Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro)

Enabling Multibillion-Dollar Upgrades to LA’s Public Transit System

Our work with Metro, California’s largest transit agency, stands as a beacon of our world-class Eminent Domain, Labor & Employment, and Trial practices, strengthening our status as the go-to law firm for high-value public projects.

Excellence in Eminent Domain

Eminent domain is a vital tool for public entities like Metro to acquire property for key projects like subways and rail networks. We manage Metro’s highest-priority and highest-value eminent domain needs, saving millions of dollars through favorable settlements and jury awards.

Our work ensures projects move forward without delays or excessive costs, laying the groundwork for California’s continued growth:

• D Line (Formerly Purple Line)
  We are the legal backbone of Metro’s D Line extension, a $9.5 Billion, 9-mile subway extension from Koreatown to the Westside. We’ve acquired the project’s most important properties totaling tens of thousands of square feet and over $100 million in claims, including a high-profile battle over property beneath the Beverly Hills High School.
• K Line (Crenshaw/LAX Transit Corridor Project)
  We’ve acquired essential property for a massive $2 billion expansion of subway service on the K Line to LAX, including the complex purchase of a major parking facility where we excluded significant parts of opposing counsel’s real estate and goodwill analysis, saving over $20 million.
• Southeast Gateway Project
  The Southeast Gateway Line is a new light rail transit (LRT) line that will connect southeast LA County to downtown Los Angeles. 14.5 miles of new light rail from Slauson/A Line to Artesia. The approved project includes nine new stations, five parking facilities, and a maintenance facility in Bellflower.
  

Bench and Jury Trial-Ready

While settlements are ideal, litigation is sometimes unavoidable. Led by David Skinner, Meyers Nave boasts an unmatched eminent domain trial record, including many “bet-the-farm” cases for Metro.

In one case, we achieved a landmark victory in a high-stakes dispute over property 100 feet beneath Beverly Hills High School, crucial for Metro’s $9.5 billion D Line expansion. In a two-week bench trial, we secured the subsurface rights and paved the way for a jury to determine “just compensation”. Through strategic pretrial motions, we reduced an inflated $74 million appraisal to $53 million. After a month-long trial, the jury awarded just $1 million, saving Metro over $70 million.

This case highlights Meyers Nave’s comprehensive abilities, as we also negotiated utility agreements, drafted writ actions, and addressed preemption issues with the City of Beverly Hills for tunnel permits.

Sensitive Workplace Investigations

Under the umbrella of our Labor & Employment practice, Meyers Nave has also guided Metro through sensitive investigations involving allegations of discrimination, harassment, abuse, favoritism, confidentiality breaches, and other misconduct allegedly contributing to a hostile work environment. We provide thorough, fact-based investigations to support Metro in making effective organizational decisions. Our evaluations and reports are designed to withstand scrutiny in any setting—internal, public, or in court.

A Legacy of Success

Our success with Metro reflects our dedication to meeting clients’ diverse legal needs and driving projects that have a lasting impact on communities and the economy. Together, we lay the groundwork for transportation and infrastructure projects that reduce traffic, cut emissions, and improve public transit for all Californians.