Thomas W. Casparian

Member

Santa Monica

(310) 460-4471

(310) 594-3082

Thomas is a trial lawyer and certified appellate law specialist by the California State Bar. His trial and appellate practice primarily focuses on complex business and real estate litigation, representing commercial property owners and developers in business and real property disputes. He also has extensive experience litigating and resolving disputes with municipalities and other governmental agencies at the trial and appellate court levels, and handles state and local administrative and regulatory matters and related government agency proceedings.

With over 25 years’ experience representing manufactured housing community owners throughout California, Thomas leads Cozen O’Connor’s Manufactured Housing practice. Thomas counsels mobile home park owners and investors on rent control and fair return, development and expansion/infill, closure and redevelopment, acquisition and due diligence, rental agreements and long term leases, park rules and regulations, park-owned homes, ground leases, and failure to maintain litigation and prevention. He has extensive knowledge of California’s Mobilehome Residency Law and the Mobilehome Parks Act. Thomas regularly appears before local rent control boards and arbitrators, planning commissions, and city councils on behalf of park owners.  

Thomas has extensive appellate experience and is named as counsel on approximately 20 published state and federal appellate decisions, including: United Grand Corporation v. Stollof (2022) 74 Cal.App.5th 62; Colony Cove Props., LLC v. City of Carson, 888 F.3d. 445 (9th Cir. 2018)Everett v. Mountains Recreation and Conservancy Authority (2015) 239 Cal.App.4th 541; Carson Harbor Village, Ltd. v. City of Carson (2015) 239 Cal.App.4th 56; 218 Properties, LLC v. City of Carson (2014) 226 Cal.App.4th 182; Colony Cove Properties, LLC v. City of Carson (2013) 220 Cal.App.4th 840; Chino MHC, LP v. City of Chino (2012) 210 Cal.App.4th 1049; Goldstone v. County of Santa Cruz (2012) 207 Cal.App.4th 1038; Pacific Palisades Bowl Mobile Estates, LLC v. City of Los Angeles (2012) 55 Cal.4th 783 (representing amicus curiae); Colony Cove Properties, LLC v. City of Carson, 640 F.3d 948 (9th Cir. 2011); Colony Cove Properties, LLC v. City of Carson (2010) 187 Cal.App.4th 1487; Carson Harbor Village v. County of Los Angeles, 433 F.3d 1260 (9th Cir. 2006); Carson Harbor Village, Ltd. v. Unocal Corp., 287 F.Supp.2d 1118 (C.D. Cal. 2003); El Dorado Palm Springs, Ltd. v. Board of Supervisors, 104 Cal. App. 4th 1262 (2002); El Dorado Palm Springs, Ltd. v. City of Palm Springs, 96 Cal. App. 4th 1153 (2002); Carson Harbor Village, Ltd. v. City of Carson Mobilehome Rental Review Board, 70 Cal. App. 4th 281 (1997); and People v. Grant (1999) 20 Cal.4th 150.

Prior to joining Cozen O’Connor, Thomas practiced at Gilchrist & Rutter and earlier served as deputy attorney general of the California Department of Justice. Before law school, Thomas worked on federal legislative and executive matters at Akin Gump in Washington, D.C.

Thomas received his bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and his law degree from Boston University School of Law.

Experience

News

Three Cozen O’Connor Attorneys Recognized as 2024 Southern California Super Lawyers

January 12, 2024

Los Angeles attorney Susan A. Grueneberg and Santa Monica attorneys Thomas W. Casparian and Paul S. Rutter to its 2024 Southern California Super Lawyers list.

Thomas Casparian and Brett Watson Named ICLS Pro Bono Volunteers of the Year

August 29, 2023

Thomas Casparian and Brett Watson, members of the firm’s Commercial Litigation Department, have been named Inland Counties Legal Services (ICLS) Pro Bono Volunteers of the Year.

Five Cozen O’Connor Attorneys Recognized as 2023 Southern California Super Lawyers

February 07, 2023

Super Lawyers has named Los Angeles attorneys Susan A. Grueneberg and Donald C. Nanney and Santa Monica attorneys Thomas W. Casparian, Jonathan S. Gross, and Paul S. Rutter to its 2023 Southern California Super Lawyers list.

Can America Love Manufactured Housing? It’s Complicated

September 09, 2022

Thomas Casparian, a member of the firm’s commercial litigation department, was recently quoted in a Law360 article that discussed manufactured housing.

Eight Cozen O’Connor Attorneys Recognized as 2022 Southern California Super Lawyers

January 20, 2022

Super Lawyers has named eight Cozen O'Connor attorneys to its 2022 Southern California Super Lawyers list.

Catholic Sex Abuse Atty's Fee Not Taxable, 9th Circ. Told

March 15, 2021

Thomas Casparian and Karl Riley were featured in an article published by Law360.

Nine Cozen O’Connor Attorneys Recognized as 2020 Southern California Super Lawyers

January 15, 2020

Super Lawyers has named nine Cozen O'Connor attorneys to its 2020 Southern California Super Lawyers.

Publications

U.S. Supreme Court Revisits the Right of Local Government to Exact Permit Conditions from Developers [Alert]

April 29, 2024

Steven Katkov, Tom Casparian, and Chris Josten discuss the April 12 California Supreme Court ruling in Sheetz v. El Dorado County that affects how local governments can impose conditions on property developers.

Coastal Communities Require Permits from Coastal Commission and from HCD for Mobile Home Construction [Alert]

June 29, 2021

Tom Casparian discusses the California Court of Appeals decision that the CCC and HCD have overlapping jurisdiction when it comes to mobile home construction and replacement in the coastal zone.

California Adopts Emergency Cannabis Regulations [Alert]

February 17, 2021

Susy Forbath and Thomas Casparian discuss the emergency regulations implementing processes for cannabis businesses to authorize the California Bureau of Cannabis to share licensee information with financial institutions.

Mobile Home Parks, Rental Property and COVID-19 Government Orders

August 06, 2020

Thomas Casparian provided an update for the Manufactured Housing Educational Trust —Mobile Home E-Series, to answer some questions MHET has posed that are plaguing community management, and help explain the web of emergency rules and restrictions.

Rent Control for Manufactured Housing Communities - CPI Systems

October 01, 2019

Thomas Casparian published an article to MHInsider Magazine explaining inflation-factor rent control systems, their various forms, and how small details can make big differences.

Events & Seminars

Past Events

2024 MHI Congress and Expo

April 04, 2024 - Las Vegas, NV

Ask the Attorneys – Navigating Today’s Legal Landscape

October 06, 2022 - Stone Mountain, GA

2022 MHI Congress & Expo

April 11, 2022 - Orlando, Florida

Employment Law Questions Answered

March 30, 2022 - Webinar

Education

  • Boston University School of Law, J.D., 1993
  • Cornell University, B.A.

Awards & Honors

Super Lawyer in Appellate, Business Litigation, Real Estate: Business, Southern California Super Lawyers 2016-2024

Volunteer of the Year (2023), Inland County Legal Services

Advocate of the Year; honored by Public Counsel for pro bono contributions to the Children's Rights Project 2006

Southern California Rising Star in Business Litigation 2004-2006

  • California
  • U.S. District Court -- Central District of California
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. Supreme Court

Certified Appellate Law Specialist, certified by The State Bar of California of Legal Specialization

Member, California State Bar Association, Real Property Section

Member, California State Bar Association, Labor and Employment Section

Member, Los Angeles County Bar Association, Real Property Section

Member, Los Angeles County Bar Association, Labor & Employment Section