Barry J. Schultz has built a distinguished practice at the intersection of municipal law, real estate, and community development – advising public agencies, private developers, and nonprofit organizations across California for more than three decades. Serving as Assistant City Attorney for the cities of Del Mar, Murrieta, and Encinitas, he brings an unusually practical perspective to complex legal challenges, having worked from both sides of the public counter.

Mr. Schultz’s practice spans a wide spectrum of public agency and land use matters, including the Brown Act, the California Public Records Act, the Political Reform Act, CEQA compliance, and housing law. He regularly advises planning staff on entitlement processing, land use regulations, general plan updates, and environmental documentation – from initial studies and negative declarations through full environmental impact reports.

He is deeply experienced in California’s evolving housing landscape, advising clients on Housing Element law, density bonus law, By-Right development, and compliance with the Housing Accountability Act (SB 330). He has assisted multiple cities in updating general plans, housing elements, and climate action plans, and served on the SANDAG working group that produced the region’s first Sustainable Communities Strategy under SB 375.

In addition to his public agency work, Mr. Schultz represents private and nonprofit developers in all phases of residential, commercial, and mixed-use development – from land acquisition and entitlements through construction and project financing. He has advised on the development of more than 1,000 housing units representing over $100 million in financing, and has negotiated complex layered financing structures involving tax credits, new market tax credits, and federal, state, and local sources.

Before joining the firm, Mr. Schultz served as Chief Executive Officer of San Diego Capital Collaborative and as advisor to the San Diego Smart Growth Fund, a $90 million real estate equity fund focused on workforce housing and transit-oriented development. He also served eight years on the City of San Diego Planning Commission, including four years as Chair, guiding the Commission through adoption of an updated General Plan grounded in smart growth and sustainable communities principles.

This blend of public-sector leadership, transactional depth, and litigation awareness allows Barry to deliver uniquely practical counsel on the most complex challenges facing cities, developers, and communities in California today.