Manatt Welcomes Renowned Public Safety Leader as National Advisor in Los Angeles

Former Los Angeles County Deputy Fire Chief Thomas Ewald brings deep, field-tested experience with crisis prevention, emergency preparedness, disaster response, humanitarian relief and recovery operations

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, a multidisciplinary, integrated professional services firm, today announced the arrival of National Advisor to Manatt’s Energy, Environment and Real Estate group. Widely regarded as one of the foremost leaders in urban and wildland fire response, community risk reduction and prevention, and public safety innovation, Ewald deepens the Firm’s offerings in these areas for clients with real estate development assets, including commercial, residential, hospitality, aviation and health systems.

“As both California and the nation experience escalating climate-related disasters, including wildfires, floods and related infrastructure failures, clients are facing new legal, regulatory and financial challenges that require proficiency and cooperation in this rapidly evolving field,” said , Partner and Leader of the Manatt Real Estate Advisors practice. “Tom’s unparalleled knowledge and experience surrounding all-hazard emergency incident management, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster response leadership, fire policy development and international disaster assistance and humanitarian relief make him an invaluable partner to both public agencies and private sector clients as they prepare for and respond to emergencies, as well as related legislation and regulations.”

Ewald is the latest arrival to join Manatt’s Energy, Environment and Real Estate group, which recently welcomed National Advisor , a former Regional Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. At Manatt, Ewald will assist clients who own, manage or operate private and public properties, entertainment facilities, sporting venues, universities, regional and super regional mall projects, high rise towers, data centers, industrial and warehouse distribution facilities, residential developments and various types of infrastructure projects in working with local and statewide agencies to prepare for climate and other emergency situations. He is also a notable addition to the team, which provides in-house real estate brokerage and advisory services and includes consultants, attorneys and land use planners, enabling the team to provide a cutting-edge, holistic approach to serving clients from beginning to end–another example of Manatt’s unique, integrated platform providing both legal and consulting services.

During his 39-year career, Ewald led countless large-scale disaster responses and tackled various emergency situations at the local, state and national levels and has been involved in managing readiness and crisis events in more than 31 countries across six continents. He has also worked extensively with a variety of Los Angeles City and County agencies, uniquely positioning him to provide guidance to clients working with these officials and members of community-based organizations, labor unions and allied public safety agencies.

Ewald’s work will include addressing land use and development issues, starting at the entitlement application and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review phases and ending at the plan check process. He will also assist with wildfire-related planning, from preventative measures to emergency protocols and evacuation planning. Ewald will work with clients in the preparation and review of their wildfire and evacuation technical studies and reports necessary to obtain development permits, which will provide the substantial evidence necessary to defend those permits in litigation. Finally, his background collaborating with local airports as the fire department’s Aviation & Wildland Division commander will enable him to support the Firm’s capabilities providing guidance to clients who operate fixed-base operators (FBOs), maintenance, repair and overhauls (MROs) or otherwise own and develop properties at Van Nuys Airport (VNY), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and Long Beach Airport, among others. 

“I’m thrilled to be a part of Manatt’s collaborative culture, providing innovative and impactful solutions to clients seeking guidance in fire safety, emergency operations and disaster response,” said Ewald. “I look forward to leveraging my background and relationships throughout California and beyond to further strengthen the Firm’s regulatory and advisory capabilities across the energy, real estate, hospitality, health care and government sectors.”

Ewald is a qualified member of the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team, which is a part of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). He spent over three decades with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, most recently as Deputy Fire Chief, leading incident management teams and resources in preparation for, and during, large-scale wildfire emergencies and events such as Super Bowl LVI, COVID-19 testing, vaccination and distribution of personal protective equipment, and Project Roomkey missions. Ewald was also a FEMA Incident Support Team leader with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and a program manager and task force leader at the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance within the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Ewald joins the Firm’s roster of legal and consulting professionals who have also joined over the last year across core industry sectors, including Digital and Technology ( and ); Energy and Environment (); Entertainment (); Financial Services ( and ); Government and Regulatory (, ,  and ); and Health Care (, , , , , , , , , , , , ,  and ).

Ewald earned his Master's in Executive Leadership from University of Southern California Sol Price School of Public Policy and his B.A. from Cogswell Polytechnical College.