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Christopher J. Diaz is a senior attorney in the Public Law Department at Richards, Watson & Gershon. Mr. Diaz currently serves as Assistant City Attorney for the Cities of Norwalk, Jurupa Valley, and South El Monte. As an Assistant City Attorney, Mr. Diaz serves as Planning Commission counsel and provides advice on a wide range of government law issues. Mr. Diaz is currently a member of the Association of Environmental Professionals, the Mexican-American Bar Association, and the Los Angeles County Bar Association.
Mr. Diaz has specialized his practice by providing transactional advice on land use issues, state planning and zoning laws, and the environmental review required under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). He regularly reviews EIRs, negative declarations, and initial studies for various development projects to ensure legal compliance with CEQA. Mr. Diaz’s CEQA work includes the following:
- Assisted the City of Whittier with CEQA compliance in approving an oil field development project in close proximity to open space and environmental habitat.
- Provided CEQA advice and served as legal counsel to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority in preparing an EIR for its approval of the Malibu Parks Public Access Enhancement Plan.
- Analyzed an EIR for the adaptive reuse of a historic post office for the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in the City of Beverly Hills, and advised city staff regarding legal compliance.
- Reviewed an EIR for an 80,000 square foot LEED Certified Mercedes-Benz Auto dealership in close proximity to residential uses in the City of Temecula.
- LHO Grafton Hotel, L.P. v. City of West Hollywood - Unpublished Court of Appeal decision upholding an EIR for a mixed-use development project with condominium towers, hotel towers, and retail uses on three parcels on the Sunset Strip in the City of West Hollywood.
Mr. Diaz obtained his law degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, where he served as Articles Editor of the Chicano Latino Law Review. Prior to law school, Mr. Diaz spent a year working in the state capitol on policy issues as a Jesse M. Unruh Assembly Fellow. Mr. Diaz’s publications include: “California Supreme Court to Review Appellate Decision that Imposed CEQA Roadblocks to City's ‘Go Green’ Ordinance”- RW&G Advisor, Spring 2010 and
“Clearing The Smoke: The Highs And Lows Of Regulating Medical Marijuana Dispensaries” - RW&G Advisor, Winter 2010.
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B.A., University of California, San Diego, 1998
J.D., University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, 2004
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