Encino law firm Gaines & Stacey has promoted two of its land use attorneys to partner: Kimberly Rible and Alicia Bartley.Rible and Bartley have practiced at the firm for more than 15 years, the firm said in a statement.Rible’s land use specializations include planning and zoning, environmental matters, administrative approvals and entitlements. Her cases, especially those involving environmental review projects, require expert understanding of the California Coastal Act and California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA.“I particularly enjoy that land use is a collaborative process and that I have the opportunity to work with owners, planners, architects and engineers, all working toward the same tangible vision,” Rible said in an email to the Business Journal. “A lot of satisfaction comes from this line of work, whether it is helping a private school like de Toledo High School redevelop a site for a new campus, bringing in the Whole Foods Market center to Tarzana, or getting city approvals for a transformational mixed-use project at Santa Monica-Barrington in West L.A.”She has served on the Valley Industry & Commerce Association’s Land Use Committee, the Los Angeles County and San Diego County Bar associations, and Urban Land Institute, and previously sat on the board of directors for the Valley Leadership Institute.Bartley’s litigation expertise includes property transactions, boundary disputes, project development and CEQA. Past service includes a term as co-chair of the San Fernando Valley Bar Association Real Estate Law Section; she currently serves on the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council Land Use Committee, the firm said.“While most projects and cases that I work on are memorable in their own way, seeing projects that I have spent years on in the entitlement process come to life, such as the shopping center at Sportsmen’s Lodge currently under construction, is especially gratifying,” said Bartley.Bartley has also authored multiple articles for Valley Lawyer Magazine, a publication of the bar association. She was previously recognized as one of the Business Journal’s “40 Under 40.”“Kim and Alicia are two of the finest land use attorneys and two of the most wonderful people you will ever find,” said Fred Gaines, partner at Gaines & Stacey and chairman of the Valley Economic Alliance. “Their legal expertise, good judgment and established relationships within the Southern California land use community make their counsel invaluable to our clients. I am proud to have them as my partners.”
