Tim Paone

Experience Matters

Tim’s decades of legal work on some of California's most challenging and diverse projects and his entitlement management background for a major California developer combine to provide him with an uncommon blend of technical expertise and strategic thinking. His practice focuses on the Coastal Act, Development Agreements, CEQA, and local planning and entitlements. Geographically, his practice covers not only Southern California’s coastal cities and counties, but also the Inland Empire and communities in central and northern California.

Coastal Zone Development

As one of California’s most experienced Coastal Act lawyers, Tim recognizes the unique challenges clients face in dealing with the Coastal Commission. His diverse Coastal work has included large master-planned communities, the redevelopment of oil fields, a health care campus, oceanfront homes, a significant resource restoration project, strategic planning for desalination facilities, and even a major air show. When needed, he has protected his clients’ interests in the courtroom by joining with the Commission to defend project approvals or through litigation against the Commission to compel the Commission’s own compliance with the Coastal Act. For clients facing a Commission enforcement proceeding, Tim has navigated both the administrative hearing process and, if necessary, related court proceedings.

Recognition

In 2020, Tim was recognized by Best Lawyers® as Orange County’s “Lawyer of the Year” for Land Use and Zoning Law. In 2012, he was named one of "California's Top 30 Real Estate Lawyers" by California's leading legal publication, The Daily Journal. Based solely on peer review, Best Lawyers® also has recognized Tim’s prominence in his field every year since 2007.

Community, Industry, and Public Service

Tim has managed entitlement for The Irvine Company's properties in Newport Beach, Anaheim, and Orange, served as a Huntington Beach Planning Commission Chair and Governor's appointee to the California Law Revision Commission, and taught land use as an Adjunct Law School Professor. Currently, he is President of HomeAid Orange County | Los Angeles and a member and former President of the Board of the Orange County Youth Sports Foundation. He previously was active on the Boards of the Building Industry Association of Orange County, the Community Foundation of Orange (Founding Board Member and past President), the Foundation for the Great Park, and the Orange County Forum.

The Team

Beyond his own skillset, Tim brings to his clients the considerable resources of Cox Castle’s deeply experienced statewide Land Use & Natural Resources group which has been honored by Best Lawyers® as the nation's "Law Firm of the Year" for land use and zoning in 2015, 2018, 2020, and 2024. Cox Castle is one of the country’s largest full-service law firms specializing in real estate, meaning that our environmental, affordable housing, construction, finance, and other teams are available to assist our land use clients.

Land Use Litigation

CEQA, Coastal Act, takings, and other land use litigation in Orange, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and San Francisco counties.

Planning and Entitlement (examples only)

Coastal Zone Projects

• Aerie (Newport Beach: Seven unit bluff top condominium project with private beach and docks)
• Back Bay View Park (Newport Beach: 11-acre City-owned native plant park on Pacific Coast Highway)
• Banning Ranch Oilfield (County of Orange, Newport Beach: Active oil operations)
• Bayview Landing (Newport Beach: Senior affordable housing project)
• Bolsa Chica (County of Orange, Huntington Beach: 1600-acre wetlands restoration and residential project)
• Desalination (Development of strategic plan for construction of desalination facilities on federal coastal properties)
• Esplanade Apartments (Pacifica: Apartment buildings subject impacted by significant bluff failure)
• Hoag Hospital: (Newport Beach: 20-year expansion master plan)
• Newport Coast (County of Orange, Newport Beach: 2600-unit master planned resort community)
• Pacific Airshow (Huntington Beach: Major annual airshow over Huntington Beach City beach)
• Palm / Goldenwest Specific Plan (Huntington Beach: Planning and entitlement for redevelopment of 92-acre active oil and gas production site to residential and visitor-serving uses)
• Paradiso del Mare (County of Santa Barbara: Residential development of 138-acre ocean front property on Gaviota Coast)
• Santa Monica Place Mall (Santa Monica: Major renovation of mall)
• The Tennis Club (Newport Beach: Boutique hotel, tennis club, and residential units)
• Tomate Canyon (County of Santa Barbara: Residential development of 66-acre ocean front property on Gaviota Coast)
• Villa Venetia (County of Los Angeles: Renovation of 224-unit waterfront apartment complex in Marina del Rey)
• Windward (Huntington Beach: LCP Amendment to allow residential development)

