Professional Experience
Mr. Grable’s practice focuses on land use and entitlement law. He specializes in development processing, development agreements, CEQA, subdivision and vested rights issues. He has substantial experience in the area of affordable housing development and in negotiating school mitigation agreements.
Mr. Grable also has expertise in the area of real estate transactions including the negotiation and drafting of purchase and sale agreements, options and commercial leases.
In addition, Mr. Grable has expertise in the area of nonprofit corporations. He serves as General Counsel for the Festival of Arts of Laguna Beach and serves as a Board Member of Families Forward, a transitional housing provider for homeless families, and of the Public Law Center, Orange County’s Pro Bono law firm.
Mr. Grable’s experience as a contract City Attorney provides him with insights into local government processes and has enabled him to establish good working relationships with City Attorneys throughout the state.
Mr. Grable has lectured on and authored numerous articles on planning, zoning, environmental and subdivision law. He serves as co-editor of the Manatt Real Estate and Land Use Newsletter. Mr. Grable has also had an active role in both the State and Orange County Bar Associations.
Education
University of California Hastings College of the Law, J.D., 1970.
Order of the Coif.
Thurston Society.
Editor, Hastings Law Journal.
Brigham Young University, B.A., 1967.
Memberships & Activities
Admitted to practice in California.
Past President, Orange County Bar Association.
Former Chairman, State Bar Resolutions Committee.
Former Member, State Bar Conference of Delegates Executive Committee.
Member, Building Industry Association of Orange County.
Committee memberships, Government Affairs Committee and Housing Task Force.
Member, Urban Land Institute.
Public Offices
City Attorney, City of Irvine (1980-1990).
City Attorney, City of La Palma (1976-1986).
City Attorney, City of San Clemente (1980-1981).
City Attorney, City of Laguna Beach (1979-1980).
Community Organizations
General Counsel, Festival of Arts of Laguna Beach, Inc.
Board Member, Families Forward, Inc.
Board Member, Public Law Center.
Board Member, Building Industry Association – Orange County Division.
Publications
"Tools for Local Growth Management: An Update,” League of California Cities (1987).
“Legal Limits of Government Land Use Regulation: An Expanding Concept,” Pepperdine Law Review (1975).
Co-Author, “Growth Control in California: Prospects for Local Implementation of Timing and Sequential Control of Residential Development,” 5 Pacific Law Journal 570 (1974).
“Compensation for Possibilities of Reverter and Powers of Termination under Condemnation Law,” 20 Hastings Law Journal 787 (1969).
Speaking Engagements
Speaker, Orange County Business Council, Housing 101 Conference, 2009.
Panelist, California Redevelopment Association, Affordable Housing Conference, Inclusionary Housing, 2007.
Panelist, American Planning Association, California Chapter Conference, “Ballot Box Planning,” 2004.
Panelist, American Planning Association, California Chapter Conference, “Design Review Ordinances,” 2005.
Panelist, Affordable Housing Seminar, University of California Irvine, 2003.
Speaker, Continuing Education of the Bar, Major Real Property Acquisitions, 2007.
Speaker, Continuing Education of the Bar, Subdivision Map Act, 2005 and 2007.
Speaker, Lorman Education Services, Plat and Subdivision Law in California, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.
Speaker, Continuing Education of the Bar, Land Use Regulation and Development, 2006.
Speaker, Los Angeles County Bar Association, Real Property Law Section, “Subdivision Law for Transactional Lawyers,” 2002.
Speaker, BIA Orange County Real Estate Conference, “Hot Topics - New CEQA Guidelines,” 2002.
Speaker, Environmental Law Section, State Bar of California, Environmental Law Conference, “Ballot Box Planning; Local Control or Mob Rule,” 2000.
Speaker, Environmental Law Section, State Bar of California, 1999 Spring Roundtable, “Mitigating School Impacts,” 1999.
Speaker, American Planning Association, California Chapter Conference, “Important Local Government, Housing and Land Use Bills During 1998,” 1998.
Speaker, BIA Orange County Real Estate Conference, “Hot Topics - Land Use Within Spheres of Influence,” 1995.