MoFo Secures Landmark Settlements in Eaton Fires Lawsuit
Morrison Foerster, in conjunction with Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County (NLSLA), reached Settlement Agreements with Los Angeles County and the City of Pasadena on behalf of the Pasadena Tenants’ Union and individual tenant wildfire survivors. These settlements resolve litigation filed over the City’s failure to conduct meaningful inspections and enforce habitability standards for tenants whose homes were contaminated by toxic smoke, ash, and soot from the Eaton Fire.
The Pasadena lawsuit, filed in May 2025 by NLSLA and MoFo on behalf of their clients, sought to ensure that tenants living in Pasadena units impacted by post-fire contamination were not left to fend for themselves in the face of landlords refusing to conduct appropriate testing and remediation. This mirrors the companion lawsuit NLSLA and MoFo filed on behalf of Altadena tenants against the County of Los Angeles, which was resolved favorably in September 2025.
“We are proud to stand with tenants and NLSLA in securing a detailed enforcement structure that recognizes the lasting dangers of wildfire contamination in rental housing,” said partner Whitney O’Byrne.
The MoFo team who worked with NLSLA on this matter included partners Kira Davis, Whitney O’Byrne, Ryan Malloy, Purvi Patel, Brian Michael, Gregory Koltun and associates Robert Paris, Nicole Morgan, Rachel Feldman, Nima Kiaei, Alexandra Ward, and Zach Quinlan.
Read NLSLA's press releases for the Pasadena settlement and the Los Angeles settlement.
Kira A. DavisPartner
Whitney R. O'ByrnePartner
Ryan J. MalloyPartner
Purvi G. PatelPartner
Brian R. MichaelPartner
Gregory B. KoltunPartner
Robert M. ParisAssociate
Rachel Simon FeldmanAssociate
Nima I. KiaeiAssociate
Alexandra M. WardAssociate
Zach B. QuinlanAssociate