Ben Saltsman is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.  Mr. Saltsman is a member of the firm’s Real Estate Department, and serves as co-chair of Gibson Dunn’s Land Use Practice Group.

Mr. Saltsman’s practice centers on land use and real estate matters, with an emphasis on successfully obtaining land use entitlements for major real estate development projects in Los Angeles County, Orange County, and throughout California, as well as advising institutional investors and lenders on development-related matters.

Capitalizing on his deep understanding of both local government and the laws governing development in California, Mr. Saltsman works with clients to strategically navigate the complex interaction of local and state land use laws, politics / public policy, and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).  Mr. Saltsman advises clients on CEQA matters, the California Coastal Act, zoning law, historic preservation standards and ordinances, and State laws governing the dissolution of redevelopment agencies in California.

Mr. Saltsman’s clients include private developers, financial investors and lenders, television studios, non-profit organizations, airlines, religious institutions, large land owners, and sports and entertainment companies.  He has successfully advised clients on a wide-range of projects, including the redevelopment of large retail centers, mixed-use and multi-family developments, Class A office developments, large master planned communities, creative office campuses, the redevelopment of former military bases, movie studios, hotels, and the reconstruction of two new terminals at LAX.

Mr. Saltsman was recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America™ 2022 and 2023 in Land Use and Zoning Law and by Chambers USA 2022 as an “associate to watch” in California Land Use and Zoning Law.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Mr. Saltsman served as a senior advisor to a Los Angeles County Supervisor for nearly 15 years.  In that role, Mr. Saltsman was responsible for planning and land-use issues, and coordinating policies and programs with developers, homeowner groups, environmental organizations, and various state and local governmental entities.  He also oversaw, among other agencies, the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO), the Community Development Commission and the Los Angeles County Housing Authority.  As a Supervisor’s Deputy, Mr. Saltsman coordinated the successful entitlement and approval of major private sector and public sector development projects, including: a major campus master plan, a specific plan for a Los Angeles movie studio and entertainment complex, funding and entitlements for more than one thousand affordable housing units throughout Los Angeles County, the acquisition of thousands of acres of publicly owned open space, and the certification of a local coastal program by the California Coastal Commission.

Mr. Saltsman earned his law degree in 2014 from Loyola Law School, where he graduated summa cum laude and Order of the Coif.  He graduated with highest honors in 2007 from the University of Southern California with a Master of Planning degree, and from UCLA in 2002, where he was awarded magna cum laude honors and was Phi Beta Kappa.  He has also lectured at academic and professional forums and written a nationally award winning paper on best practices in the land use entitlement process.  He is a board member of Pasadena Heritage and has an extensive pro bono practice.