deposit of $6.854 million, Mr. Larsen secured a $16 million settlement based on valuation and severance damage issues.
  • Riverside County Transportation Commission v. Central Avenue Self Storage. Represented the landowner in a partial-take eminent domain case involving complex severance damage issues affecting an operating self-storage facility, resulting in a favorable settlement.
  • Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District v. Lansing. Represented a landowner in the condemnation of a 38-acre property for a detention basin, addressing disputed entitlement claims to the condemnation award arising from pre-condemnation agreements.
  • City of Chino v. HRB Properties, LLC (Richland Communities). Represented the landowner in a partial-take case involving probability of zoning changes and significant severance damages, achieving a favorable settlement.
  • Orange County Transportation Authority v. Shapell SoCal Rental Properties, LLC. Represented lessees in a partial-take eminent domain action, securing a favorable settlement.
• Real Property, Easement, and Land Use Litigation.
  • Peter Meng v. City of Yorba Linda. Successfully opposed an injunction seeking to extinguish an easement.
  • City of Laguna Beach v. Helwig / City of Laguna Beach v. Gill Development Construction Co. Obtained judgments declaring public ownership of non-exclusive utility easements in a private right-of-way.
  • SRE DCM PV, LLC v. Dr. Hendrik Baars, D.D.S. Successfully established, after a multi-day bench trial, a tenant’s vested right to operate a dental office pursuant to a conditional use permit and that the tenant was not in breach of the lease; successfully defended the ruling on appeal.
• Employment, Civil Rights, and Administrative Law.
  • Scott Steidinger v. Coast Community College District. Successfully disposed of wrongful termination, age discrimination, and harassment claims by summary judgment.
  • Dee Perry v. Jason Viloria. Successfully obtained dismissal under Rule 12(b)(6) of First Amendment and § 1983 claims against a school district board and superintendent; dismissal affirmed by the Ninth Circuit.
  • Alberto Nunez v. Palomar Community College District. Successfully opposed a petition for writ of mandate; judgment entered in favor of the district.
  • Patricia Lynn O’Neill v. Saddleback Valley Unified School District. Successfully opposed a writ petition seeking certificated employee classification and reinstatement.
  • Timothy O’Kain v. Commission on Professional Competence of Redondo Beach USD. Successfully terminated a certificated employee following administrative hearing.
• Public Works and Contract Litigation.
  • Future DB v. City of Irvine. Successfully appealed the trial court judgment’s granting a public contract bidder’s petition for writ of mandate awarding bid preparation costs.
  • USS Cal Builders, Inc. v. City of Irvine. Resolved public works contract litigation on favorable terms for the City.
• Water Law and Groundwater Management.
  • Irvine Ranch Water District v. Orange County Water District.  Represented Orange County Water District in complex, multi-phase water law litigation, successfully defending its statutory authority, basin management determinations, and surcharges, resulting in a final judgment largely in OCWD’s favor, which was upheld on appeal.
• Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) Proceedings.  Extensive experience representing public agencies in all phases of PERB proceedings, including unfair practice charges, unit modification petitions, representation matters, retaliation claims, and administrative appeals. Notable matters include cases involving Palomar Community College District, Orcutt Union School District, Placentia–Yorba Linda USD, Menifee Union School District, and Morongo Basin Transit Authority, among others.

Publications

• No Longer United, Yet Not Subdivided, IRWA Newsletter, November 2015
• "Kelo: The Case That Made Eminent Domain Infamous," The Override (Los Angeles Association of Professional Landmen), March 2015

Recent Presentations

• “Overview of Eminent Domain and Related Valuations Issues” (35th West Coast Landmen’s Institute), October 2017

Awards & Honors

Southern California Super Lawyers, Rising Stars Edition, 2013-2016

Foreign Language

Conversant in Portuguese

Memberships & Associations

• Orange County Bar Association
• State Bar of California