Non-Coastal Planned Communities and Single-Family Projects

• The Avenues (Tracy: 480 homes on 96 acres)
• Baker Ranch (Lake Forest: 2,815 homes, 320,00sf non-res’l)
• Brookside (Walnut: 25 acres, 27 residential units)
• Deep Creek (County of San Bernardino: 202 homes on 249 acres)
• Eagle Crest (Escondido: 640 homes and golf course)
• One Ford Road (Newport Beach: 371 homes)
• Mountain Park (Anaheim: 2,900 homes)
• Pacific Point (San Juan Capistrano: 257-acre planned community)
• Paseo del Sol (Temecula: 164 homes on 43 acres)
• Sommers Bend (Temecula: 2,015 homes)
• SouthShore (Oxnard: 322-acre planned community)
• Sunnymead Ranch (Moreno Valley: 1,087 acres, 3,100 homes)
• Tremont (Fountain Valley: 55 homes)

Non-Coastal Multi-Family and Mixed Use Projects

• 1901 E 1st Street (Santa Ana: 254 units)
• Alexan Orangewood (Anaheim/ Platinum Triangle: 1000 units)
• Alexan Pacific Grove (Orange: 278 units)
• Adaptive Reuse (Orange: 48 homes on former utility site)
• Colby Circle Townhomes (Claremont: 96 townhomes)
• Eleven10 West (Orange: 260 units)
• Gable House (Torrance: 218 units, 12,000sf retail)
• Gene Autry Experience (Anaheim/Platinum Triangle: 17-acre mixed use)
• Palomar Station (San Marcos: 370 units, 55,000sf non-residential)
• The Jessup (Tustin: 40 units)
• The Marc (San Marcos: 416 units)
• Vantis Specific Plan (Aliso Viejo: 39-acres mixed use, 409 units)

Malls

• Santa Monica Place (Santa Monica)
• Fashion Island (Newport Beach)
• Garden Walk (Anaheim)

Commercial/Industrial/Logistics Projects

• Baker Ranch (County of Orange: original commercial/industrial development within Baker Ranch)
• Barton Road Logistics Center (Colton: 53-acre light industrial)
• Commerce Center (Menifee: 700,000sf warehouse project)
• Oasis Wellness Village (Palmdale: 400,000sf medical office complex)
• Pacific Commercentre (County of Orange: 444-acre commercial planned community)

Honors & Recognitions

Honors & Recognitions

• Best Lawyers, Land Use & Zoning Law, 2007-2025
• Best Lawyers, “Lawyer of the Year” for Orange County, Land Use & Zoning Law, 2020
• The Daily Journal, California's Top 30 Real Estate Lawyers for 2012

Professional and Industry Affiliations

Building Industry Association of Orange County

• Board of Directors, 1994-2006
• Executive Committee, 1995-1996
• Housing Committee, Co-Chair, 2000-2009

 Chapman University School of Law

• Adjunct Professor (Environmental Law Practice), 2005-2011

 Public Service

California Law Revision Commission, 1985-1989

• Appointee of Governor George Deukmejian

Huntington Beach Planning Commission, 1978-1980, 1981-1983

• Chairman: 1979, 1982-1983

Community Affiliations

Home Aid Orange County | Los Angeles

• President, 2025-Present

• Board of Directors, 2022-Present
• Board of Directors, 1998-2014
• Executive Committee, 2006-2009; 2011-2014

 Orange County Youth Sports Foundation

• President, 1981-1982

• Board of Directors, 1977-Present

 Community Foundation of Orange

• Founding Board Member, 2001

• President, 2006-2008
• Board of Directors, 2001-2009

 Foundation for the Great Park

• Board of Directors, 2005-2013

 Orange County Forum

• Board of Directors, 1995-2005

 Servite High School

• President’s Advisory Board, 1998-2010

Professional Affiliations

Building Industry Association of Orange County, Board of Directors, 1994-2006, Executive Committee, 1995-1996, Housing Committee, Co-Chair, 2000-2009

Chapman University School of Law, Adjunct Professor (Environmental Law Practice), 2005-2011

Urban Land Institute, Orange County/Inland Empire

Public Service

California Law Revision Commission, 1985-1989 (Appointee of Governor George Deukmejian)

Huntington Beach Planning Commission, 1978-1980, 1981-1983; Chairman: 1979, 1982-1983

Community Affiliations

Community Foundation of Orange, Board of Directors, 2001-2009, President, 2006-2008

Foundation for the Great Park, Board of Directors, 2005-2013

Home Aid Orange County, Board of Directors, 1998-2014, Executive Committee, 2006-2009; 2011-2014

Orange County Youth Sports Foundation, Board of Directors, 1977-Present; President, 1981-1982