Practice areas: Land Use & Zoning, Appellate, Business Litigation; view more
Licensed in California since: 1989
Education: Loyola Law School Los Angeles
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2023 - 2026 Timothy V. Kassouni is a Sacramento-based attorney with a profound dedication to defending property rights and personal freedom, principles he believes to be deeply interconnected. As the founder of Kassouni Law, with branches in Los Angeles and Sacramento, California, he has built a reputation for his vigorous defense against both government and private encroachments on property rights. Focusing his practice on land use and zoning, and appellate business litigation, his clientele is spread across the Sacramento and Los Angeles metropolitan areas.
Mr. Kassouni has represented clients in high-profile cases at all levels of the judicial system, including appearances before the Supreme Court of the United States, the Supreme Court of California and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. His legal work has significantly influenced land use, appeals, business and property rights law, contributing to setting legal precedents across California.
Born in New York and raised in various parts of California, Mr. Kassouni has developed a keen sensitivity to the needs of diverse client groups ranging from small farmers to large commercial developers. His protective instincts, which first emerged during his school days when he would stand up to bullies, have evolved into a professional commitment to safeguarding his clients' legal rights. He has been given a 10/10 rating on Avvo and has received stellar peer reviews through Martindale-Hubbell.
Mr. Kassouni’s legal career was enriched by a judicial externship at the Supreme Court of California under the Honorable Justice David N. Eagleson, an experience that provided him with invaluable insights into the judicial process. Prior to establishing his own firm in 2009, he worked with some of California’s leading legal institutions, including the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office and other private firms.
Educationally, Mr. Kassouni holds a J.D. from Loyola Law School and an A.B. in philosophy from the University of California at Berkeley. His time at Loyola was particularly formative, as he studied eminent domain and inverse condemnation law under Professor Gideon Kanner, a leading authority in the field. This mentorship, along with a pioneering public interest fellowship at the Pacific Legal Foundation, galvanized his passion for land use and constitutional property rights.
Practice areas
Land Use/Zoning, Appellate, Business LitigationFocus areas
Appeals, Non-Compete Agreements, Trade Secret
- 40% Land Use/Zoning
- 30% Appellate
- 30% Business Litigation
First Admitted: 1989, California
Professional Webpage: https://www.kassounilaw.com/sacramento-attorneys/timothy-v-k...
Bar / Professional Activity
- United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, 1990
- Federal District Court, Central District of California, 1992
- Federal District Court, Eastern District of California, 1994
- Federal District Court, Southern District of California, 2005
- Federal District Court, Northern District of California, 2006
- United States Court of Claims, 2006
- United States Supreme Court, 2011
- California State Bar Association: Member Since: 1989
- Federalist Society Member
- Litigation Section Member
- Real Property Section Member
- Student President of Loyola Law School Federalist Society
Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)
- Lockaway Storage, et al v. County of Alameda - Obtained over $2 million in damages and over $700,000.00 in attorney’s fees for a storage facility company after a two-week trial on an inverse condemnation claim against the County of Alameda. The County of Alameda had wrongly applied a growth control measure to the project which delayed construction and resulted in lost income and increased construction costs. In a groundbreaking published decision, the Court of Appeal unanimously upheld the award of damages and attorney’s fees, characterizing the County’s arguments as convoluted “nonsense”.
- Lucas v. South Carolina Coastal Council - Amicus curiae brief in the South Carolina Supreme Court, and subsequent amicus curiae brief in support of the petition for certiorari to the United States Supreme Court. Certiorari was granted, leading to an important 5th Amendment decision in favor of the property owner.
- City of West Hollywood v. Beverly Towers - Oral argument and amicus curiae briefing before the California Supreme Court in Beverly Towers Inc. v. City of West Hollywood. This case established the precedent that local governments do not have the right to enforce condominium conversion regulations after the property owner has obtained all discretionary approvals.
- Dr. Robert I. McClurg, et al v. Orthalliance, Inc - Invalidation of non-competition covenant in complex litigation action in Los Angeles County Superior Court against a publicly traded corporation on behalf of large group of orthodontists, which triggered a multi-million-dollar nationwide settlement.
- Norris v. Witter - Sacramento attorney Timothy Kassouni assisted private property owners in Topanga Canyon, California. The Los Angeles County Superior Court concluded that that trespass onto private property for the purpose of obtaining evidence of an alleged Coastal Act violation, is not protected speech. The defendants’ anti-slap motion was denied.
- Shayne v. County of Riverside - Client was charged with illegal grading. The County of Riverside expunged the notice of violation and dropped all charges one week before the trial. Ken Shayne comments: “I had super results with this firm and would recommend [Kassouni Law] to anyone who needs help. He was honest, very fair, and truly concerned about the injustice I was going through.”
- Construction Defect Litigation - Represented over 75 homeowners in construction defect actions in Los Angeles and Orange County, California, generating multi-million-dollar settlements.
- Subsurface Rights - Preserved the private use of subsurface oil and gas rights in a parcel of land otherwise subject to a conservation easement.
Educational Background
- J.D., Loyola Law School, 1989
- A.B., Philosophy, University of California at Berkeley, 1985
Scholarly Lectures / Writings
- “The Ripeness Doctrine and the Judicial Relegation of Constitutionally Protected Property Rights” – Timothy V. Kassouni California Western Law Review – Vol. 29 No. 1 – Fall, 1992, Abstract: This article describes the traditional role and definition of the ripeness doctrine, and how courts have modified that traditional role and definition to create unusually harsh and burdensome procedural barriers for private property owners when they seek compensation for a taking under the Fifth Amendment. The article has been cited by numerous scholars as a leading authority on the issue of ripeness and has also been cited in congressional hearings related to property rights.
- The Unrepentant Sins of the California Coastal Commission – Timothy Kassouni & Ronald Zumbrun, The Daily Recorder – February 9, 2009
- The Cost of Wetlands in Half Moon Bay – Timothy Kassouni & Ronald Zumbrun, The Daily Recorder – January 14, 2008
- Ninth Circuit Resurrects Due Process Protections for Property Owners – Timothy Kassouni and Ronald Zumbrun, Published by The Daily Recorder November 12, 2007, published by the San Francisco Daily Journal as Protecting Private Property – December 3, 2007
- After Decades of Abuse -The Challenge to Restore Property Rights in California; Published by Sacramento’s Daily Recorder September 10, 2007, Published by the San Francisco Daily Journal as Combating Takings October 10, 2007
- The Uses and Abuses of Conservation Easements – Timothy Kassouni & Ronald Zumbrun, published by Sacramento’s Daily Recorder June 11, 2007, published by The San Francisco Daily Journal as Conservation Easements – July 20, 2007
Honors
- Fritz B. Burns Foundation public interest fellowship, Pacific Legal Foundation
- Super Lawyers®, Earned the distinction of Super Lawyer, an honor limited to 5% of attorneys
Office location for Timothy V. Kassouni
455 Capitol Mall, Suite 604
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 888-512-0730
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2023 - 2026
