Charles Krolikowski, a partner in the Newport Beach office, leads the firm’s land use and eminent domain practice group. He has significant litigation and trial experience, trying more than 40 cases to verdict, in the eminent domain, inverse condemnation, environmental matters, real estate litigation and business litigation areas.

  • Settled inverse condemnation and contract claim against a City for $4.25 million (2023/2024)
  • Tried eminent domain matter against County that resulted in a $39 million dollar jury verdict (over $40 million with interest/costs), when the initial offer by the County was only $15 million  (2022)
  • Settled eminent domain action for a partial taking for $10.5 million, when the government’s initial offer was only $628,000 (2022)
  • Settled eminent domain matter for $2.7 million, when the government’s initial offer was $325,000 (2022)
  • Tried eminent domain matter against City that resulted in a judgment of over $500,000, when the initial offer was only $1,000 (2021)
  • Settled eminent domain/inverse condemnation case for $2.35 million, when the initial offer by the City was $1,000,000 (2019/2020)
  • Settled eminent domain acquisition by school district for $7.75 million, when the initial offer was less than $4 million (2018)
  • Settled inverse condemnation claim against public entity for $4.8 million (2017)
  • Obtained a complete defense verdict for several corporate clients related to a complex real estate/business dispute concerning numerous properties  (2016)
  • Settled a contract claim against a public entity for nearly $6 million, with rights for additional compensation later (2015)
  • Settled an eminent domain case on the eve of trial for $5.7 million, when the initial offer by the public entity was only $3.2 million (2014)
  • Tried an eminent domain matter that resulted in a verdict and fees of over $1,200,000 in lost business goodwill when the government’s initial offer was $0 (2013)
  • Settled construction dispute for HOA for $2 million (2013)
  • Successfully tried a nuisance and interference matter that resulted in a verdict and judgment over $1 million, including punitive damages (2012)
  • Obtained a $6.8 million dollar jury verdict in an inverse condemnation matter for a regulatory taking (2010)
  • Settled an eminent domain matter, post trial, for more than ten times the amount offered by the public entity (2009)
  • Successfully stopped an eminent domain taking at trial after the public entity failed to follow the proper precondemnation procedures (2008)
  • Tried a partition and breach of fiduciary duty case, which resulted (post-verdict) in a favorable settlement for his clients (2008)
  • Obtained a substantial jury verdict for fraud, breach of contract and alter ego against a contractor and his company (2007)
  • Obtained an $8.5 million judgment for his client when the initial offer by the public entity was only $4.4 million (2006)
  • Settled an inverse condemnation matter at the commencement of trial for $2.5 million (2005)
  • Obtained a substantial jury verdict in a case concerning the construction of portions of the I-5 Freeway (2004)
  • Tried an eminent domain matter for an airport owner that resulted in a jury verdict six times the initial offer by the public entity (2003)
  • Tried a lease revaluation case on behalf of a property owner wherein the Court determined that the rent for the property should be increased from $1,166 per month to $30,000 per month (2003)

Awards & Recognition

  • Selected to Daily Journal's Top 25 Land Use Attorneys in California, 2011
  • Selected to the Southern California Super Lawyers list, 2011-2023
  • Selected to the Southern California Super Lawyers Rising Star list, 2005-2010
  • Selected to the Orange County Best Lawyers list, Litigation - Land Use & Zoning, 2023 - 2025

Professional Affiliations

  • Orange County Bar Association
  • International Right of Way Association
  • American Bar Association, Co-Chair of the Real Estate and Land Use Litigation Subcommittee
  • Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Former Board Member

Admissions

  • California, 1996
  • U.S. District Court, Central District of California
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit

Education

  • University of Southern California Gould School of Law (J.D., 1996)
    • University of California, Davis (B.S., 1992)