Pam picture

Pam Lee

Equity Partner

Orange County

t: (949) 223-1170

d: (949) 250-5415

e: plee@awattorneys.com

VCard

Bio

Pam K. Lee is an equity partner with extensive experience advising public agencies on complex housing, land use, and community development matters throughout California. Her practice is centered on the negotiation, structuring, and implementation of market-rate and affordable housing projects, as well as counseling cities on compliance with rapidly evolving state housing mandates. Ms. Lee regularly advises on CEQA, the Housing Accountability Act, SB 35, SB 330, SB 9, density bonus law, inclusionary housing requirements, and related land use legislation affecting local control over housing development.

As housing counsel, Ms. Lee has represented public agencies in the development of large-scale mixed-use and residential projects, including high-density and affordable housing developments financed through state and federal programs. She has drafted and negotiated disposition and development agreements, owner participation agreements, and master regulatory agreements, and is deeply familiar with California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (TCAC) requirements and housing finance programs such as HOME, Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), and former redevelopment housing funds. Ms. Lee also assists cities with RHNA allocation challenges, housing element updates, and the adoption of housing ordinances in response to state legislative reforms.

Ms. Lee has played a leading role in high-profile housing and land use litigation, including representing coalitions of cities in legal challenges to state housing laws that impact local zoning authority. Her litigation experience includes CEQA, land use, eminent domain, and constitutional claims, and she has argued before the California Supreme Court on matters involving public agency land use authority. Notably, she is currently representing multiple cities in litigation challenging the validity and constitutionality of SB 9.

Ms. Lee serves as City Attorney for the Cities of Calabasas, Cerritos, and Hesperia, where she provides strategic legal guidance on housing policy, development approvals, and planning initiatives. She is a frequent speaker on housing and land use law and has authored and edited publications addressing new developments in California housing legislation

Transactional Matters

• Land Use/Housing: City of Cupertino Vallco Town Center (The Rise) Housing Project – Represented the city in the development of one of the most expensive mixed use developments in the State of California, with 2,402 residential high-rise units (including 1,201 affordable units), and over 2 million square feet of retail and office uses and a state-of-the-art green roof and recreational amenities

• Land Use/Housing: City of Rialto Renaissance Specific Plan – Represented city in the development and implementation of a 1,400 acre master-planned community with industrial, commercial, and residential development, including the development of the Renaissance Marketplace, a commercial retail center with 407,000 square feet of retail and entertainment uses

Housing: City of Perris Verano Affordable Housing Development – Represented the city in providing city loan and land grant for a 40 unit affordable housing development that received California low-income tax credits

• Labor & Employment: City of Cerritos – Represented the city in labor negotiations to achieve 3-year contracts; drafted employee handbook and personnel rules and policies; drafted COVID-19 Prevention Program and other safety standards

• Labor & Employment: City of Carson – Represented the city in labor negotiations; advised the city on various employee leave issues and accommodation processes; represented the city in employee disciplinary actions; drafted COVID-19 Prevention Program and other safety standards

• Labor & Employment: City of Hesperia – Represented the city in labor negotiations regarding layoffs; advised the city on various employee leave issues; represented the city manager in employee appeal hearings; negotiated executive employee terminations and settlements; drafted COVID-19 Prevention Program and other safety standards

Litigation Matters

• Cities of Carson, Redondo Beach, et al v. Rob Bonta (2022) Los Angeles Sup. Ct. Case No. 22STCP01143. Legal challenge by charter cities of SB 9, which eliminates single family zones and erodes local control over land use and zoning

• Endangered Habitats League, et al. v. City of Rialto (2019) San Bernardino County Sup. Ct. Case No. CIVDS1806755.  Successfully defended a city against legal challenge of violation of CEQA laws in city’s implementation of specific plan of a 1,250 acre master-planned community of residential and commercial development. 

• City of Perris v. Stamper, et al. (2016) 1 Cal.5th 576.  Successfully argued in favor of City certain constitutional issues related to a public agency’s authority to require dedication of private land for public use. 

• City Attorney, Calabasas

• City Attorney, Hesperia

• General Counsel, Palmdale Water District

• General Counsel, Bell Canyon Community Services District

• General Counsel, El Dorado County Civil Service Commission

• Assistant/Interim City Attorney, Cerritos

• Assistant City Attorney, Rialto

• Assistant City Attorney, Lynwood

• Assistant City Attorney, Irwindale

• Assistant Town Attorney, Yucca Valley

• General Counsel, Anaheim Transportation Network

• State Bar of California

• US Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit

• US District Court, Central District of California

• AB 2449 Eases Rules on Remote Meetings Under the Brown Act – But in a Complex Manner

• League of CA Cities Municipal Law Handbook

  • Legal Visionary, LA Times Business of Law (2022)

  • Attorney Coach, Mock Trial, Whitney High School

• Independent Cities Association Annual Conference – Keynote Speaker (August 2022)

• League of California Cities – Los Angeles County City Managers Conference (May 2022)

• Southern California Public Labor Relations Council (SCPLRC) – Monthly Meeting (April 2022)

• City Attorneys Association of Los Angeles County (CAALAC) – Monthly Meeting (February 2021)

• California Public Employers Labor Relations Association (CALPELRA) – 2020 Annual Conference (November 2020)

• Appearance, ABC 7 – legal update on SB 188 and non-discrimination in the workplace based on hair textures or hairstyle intimately associated with race (December 2019)

• California Public Employers Labor Relations Association (CALPELRA) – 2019 Annual Conference (November 2019)

• Public Employer Labor Relations Association of California (PELRAC) – 2018 Annual Conference (October 2018)

• National Public Employer Labor Relations Association (NPELRA) – 2017 Annual Conference (April 2017)

• Numerous supervisor and employee training sessions on Anti-Harassment and Discrimination Prevention, Brown Act and Ethics Training

  • University of Southern California, JD, 2006

  • University of CA, Los Angeles, BA, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, 2002