Richard H. Close is a partner of Gilchrist & Rutter. His practice focuses on the areas of real estate, financial and business transactions, civic administration, formation of and advising professional entities, and estate and tax planning.

Mr. Close is the co-author and ballot signer on various civic initiatives and charter measures. He served as Co-Chairman of Californians for Proposition 13, and co-signed with former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan both the Charter Reform Commission Ballot Measure and the ballot measure creating the new Los Angeles City Charter.

Mr. Close has also served as a member of the Los Angeles City Redistricting Commission, as well as the Los Angeles County Local Agency Formation Commission and several Business Advisory Committees established by California state senators and assemblymen.

Mr. Close received his J.D. magna cum laude from the Boston University School of Law, Massachusetts, where he served as an editor of the Boston University Law Review. He earned his B.S. in Economics at the Wharton School of Business and Finance, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

Representative Experience:

Mr. Close co-authored "Downward Mobility" (Los Angeles Daily Journal 2007); "Conversion to Resident Ownership: Does it make sense for you?" (WMA Reporter June 2007); "County Leaders Missing Point on Park Conversions " (Santa Cruz Sentinel 2007)

Lead counsel in successful, ground-breaking California case involving conversion/subdivision of manufactured housing community (mobile home park) from rental to condominium resident ownership. With over 20 years experience representing mobile home park owners, Richard Close has become the first choice in legal representation for California park owners seeking to subdivide their properties.  Close counsels clients with respect to such conversions to realize property value and replace local rent control with State regulations.  Also represents clients in non-conversion MHP matters, including acquisitions, closure, rent control litigation, financing, sales, tax-deferred sales and failure to maintain litigation.  In 2007 Mr. Close was instrumental in legislative lobbying efforts which successfully defeated a proposed Assembly bill that would have made subdivisions of mobilehome parks exceedingly more difficult and costly to park owners.

Prosecution of appeal against county board of supervisors that established an important principle on Proposition 8 regarding reductions in property values.

Prosecution of claim for damages against public entity for regulatory taking. The case proved instrumental in defining the limitations on a local municipality to impose conditions on residents and real estate development.

Prosecution of claim seeking remediation costs from responsible parties under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). Negotiated with state and local governmental entities regarding the remediation and removal of toxic contamination from a 70-acre site in greater Los Angeles.

Prosecution of claims against public entity that established appropriate standards for local rental review board.

Assist clients in the formation of joint ventures, partnerships, limited liability companies, trusts, family limited partnership, professional corporations and related entities, and Employee Stock Ownership Programs (ESOPs) primarily as method for purchasing companies. Counseled Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) in business transactions and tax requirements.

Negotiate and document purchase and sale of commerical developments, condominium properties, apartment complexes, industrial developments and businesses. Handle various transactions involving renegotiation of real estate financing, and conversion of properties to condomimiums for resale.

Negotiate and document various real estate, financial and business transactions, including a partnership dissolution involving multiple-acre sites in downtown Los Angeles.

Negotiated and documented the purchase of an historic hotel with financial consideration from governmental entities and special federal tax credit transfers.