Gary Kovacic

Mr. Kovacic concentrates his law practice in the areas of eminent domain, land use, and zoning litigation. His eminent domain practice includes well over 500 cases for clients that range from Fortune 500 companies to family businesses; from owners of shopping centers, hotels, farms, golf courses, and large tracts of land to tenants of small commercial parcels. Mr. Kovacic has been a licensed California attorney since 1976 and a partner in the firm since 1981. In addition to the California State Bar, Mr. Kovacic has been admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court (Central, Eastern, and Southern Districts of California), U.S. Court of Appeals (Ninth Circuit), and the U.S. Supreme Court. Mr. Kovacic obtained his undergraduate degree in history cum laude from UCLA and his juris doctor, cum laude, from Southwestern University School of Law, where he was a note and comment editor for the law review. Mr. Kovacic taught real property law as an adjunct professor at the University of La Verne College of Law and has served as a guest lecturer on eminent domain law at both the University of Law Verne College of Law and Southwestern University School of Law.  From 1990-1992, Mr. Kovacic chaired the Los Angeles County Bar Association Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Committee. He has also been a featured speaker at the American Planning Association Zoning Institute, American Planning Association National Planning Conference, CLE International Regulatory Takings Conference, Appraisal Institute, and International Right of Way Association Annual Valuation Seminar. In addition to his speaking engagements, Mr. Kovacic has co-chaired the CLE International Annual Eminent Domain Conference in Southern California since 2003.  He has also been a contributing author for Nichols on Eminent Domain, the nation’s leading treatise on eminent domain law. In addition to the practice of law, Mr. Kovacic was a member of the City Council of the City of Arcadia, California, recently concluding 18 years of service as a City Council Member and six-term Mayor. He also chaired the City’s Redevelopment Agency Board and Planning Commission, and was a member of the Oversight Board of the City’s Successor Agency, positions that managed numerous development, zoning, and land use issues. Mr. Kovacic has been very involved with Arcadia’s public school district as a board member of the Arcadia Education Foundation, coach of Arcadia High School’s national champion Constitution Team, and chair of the school district’s successful $218 million school bond campaign.