Aleks R. Giragosian

Aleks is Senior Counsel to the firm, a member of the municipal practice group, and resident in our Pasadena office.

He was recently appointed to serve as City Attorney to the City of Sierra Madre and attends all City Council and Planning Commission meetings. In his first year, he guided the City through the COVID-19 pandemic, civil unrest, the Bobcat Fire, and negotiated the terms of the Mater Dolorosa development agreement, Sierra Madre’s largest development project in years. He conducts all legal trainings, including AB 1234 Ethics Training and Sexual Harassment Prevention Training. He holds weekly office hours and regularly advises the City Council and department heads. Aleks drafts or approves all of the City’s agreements, policies, ordinances, and resolutions. He works collaboratively with staff to realize the City Council’s objectives and to identify potential issues before they arise.

Aleks also serves as Assistant City Attorney to the cities of South Pasadena, Calabasas, and Ojai. He is proficient in all aspects of municipal practice, advising clients on the Brown Act, Public Records Act, conflict of interest laws, California Environmental Quality Act, employment laws, and election laws.

Aleks’ practice is particularly focused on land use and housing. He recently revised Sierra Madre’s Density Bonus, Design Review, and Accessory Dwelling Unit ordinances. He closely follows homelessness and affordable housing legislation and initiatives, including the Housing Accountability Act, Housing Crisis Act, and Projects Roomkey and Homkey. Aleks has extensive experience drafting easements, development agreements, restrictive covenants, leases, licenses, and rental agreements.

Aleks is also experienced in general civil litigation. For example, in his election law practice, he defeated (1) a reimbursement demand under the California Voting Rights Act against the City of Barstow and (2) an initiative petition in the City of Oxnard. In his land use practice, he successfully defended (1) the City of Pomona in a challenge to the City Council’s denial of a conditional use permit and (2) the City of Calabasas in an action to nullify the City’s accessory dwelling unit ordinance.

His practice is not limited to municipalities. Aleks’ other titles include:

General Counsel to the Camarillo Health Care District
General Counsel to the Montecito Sanitary District
General Counsel to the Burbank Hospitality Association
General Counsel to the Downtown Burbank Partnership
Assistant General Counsel to the San Diego County Local Agency Formation Commission.

His broad practice area and the diversity of his clients allows him to navigate the complex legal and political landscape of local public agencies.

Education:

J.D., 2015, University of California, Los Angeles
M.P.P., 2015, University of California, Los Angeles
B.A., cum laude 2010, University of California, Irvine

Experience Prior to Joining the Firm:

Aleks previously served as a Legal Fellow in the Glendale City Attorney’s Office, where he practiced civil litigation, general municipal law, and prosecuted misdemeanor violations of the Glendale Municipal Code.

While in law school, Aleks worked for a number of state and local agencies, including the California Attorney General, the South Coast Air Quality Management District, and the California Public Utilities Commission.

Aleks graduated from UCLA with a Juris Doctor and a Master’s in Public Policy, earning the school’s prestigious Outstanding Academic Achievement Award. Aleks also received the Dukakis Fellowship and the Leadership in Sustainability Certificate awarded by UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Sustainability.

Practice Areas:

Municipal Advisory
California Public Records Act
Brown Act
Employment Law
Conflict of Interest Laws
Land Use / CEQA / Housing
Election Law / Districting
LAFCO Law
Employment Law
Local Hospital District Law

Recognitions/Committees:

Recipient, Armenian Bar Association’s “20 Under 40 Rising Stars” (2022)

Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley, PC