Trudi J. Lesser, Founder

Trudi Lesser is a highly regarded real estate and finance attorney with over 30 years of practice, working exclusively in commercial real estate law for over 20 years. Known as “the Dirt Lawyer”, she counsels business and commercial property owners in the acquisition and disposition of real estate and business assets, entity formation and operation for the holding and management of real estate and business assets, finance, workouts, and real estate asset management. She also represents landlords, tenants and hoteliers in all types of leasing and hotel management transactions. Her extensive experience covers most types of real estate, including retail, office, hospitality, industrial, multi-family and mixed-use properties.

Ms. Lesser acquired her real estate expertise through years of experience at several top-ranked law firms, including Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell, Allen Matkins, and, Hunton Andrews & Kurth. In 2009, she founded the Law Offices of Trudi J. Lesser. She created this practice to offer the expertise of a large firm background at reasonable rates, and prompt efficient responses to the myriad needs of a diverse client base.

Ms. Lesser was selected as a Southern California SuperLawyer for 2013, 2014, and, 2016 – 2019. Ms. Lesser also received the 2017 Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award for her leadership, excellence, and longevity in her profession.

Practice areas

• Leasing
  Lesser represents both landlords and tenants in various kinds of leasing transactions including initial leases, options, subleases, assignments, subordination and attornment agreements with lenders and ground leases for retail office, industrial, mixed-use and multi-family properties. She also advises hotel operators and negotiates hotel management agreements. She is the exclusive leasing counsel to one of Southern California’s premiere shopping center owners.
• Real estate finance
  Lesser advises property owners and lenders in structuring and negotiating acquisition, construction, bridge and permanent loans secured by commercial real property. She also represents lenders and borrowers in loan workout negotiations, modifications, deeds in lieu of foreclosure and loan portfolio sales. She is often retained as special California counsel by attorneys nationwide for transactions secured by California real property.
• Buy/sell/development
  Ms. Lesser represents property owners and developers in the acquisition, disposition and development of many property types, including retail centers, office complexes, mixed-use sites, hotels and resorts, multifamily housing, industrial facilities and raw land. Ms. Lesser works with her clients to plan and implement acquisitions, dispositions, ground leases, exchanges, and to perform the due diligence critical to the analysis of all types of transactions.
• Business entity formation and maintenance
  Lesser advises her clients in the business entity alternatives that may be used to own and operate commercial properties and assists in the formation and maintenance of such entities.
• Property management
  Ms. Lesser advises commercial property owners in the ongoing issues present in operating retail, office, hospitality, industrial, mixed-use and multifamily property types.

Professional activities and associations

A long-time member of Commercial Real Estate Women, Los Angeles (CREW-LA), Ms. Lesser served on the Board of Directors for eight years and served as the 2012 Los Angeles Chapter President. Ms. Lesser is also an active member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association where she is a member of the Executive Committee for the Real Property Section, and co-chair of the Commercial Development and Leasing Subsection of the Real Property Section. She is a member of the National Association of Professional Women.

Ms. Lesser is an experienced speaker on legal and business issues. She has made a number of presentations to the Los Angeles County Bar on the subjects of real estate finance, leasing and development. Most recently, she was a speaker for the Real Property Section’s presentation “Retail Evolution” at the Los Angeles County Bar. She was also on a networking panel at the National Spring Conference for CREW NETWORK. She has lectured at UCLA and is a published author.

Education

Ms. Lesser holds a juris doctor degree from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law where she was Editor of the Entertainment Law Journal and chaired the Entertainment Law Society. She also holds dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in Communications and Political Science from the University of New York at Albany where she graduated magna cum laude. Ms. Lesser is admitted to practice in all California federal and state courts including the Ninth Circuit Appellate Court.

Community Service

Ms. Lesser was the first person to chair the West Hollywood Rent Stabilization Commission, and went on to serve on the Board of Directors for the City’s Community Housing Corp. She has been a volunteer attorney for Public Counsel and helped build homes for Habitat for Humanity.