 |
||
Michael H. Leifer
For more than the past decade Mr. Leifer has successfully tried numerous condemnation cases. His first condemnation trial, along with one of his partners, resulted in the first reported appellate court opinion concerning contaminated property in the Eminent Domain context. His work has involved numerous types of public projects, ranging from takings related to freeway and highway projects, to water and power facilities, and sports arenas.
Recently, he has successfully represented a number of property owners making compensation claims in both the direct and inverse condemnation context. A 1998 verdict is believed to be the highest pre-condemnation damage verdict in California. In late 1999, Mr. Leifer represented a business achieving the largest award for loss of business goodwill to date. Despite the size of the award, the business was not displaced from its location.
One recent trial resulted in an award of total compensation of over $1 million. The case involved real estate valuation, severance damages, business fixtures and equipment, business inventory, and loss of business goodwill. In addition to the over $1 million payment, the Agency was required to reimburse the owners for all attorneys' and appraisers' fees. Prior to hiring the firm, the owners were only offered approximately $50,000. After each of his last several trials to verdict over the last five years, his clients also received reimbursement of their costs and litigation expenses.
Mr. Leifer is a member of the Los Angeles County, Orange County, and American Bar Associations, as well as a member of the International Right of Way Association (Chapter 67).
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
||||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|
||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|||||||||||