Mr. Graham practiced law with the County Counsel's Office in Los Angeles until 1985, where he principally oversaw litigation relating to the Department of Hospital , the Sheriff's Department, the County Assessor, the County Engineer, the County Road Department, the County Flood Control District, the Department Airports, and the Department of Regional Planning and Zoning included within his agreements was the acquisition of hundreds of parcels of property by eminent domain, and his defending the claims of hundreds of claimants in inverse condemnation cases resulting from various flooding and subsidence/landslide causes, including defending 256 lawsuits that followed the Big Rock Mesa landslide in Malibu, home to numerous entertainment celebrities.
In 1985, Mr. Graham left the County Counsel's Office to work with a private firm that emphasized public law, and in 1987 opened his owned law firm essentially continuing the same law practice but with a case mix evolving to represent approximately 60% private property and business owners, with the remaining 40% representing public entities, including small cities, redevelopment agencies, school districts and special districts.
Mr. Graham is among the leading eminent domain trial attorneys in California, and has tried numerous jury trials and bench trials throughout California. He also has extensive experience in handling all issues pertaining to right to take challenges, valuation (including highest and best use, severance damages, fixture and equipment, and loss of good business goodwill), negotiations, acquisition and relocation associated with agricultural, industrial, residential, commercial and mixed-use properties.
Mr. Graham also has sufficient appellate experience, including being the lead attorney on the case, First Evangelical Lutheran Church of Glendale, which was appealed to the United States Supreme Court twice, and established the legal principle that compensation is Constitutionally required to be paid for interim or temporary takings of private property.
In addition to physical taking cases, Mr. Graham has also handled numerous regulatory taking cases resulting either from the down-zoning or the imposition of moratoria, generally related to the suspension of development in areas designated for eventual incorporated, such as Rancho Palos Verdes, Santa Clarita, Malibu and West Hollywood.
Mr. Graham has litigated cases related to eminent domain, inverse condemnation, development, redevelopment, construction and construction defect, property damage, land use, subdivision, and environmental matters throughout California, including in San Diego, Otay Mesa, Escondido, Temecula, Carlsbad, Anaheim Hills, Yorba Linda, Hacienda Heights, Palos Verdes Estates, Abalone Cove, Portuguese Bend, Rancho Palos Verdes, Torrance, El Segundo, Redondo Beach, Long Beach, Downey, Paramount, Lakewood, Bell Garden, South Gate, Cudahy, Vernon, Huntington Park, Santa Ana, Anaheim, Laguna Beach, San Clemente, West Hollywood, Malibu, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Altadena, Arcadia, Azusa, Monrovia, Pomona, Rancho Cucamonga, Rialto, San Bernardino, Victorville, Riverside, Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Adelanto, Las Vegas, Simi Valley, Camarillo, Ventura, Ojai, Piru, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Atascadero, Bakersfield, Fresno, South Lake Tahoe, Fremont, Sacramento, and Mammoth Lakes.
Due to his experience in handling land damage matters, Mr. Graham was requested by the CEB to co-author the first Supplement to its Landslide and Subsidence Liability treatise. He has also periodically authored articles for and conducted lectures and tutorials to members of professional organizations, including the Intentional Right of Way Association (where he is member), the Appraisal Institute of Real Estate Appraisers, the American Society of Appraisers, the Association of Engineering Geologist, and the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Mr. Graham has achieves the highest rating for legal ability in Martindale-Hubbell.