Ervin Cohen & Jessup’s Ellia Thompson Among Los Angeles’ Most Influential Women Attorneys

Ervin Cohen & Jessup Partner Ellia Thompson, Chair of the Firm's Land Use Practice, is among today’s honorees in the Los Angeles Business Journal’s annual special supplement honoring 75 of the city’s most influential women attorneys.

“Thompson advocates for the rights of property owners, business owners, and developers all across Southern California,” says the special supplement, published today. “She works with real estate developers to craft the best project possible in terms of design, functionality, and compatibility with the neighborhood, and works with all stakeholders including elected officials, local businesses, neighborhood groups, charity organizations, and neighbors to achieve project approval.  

The report adds that Thompson, a UCLA alum who obtained her J.D. from George Washington University Law School, “understands that a successful outcome is more than building a project, it is about building a solid, positive reputation in each of the communities she serves.”  

Los Angeles Business Journal Publisher and CEO Anna Magzanyan explained that the honorees have been recognized for “exceptional legal skill and achievement across the full spectrum of responsibility, exemplary leadership as evidenced by the highest professional and ethical standards, and for contributions to the Los Angeles community at large… Los Angeles is truly a national leader when it comes to influential women – and the field of law is no exception.”

Unlike many land-use attorneys, Thompson also excels at defending developers and property owners against criminal prosecution and civil litigation.

“I serve my clients best by keeping them out of the courtroom, but in the event that a lawsuit is filed, ECJ has a strong team with exceptional skills and experience,” Thompson says.

Thompson has received many major awards. While in the Media Law Practice at Baker Hostetler, she received the Society of Professional Journalists’ Pulliam-Kilgore Fellowship. For volunteer work with the homeless, she was a 2012 CREW-LA “Woman on the Rise.”

Ervin Cohen & Jessup LLP is a full-service firm that provides a broad range of business-related legal services including corporate law; litigation; intellectual property & technology law; real estate transactions, land use and finance; construction & environmental law; tax planning and controversies; employment law; health care law; bankruptcy, receivership and reorganization; and estate planning. For more information, visit http://www.ecjlaw.com/