Common Interest Developments. Gary Kessler has substantial experience representing homeowners associations in matters spanning the full spectrum of common interest development law, including matters relating to governing document drafting and enforcement, vendor contracts, Davis-Stirling Act interpretation, community association elections, as well as board member duties and responsibilities. 

Professional Activities. Gary is active in the State Bar of California’s Common Interest Development subsection, and serves a member of the State Bar’s working group on the California Law Revision Commission’s Tentative Recommendation for simplification of the Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act. Gary has recently been named to the national Community Association Institute’s Amicus  Committee, which reviews appellate cases across the United States relating to homeowner associations. As a member of the Community Association Institute-GLAC’s Legislative Action Committee, he monitors proposed legislation in Sacramento affecting common interest developments.  Additionally, Gary was a speaker on common interest development law at the 2010 California State Bar Convention, has served as Chairman of the Community Association Institute-GLAC’s  Publications Committee, and was the Editor-in-Chief of CAI’s Focus Magazine as well as the HOA Insider Newsletter. Gary is also the author of the Condo Court column, which focuses on new legal cases affecting community associations.  

Employment Law. Gary also has extensive experience handling employment law matters, including EEO/discrimination complaints, employee discipline problems and workplace privacy issues. His background in employment matters includes service as a hearing officer for the Los Angeles Civil Service Commission, as well as the representation of litigants in labor-related arbitrations, administrative proceedings, and federal and state court lawsuits.

Appellate Work. Gary enjoys analyzing and writing about complex legal issues through his appellate work. Judicial opinions in seven of his appellate cases have been certified for publication by the California Court of Appeal, and he is proud to have served as a member of both the California State Bar’s Committee on Appellate Courts and the Los Angeles County Bar Association's Appellate Courts Committee.

Examiner & Judicial. Additionally, Gary has served as a hearing examiner for the City of Santa Monica, the Los Angeles Police Commission, the Orange County Employees Retirement System, the San Bernardino County Employees Retirement Association, and the Better Business Bureau. He has also served as a Judge Pro Tem for the Los Angeles Municipal Court, and has been a member of the Los Angeles Superior Court's panel of arbitrators and mediators.

Education. Gary received his bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley, Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa. In 1980 he received a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola University School of Law, where he was selected to serve on the Board of Editors of the Loyola Law Review.  While at Loyola, he was named to the St. Thomas More Law Honor Society,and was awarded the Loyola Honorary Scholarship for Excellence in the Study of Law as well as The Advocates Scholarship.