Lee Kaplan

Lee Kaplan is a talented and scrupulous attorney with a broad base of experience in various aspects of real estate law.

With a knack for anticipating and addressing potential issues before they arise, he takes a proactive approach to lawyering, and strives to deliver optimal results for his clients in an efficient and transparent manner. He is a skilled communicator with a unique ability to break down and explain complex legal topics, helping clients weigh their options and make informed decisions.

Lee has advised clients including public entities, private landowners, and brokers on leases and purchase and sale agreements, and helped negotiate complex easements, licenses, settlements, and other agreements pertaining to real property. In addition to his transactional experience, he has broad expertise in land use and environmental law, and has helped clients conduct due diligence and shepherd development projects of all sizes through complex entitlement processes throughout Southern California.

Prior to joining Harvest, Lee was an associate at Crosbie Gliner Schiffman Southard & Swanson LLP (CGS3) where he advised clients on all aspects of commercial real estate law.  Lee gained experience advising municipalities and other public entities with Los Angeles-based Richards, Watson & Gershon, and built his land use expertise at Harding Larmore Kutcher & Kozal in Santa Monica. He also gained in-house experience as a staff attorney for the California Association of Realtors, a statewide trade association for real estate professionals. His writing on land use and real estate-related topics has appeared in publications including the California Real Property Journal and the Environmental Law Reporter.

Notable Deals

• Advised medical diagnostics firm on lease of large manufacturing facility for COVID-19 testing kits.
• Assisted with entitlement and development agreement negotiations for large mixed-use project in Santa Monica, California.
• Represented private educational institution seeking approval of campus expansion.
• Advised property owner seeking approval of condominium project by the California Coastal Commission.
• Negotiated settlement agreement allowing commercial property owner to retain access to emergency power from offsite generator.
• Advised municipality in negotiations for renewal of long-term ground lease for hotel development.
• Helped municipality negotiate subsurface easement for transportation research and development project.