Robert J. picture

Robert J. Lee

Partner

Los Angeles

t: (310) 527-6660

d: (424) 269-3344

e: rlee@awattorneys.com

VCard

Bio

Robert Lee is a partner in the Los Angeles office and currently serves as Assistant City Attorney for the City of Carson and Deputy City Attorney for the City of Perris. Robert advises city clients and other public agencies in a wide variety of practice areas including contracts and complex public works projects, software licensing, franchises, land use and zoning, and real estate. Robert serves as Chair of the Firm’s real estate practice group and public contracting practice group. He provides legal counsel on the Brown Act, the Public Records Act, the Subdivision Map Act, affordable housing matters, and former redevelopment agency issues, and also has extensive experience with purchasing procedures and policies, contract formation and negotiation, as well as drafting and amending ordinances and resolutions. His real estate experience includes preparation and negotiation of agreements for easements, licenses, acquisitions, dispositions, leases, finance, and development, for both improved and unimproved real property.

 

Prior to joining the Firm, Robert worked for 11 years, first at Green, de Bortnowsky & Quintanilla, LLP, serving as Deputy City Attorney for the cities of Rancho Mirage, Desert Hot Springs, Cathedral City and Victorville, then later at the Law Offices of Quintanilla & Associates, serving as Assistant City Attorney for the City of Rancho Mirage, Deputy City Attorney for the City of Desert Hot Springs, Interim Deputy City Attorney for the City of Moreno Valley, and Deputy General Counsel for numerous other public agencies.  Robert also served as the Rancho Mirage Planning Commission General Counsel for 6 years.

 

Robert is barred in both California and Illinois. Prior to his practice in municipal law, Robert worked as both a corporate lawyer and as a litigator in both California and Illinois.  Robert also spent several years in Chicago representing Fortune 500 companies in real estate, land use and eminent domain matters.

 

Robert earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Economics from the University of California at Los Angeles, and received his Juris Doctorate from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland, Ohio.

• Land Use: Mobile Homes – Currently preparing City of Carson ordinance creating overlay district zone for mobile home parks in connection with city’s efforts to preserve mobile home parks and advising on general plan amendment.

• Land Use: Billboard Development Agreements – Represented City of Irwindale in negotiation of billboard development agreements for conversion of static to digital billboards.

• Real Estate: Tesla Lease -- Represented City of Carson in negotiations and preparation of lease agreement with Tesla for City lease of parking spaces to Tesla and Tesla’s installation and operation of electric charging stations.

• Housing: Mayans Affordable Housing Development -- Represented Irwindale Housing Authority in providing second lien loans in conjunction with private development of 16 new single-family homes and rehabilitation of 2 existing single-family homes as affordable housing units. Prepared related loan documents and affordable housing covenants and handled closings for same in connection with developer’s sales of residential homes to affordable homeowners pursuant to a Disposition and Development Agreement.

• Housing: Subordinations -- On behalf of the Irwindale Housing Authority, drafted subordination policy that provides guidelines on when an affordable homeowner’s request for subordination may be approved by housing authority. Determine eligibility on ongoing basis for subordination of loans and prepare subordination agreements.

• Housing: Equity Sharing -- On behalf of the Irwindale Housing Authority, drafted a new equity sharing policy which allows affordable homeowners increased opportunity to retain a greater percentage of the equity sharing appreciation amount upon sale of their affordable homes.

  • Assistant City Attorney, Carson

• Assistant City Attorney, Rancho Mirage

• Deputy City Attorney, Desert Hot Springs

• Deputy City Attorney, Cathedral City

• Deputy City Attorney, Victorville

• Interim Deputy City Attorney, Moreno Valley

• Deputy General Counsel (various public agencies)

• State Bar of California

• US District Court, Central CA

• State Bar of Illinois

• US District Court, Northern District of Illinois

• California Association of Public Cemeteries (CAPC) – 2019 CAPC Education/Area Meeting, Contracts and Risk Management.

• Numerous supervisor and employee training sessions on various topics such as contracts, risk management, public works, prevailing wages, public bidding, and Brown Act.

  • Case Western Reserve University School of Law, JD, 1996

  • University of CA, Los Angeles, BA, International Economics, 1992